SAFE! Safe at home!

This past week we attended a Zoom Partner Event in NYC. When I told my wife that I was going to NYC for a Zoom meeting, she could not understand the need to physically "go" anywhere. Why are you not just attending via Zoom?

My Inbox: You’re registered and confirmed for our Zoom and HP Poly Partner Roadshow in New York City on July 13 from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm! We look forward to seeing you in person and sharing a technical lab environment where you’ll have the opportunity to interact with Zoom and HP Poly Partner Engineers & expand your knowledge on Zoom’s platform of products. This is an in-person event and will not be virtual.

When I asked my wife about "Zoom" and her thoughts about all things Zoom, she said, "Well, it was Zoom that made us safe at home. Zoom kept us safe during the pandemic."

Ah yes. Safe at home. 

I focused on the "safe at home" while I was taking the tour of MLB in NYC. Turns out that Major League Baseball is a MAJOR client and power user of Zoom.  And - they use Zoom to power REPLAY REVIEW for all MLB games. 

This week is the 2023 USDLA National Convention in Orlando. Alas, I cannot attend LIVE-LIVE as I have a speaking engagement in NYC. But, via the power of Zoom, I will be able to attend virtually. We expect several hundred people to fly into Orlando for the USDLA event, but thousands will attend from all around the world. Zoom meetings, Zoom events, Zoom phone, Zoom Telehealth - the world is indeed www.PoweredByZoom.us 

This Tuesday I am attending (speaking) at the FutureIT event in NYC. Hence I cannot be in Orlando with the amazing people of the USDLA. Tuesday, July 18 is FutureIT New York, the year's most important conference for tech insiders. And, I will be in great company! IT professionals from Goldman Sachs, Google. Deutsche Bank, Fordham University, NFL, Pfizer, UBS, US Treasury, and more plan to attend. I have been telling the world to sign up to meet industry experts, peers, and solution providers to learn the latest innovations in AI/ML, enterprise automation, cybersecurity, cloud, and more. And, meet me. You know, www.DrZoom.us 

USDLA, celebrating 36 years of Distance Learning > DIGITAL Learning > DIGITAL LIVING. Wow, 36 years. Technology changes everything, right? 

Here are some changes to Major League Baseball (MLB) for the 2023 season:

• Pitch timer: Pitchers have 15 seconds to throw a pitch with the bases empty, and 20 seconds with a runner on base
• Defensive shifts: Restrictions on defensive shifts
• Larger bases: Bases are now 18-square inches, up from 15-square inches
• Home plate: Home plate is now three inches closer to first and third base
• Corner bases: Corner bases are now 4 1/2 inches closer to second base
• Extra innings: The extra innings rule regarding the runner on second base is now permanent
• Position player pitching: Position players can only throw in extra innings, in the ninth when the opposing team is leading by ten or more, or when the losing team is losing by at least eight
• Mound visits: Umpires are directed to expedite visits to the pitcher's mound, and the number of mound visits is limited to five per team
• Other changes: A more balanced schedule, faster replay reviews, pickoff/step-off limits, and PitchCom for pitchers

The rule changes are designed to improve the game's pace of play, increase action on the field, and improve player safety. 

Replay review in Major League Baseball (MLB) allows league officials to review certain plays to determine the accuracy of the initial call made by the umpires on the field. The review is designed to provide a timely review of disputed calls. Reviews can be initiated by a manager's challenge or by the umpire crew chief. Managers must request a challenge within 20 seconds of the play in question concluding. The Crew Chief can call for a video review on eligible plays in the 8th inning or later. The New York City video replay crew must come to a decision within two minutes. In 2022, there were more than 1,400 replay reviews. That computes to only 0.59 per game, or basically, just one per team every four games. Nearly 60 percent of all games had zero reviews. MLB became the last of the four major North American sports leagues to use instant replay. Some baseball purists and commissioner Bud Selig believed that replays would break the tradition of putting each game's fate in the hands of the umpires on the field. Time (and technology) changes everything. 

The first Major League Baseball game was played on May 4, 1871 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The game was a National Association contest between the Cleveland Forest Cities and Ft. Wayne Kekiongas. The National Association of Professional Baseball Players (NAPBBP) was the first fully-professional sports league in baseball. The NAPBBP was founded in 1871 and continued through the 1875 season. The first National League baseball game was played on April 22, 1876 when the Boston Red Caps beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 6-5. The first Major League Baseball game was broadcast on August 26, 1939 when the Cincinnati Reds visited the Brooklyn Dodgers and split a doubleheader at Ebbets Field.

The first Major League Baseball night game was played on May 24, 1935 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Reds beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 in the game, which was made possible by recently installed lights at the field. The original plan was for the Reds to play seven night games each season, one against each visiting club.

Meetings. Events. Work. Education. Medicine. Baseball. Sooner or later, technology changes everything. 1871 > 1935 > 2023. Ah yes, the world is indeed www.PoweredByZoom.us. And now, Zoom is way, way, WAY more than just video meetings.

Play Ball!

MLB HQ New York City