Atlanta
CNN
 — 

The hottest topic in Atlanta ahead Tuesday’s Major League Baseball isn’t a player, a coach or a manager.

It’s not even human.

For the first time, the midsummer classic is going to be using automated technology to allow pitchers, catchers and batters to challenge balls and strikes – a system that’s been in use in the minor leagues and in spring training but had never been put in place before at a major league park.

It’s a technology that has the potential to revolutionize the game, a system that might forever change one of the ficklest parts of an incredibly fickle game: The ever-changing, unpredictable strike zone put in place by all-too-human home plate umpires.

Pitchers are largely unfazed – at least before the game gets going.

“I don’t plan on using them. I’m probably not going to use them in the future. I’m gonna let the catcher do that,” said Tarik Skubal, the Detroit Tigers star who will start the game for the American League. “I have this thing where I think everything’s a strike until the umpire calls it a ball.”

Paul Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates fireballer who will start for the National League, felt much the same way.

“Pitchers think that everything’s a strike, then you go back and look at it and it’s two, three balls off,” he said Monday. “So, we should not be the ones that are challenging it. I really do like the human element of the game. I think this is one of those things that you kind of think that umpires are great until they’re not, and so I could kind of care less either way, to be honest.”

According to MLB, the challenge system will have the same rules as were used in spring training: Each team starts the game with two challenges and they keep their challenge if they are deemed correct. Only the pitcher, catcher and hitter can challenge a call and the system is put into place when one of those players taps the top of his cap or helmet twice.

The system was in place during the Futures Game at Truist Park on Saturday between some of the game’s top minor league prospect. When a player would challenge a call, the game would pause, and attention would turn to the stadium’s massive screen beyond right center field.

A virtual simulation of the pitch would be shown along with a strike zone and the technology would rule if the ball fell within or outside the box. Play would then resume after the short break.

It’s unclear exactly how the league will determine the size of those strike zones for each batter, and that’s something Los Angeles Dodgers veteran Clayton Kershaw wants to know.

“I did a few rehab starts with it. I’m OK with it, you know, I think, I mean, it works,” he told reporters on Monday. “I just don’t really understand how they’re doing the box for the hitter, because I think every different TV or national streaming service has their own box. I think I just hope that they figure out, because Aaron Judge and Jose Altuve should have different sized boxes, so … know they’ve obviously thought about that. I haven’t talked to MLB about it, but as long as that gets figured out, I think it’d be fun.”

The phrase used most on Monday when discussing the technology was an iconic one in baseball lore: The “human element.”

It’s one of the things that can make baseball so perfectly imperfect – the ability of umpires to simply get it wrong and make a massive impact on the game. From Jim Joyce ruling a batter safe to ruin Armando Galarraga’s perfect game bid to Don Dekinger’s World Series-changing call in 1985, ruling Kansas City Royals player Jorge Orta was safe at first base even though replays showed he was out by a step. Instead of being the last out of a St. Louis Cardinals World Series championship, the moment became the spark for the Royals to charge back and win the title.

The “human element” is one of baseball’s quirks that give the nation’s pastime its identity. But it’s also something that many fans would rather see cast off into obscurity.

Chris Sale, the Atlanta Braves pitcher and reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, said he still wants it to be part of the game.

“Honestly, for me, I kind of like the human element, right? Like I understand why they want to use ABS. And I don’t think it’s a perfect system yet,” he said. “I kind of like the old feel, the old way of doing it.”

CNN
 — 

While Chelsea stole the show on the pitch in a masterful showing against Paris Saint-Germain, President Donald Trump was arguably the center of attention at the FIFA Club World Cup final on Sunday.

Trump and first lady Melania Trump were at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to witness the Blues’ dominant performance against PSG, as two goals from Cole Palmer and one from new addition João Pedro gave Chelsea a 3-0 victory to become the inaugural winners of the newly formatted competition.

But for Trump, it was an eventful afternoon from his very first appearance in front of fans.

