JUPITER, Fla. — The call came long after the ball left the bat and soared toward its destination beyond the left field fence.
“Strike,” said the computerized voice.
The Cardinals had four pitchers and a handful of batters take to the main field at Roger Dean Stadium on Friday for several rounds of live batting practice. A speaker about the size of a Gatorade bucket was placed on top of the visitors’ dugout, and with each pitch it barked out a verdict: ball or strike. This robo-ump tech was being utilized while the ballpark was being setup for Sunday’s opener of Grapefruit League play for the Cardinals.