Business of Sports

Robot Overlords, NBA Europe Tension, the Next Gronkamole: Business of Sports

By starting its Automated Ball-Strike system in the Atlantic League, MLB figured out that players routinely exaggerate their height.

Kazuma Okamoto of the Toronto Blue Jays calls for an ABS challenge of a strikeout against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Toronto on April 7. Okamoto had his challenge upheld and then hit a double.Photographer: Cole Burston/Getty Images via Getty Images North America

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By Ira Boudway, Catherine Larkin, and Giles Turner

April 10, 2026 at 3:30 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

This week we have a bit of robot ump history, take a look at who the next Gronkamole could be, and talk about the tensions behind the scenes of the NBA’s Great European Conquest.

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