He and the first lady were cheered upon their arrival at MetLife Stadium, but when he was shown on the video screens during the pre-game national anthem, Trump received a scattering of boos. He was booed again later on after the game, when he was presenting medals on the field to players alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

But a hostile reception from some in attendance wasn’t the end of things for the 79-year-old, who was routinely shown on the TV coverage of the game sitting alongside Infantino.

CNN reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi attended as she is under pressure over the release of a memo about accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was also spotted in the suite by the pool camera following the president and the Associated Press reported Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, NFL legend Tom Brady and media mogul Rupert Murdoch all joined the president as well.

Having handed the winner’s trophy to Chelsea captain Reece James with Infantino, Trump remained on stage while the FIFA boss departed. There appeared to be some confusion among the Chelsea players as to whether they should wait for Trump to leave before proceeding with the ceremonial trophy lift.

But after a few moments, Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez – standing on the other side of Trump – motioned for James to go ahead with Trump standing center stage.

It led to the unusual image of the Chelsea squad celebrating its tournament victory with the US president squarely in the middle of it all.

Afterward, the Chelsea players expressed their bewilderment about Trump’s presence on stage. Typically in soccer, the trophy lift is for the players and staff of the winning team.

“I knew he was going to be here, but I didn’t know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy, so I was a bit confused,” said Palmer, who was named the player of the tournament.

James added: “Before they told me that he was going to present the trophy and exit the stage. I thought he was going to exit the stage, but he wanted to stay.”

There was confusion on social media as well as videos appeared to show Infantino giving Trump a winner’s medal.

CNN Sports has contacted FIFA to ask whether Trump was specifically given a medal by the body and to whether he was meant to be on stage during the trophy lift.

“It was an upset today, I guess,” Trump told reporters after flying back to Washington following Chelsea’s victory, per AP. “But it was a great match.”

It was a unique ending to a unique tournament, one that saw games played in scorching heat, matches delayed for thunderstorms and teams from across the globe congregate to compete against one another.

The final – contrary to other big soccer matches – had the customary razzle-dazzle that comes with an American sporting event through a halftime performance, with British rock band Coldplay making a surprise cameo performance alongside J Balvin, Doja Cat, Tems, and Emmanuel Kelly.

With the World Cup being played in the US, Canada and Mexico in less than 12 months, things could get even bigger and more unusual than normal.

CNN
 — 

Grace Kim produced one of the most remarkable comebacks you are ever likely see as she clinched the Evian Championship to become just the fifth Australian woman to win a golf major.

The 24-year-old was three shots off the lead with four holes left to play in Sunday’s final round, but closed with birdie, birdie, par and eagle to draw level with Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul at the top of the leaderboard and force a playoff.

However, the comeback looked like it would end early as she hit her second shot on the first playoff hole into the pond by the 18th green.

But remarkably, Kim chipped in from where she had taken a drop to force the playoff to a second hole, where she sunk a 20-foot eagle putt to seal the most improbable of major triumphs.

“Obviously, it’s a huge achievement for me,” Kim said, per Reuters. “I’ve had a lot of doubts early this year. I was kind of losing motivation.

“I kind of had to get some hard conversations done with the team. Yeah, kind of had to wake up a little bit. So to be sitting here next to this trophy is definitely surreal.”

Kim, who battled a cold throughout the tournament, has struggled on the LPGA Tour since winning the Lotte Championship in Hawaii in 2023, her rookie season.

She had recorded just one top-10 finish in her last 11 appearances, per Reuters, and earlier this year slipped down to world No. 100.

But after securing her second LPGA Tour title, Kim has now joined exclusive company in Australian women’s golf.

Fellow Australian Minjee Lee, also a major winner, was watching from the side of the green as Kim sunk the winning putt, before running on to spray her with champagne.

Seven-time major winner Karrie Webb and three-time winners Jan Stephenson and Hannah Green also make up the exclusive club.

“I saw there is a picture of Karrie as you walk into the locker room, walking down 18 as well, so seeing that each day is motivating” Kim said.

“Obviously, Minjee’s first major was this one and this is now mine as well.”