Cleveland Guardians need to be using Chess Strategy when it comes to ABS Challenges.

The Cleveland Guardians may have lost the August, 19, 2026 1-0 game to the San Franciso Giants in the first inning, when José Ramirez did not challenge a 3-1 pitch that José KNEW was a ball. To make matters worse, José jumped out of the box to head to first so quickly that when the Umpire put his arm up to signal strike 2, instead of ball 4, José may have lost his right to challenge by exiting the batters box so quickly.

Instead of correctly challenging the call, and being given a first base walk, José would make an out on the ensuing 3-2 pitch that would have been a 4-1 walk, if the prior call had been challenged by José, who emphatically knew the ball was outside of the Strike Zone. Seeing José Ramirez make a facial gesture because he disagreed with the Umpire's call, seems like an empty gesture now that José could have put his facial gesture to the test, and asked for an ABS challenge. 

In the world of Checkers, not challenging a first inning, 3-1 pitch that turned the count to 3-2 into a ball four walk, is the right strategy when a manager tries to keep ABS strategy simple for his entire line-up. In the world of Chess, in which José Ramirez knows the ball and strikes zone really well, challenging the 3-1 pitch, and receiving a walk, would have put José on first base with one out, and present an excellent opportunity to steal second base on Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson's delivery and slightly slower velocity. Yes, José had been thrown out at second base in the first game of the Giants Series, but most likely a better jump against Wilkinson should have netted Jose, with a 90% stolen base success rate, a stolen base. 

José Ramirez at 2nd base with only one out could have given the Cleveland Guardians next 2 batters the necessary scenario to drive José in, in a myriad of ways. Instead, Jose made an out, and the next batter, Nathaniel Lowe, who may have one of slowest saunters to first base in MLB, hit a ball behind second base that was fielded, and the very bad throw that followed bounced 15 feet in front of first base, should netted a hit for Lowe, but did not. If that same scenario had played out with José Ramirez already at second base, José might have rounded third and gone for home as the play to first base took at least 5 seconds to develop, and placed the first baseman in an awkward position to the point fielding the throw, and then pivoting from an awkward position to throw home might not have been in time to get the fleet footed José Ramirez, who most likely would have tried to score from second base on such a play. Instead the first inning ended with a whimper, and the Guardians would never score, losing 1-0 to the Giants. 

Baserunners like Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez should take an early inning ABS challenge if they are 100% sure a strike call will be overturned, and, the overturned call generates a walk to first base. Clutch Guardians batters, such as Kwan, DeLauter, and Hedges, should also make the ABS Chess move and challenge a call they know is incorrect, provided there are runners in scoring position and the incorrect call would end their at bat with a strike 3 call.

The need to keep at least one ABS challenge for the 9th inning is a real Chess move strategy, and yet, the need to not fritter away an early inning scoring opportunity by not challenging a can't miss ABS Checkers challenge, can prove just as valuable as having at least one, 9th inning available ABS challenge.

Los Angeles Emmy winning Producer Alessandro Machi combines his editing, camera, math, and real time action observational skills to provide unique insights into the World of Sports.