It’s time for limited replay
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- May
- 19
Baseball has tried to take steps to improve the pace of games in recent seasons and it has helped. The players do a lot less strolling around the plate then they used and most pitchers actually throw the ball in a reasonable amount of time.
At the risk of occasionally forfeiting some of those gains, the sport needs instant replay.
Not for everything. The umpires should make all the calls on the bases free of technology. Otherwise it would become a circus. And the last thing baseball needs are “challenges” like the NFL.
My idea is simple: Replay only for disputed home runs and fan interference, at the complete discretion of the crew chief.
The umps blew that call on Carlos Delgado’s home run off the foul pole last night. Flat-out blew it. With so many new parks having weird angles and uneven dimensions, the umpires need the help. But even traditional old Yankee Stadium created a problem last night.
Replay would come into play once or twice a week, I would guess. Home runs are so significant that they need to be called correctly.
A bad call benefited the Yankees last night. Who’s to say it won’t hurt them tomorrow? Let the umps take a quick look and get it right.
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on Monday, May 19th, 2008 at 12:50 pm by Peter Abraham.
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Peter Abraham
For homeruns only I’ve always thought it was the right thing to do.
I think they are scared to do it, because of the whiole slippery slope thing. Once everyone gets used to it for homeruns, than it turns into the “well since we have it for that, why not for other things?”
no no no no … he got it wrong that’s it.
the HR replay only on those type of plays but I will not stand for replays on more than that.
why not for plays at bases also???
isn’t the idea to get things right????
Too bad the yanks couldn’t take advantage of the favorable call…
agreed Pete. There really should be no reason someone in a booth couldn’t have radiod down that they blew the call and they should reverse it.
i know i’m in the minority here, but i would love to see a fully automated strike zone. human element my ass!
I agree, Pete. How can umps be expected to make the correct call every time from hundreds of feet, involving poles and painted lines?
Limited use for homerun calls and safe calls on the basebaths will only enhance the integrity of the game.
I’m sure that even the slumping Yankees wouldn’t have wanted to win a game aided by an unfair 3-run swing.
Game 7 of the World Series, tie game, ninth inning. It’s hard to argue that a close play at second isn’t as important as whether a homerun is fair or foul.
In other words, once you open the floodgates to replay, it’ll be hard to close them
How about a reset button instead of replay?
Can we just start this whole season over? lol
Since their are no umps stationed in the outfield during the regular season, how can they be expected to make accurate calls when they may be 200 or more feet away from the action?
I think MLB would need to add a replay official with a communication system tied to the crew chief.
Also can anyone tell me why the foul pole in Yankee Stadium is yellow except for the last couple of feet, where it is black?
That doesn’t make any sense to me…...
“why not for plays at bases also???
isn’t the idea to get things right????”
so you wanna have a 5 hour game ?
mel I’m sure they would have taken a win anyway any how last night.
And it was a good call
hmm the smiles aren’t working. That was a wink.
“Also can anyone tell me why the foul pole in Yankee Stadium is yellow except for the last couple of feet, where it is black?”
to confuse umpires…
Yanksrule57
To make it easier to see the white ball.
I think replays should be used for any play involving runs scored. That includes HR’s and plays at the plate. Gotta draw the line somewhere.
Well thought out, Pete, but I share concerns about this evolving into baserunning calls, as well as balls and strikes. And while I don’t the believe the strike zone should be subject to “artistic interpretation”, as Michael Kay says, I also worry about disputes about every other pitch.
Calling it a circus would be an understatement.
Maybe on HRs, and only at the discretion of the umpires.
“Also can anyone tell me why the foul pole in Yankee Stadium is yellow except for the last couple of feet, where it is black?”
Home field advantage.
This is crazy talk. Once you open the door to instant replay in baseball, even for a limited purpose, it will quickly expand.
I’m not crazy about replay. What was so stupid about last night is he overturned the right call. If he called it foul originally and stuck with the call thats one thing, but he made the right call and then someone who was further away convinced him to change the call.
I was watching the u.s. softball team the other day(dont ask me why. Maybe cause some are hott). They have a rule that a pitcher has to throw the ball in i believe 7 seconds. I think if they can speed up the game in other places. Like warmup between innings and pitchers stauling. Then im all for instant replay. If not. Then we would be doing a day night game and it wouldnt be a double header.
ABSOLUTELY NOT! It won’t end with HR calls.. eventually it’ll move to every call. Keep baseball simple!
jennifer,
I was stuck on gameday and Sterling & Suzyn. You’re the only one who said it was the correct call. What did you see?
WHAT IS IT W/ THIS FAT PIECE OF CRAP AND BRONSON ARROYO !
mel, I was joking. My wink smiley didn’t work. I was jokingly saying it was the right call cause it would/should have helped the Yankees.
Well, if you make a rule that it’s on homerun calls (fair/foul/fan interference) and close plays at the plate, then how does that open a slippery slope? Two very specific uses. The only other way to do it is to limit each team to a set number of “replay challenges” per game, say two, and it can’t be for balls and strikes.
As long as the rule is specific and limited, then I don’t see a problem with it.
In years past, the technology did not exist for instant replay with slow motion and all the “fancy” stuff. Now it does. Might as well use it in a limited and specific way.
Saucy and myself came up with a better idea a few months ago. Have the ball have a sensor in it. Have the players and the strike zone with a sensor as well. When touching the bases your sensor wont go off. Have some on the outfield walls as well. So strikes make sensor go off. Outs on bases make em go off and homers have a light that goes off, hockey like. Therefore umps wont miss calls and it eliminates replays.
Brandon are you serious? What did Bronson do for him? I mean Bronson stinks this year, what in the world makes him think he will be successful in the al east, when he stunk in the nl central?
I will stop being a fan if Cash brought Bronson here. Okay well maybe not. But I strongly dislike Bronson.
How about if the crew agrees on the HR call, no video review. If there’s disagreement, go to video.
Dan Patrick talking about what if Giselle asked Brady to wear Yankee gear to Fenway Park. Does he choose love or self-preservation? Get another Victoria Secret girlfriend instead? Funny stuff.
Mel, it was not a correct call. Not by any stretch of the imagination. They showed it from several different angles. It hit the foul pole and ricocheted foul. If I were a Mets player or Mets fan, I’d have gone ballistic. One of the worst calls, especially since initially it was called a homerun and it was REVERSED to say it was not.
SoS,
No Yankee game, whatcha gonna do tonight?
“The only other way to do it is to limit each team to a set number of “replay challenges†per game, say two, and it can’t be for balls and strikes.”
Have the coaches throw red flags on the field and have a camera ready behind the plate for ump review. This sounds very familiar.
mel,
Watch Horry come in for 2 minutes. Rough house a player and hope we can finally win a road game. Whats your prediction?
SoS,
It’s too close to call. There hasn’t been a close game yet, so this has to be the one.
The enormity of the situation may get to the young buzzers and the Spurs bench is much more savvy.
Pops always been good at making adjustments (which is why I’m confused by the 3 blowouts of the Spurs)and Scott NEVER makes adjustments.
So I don’t know. Can’t say I want either one, it’s really pick your poison and could be a case of “be careful what you wish for”.
But good luck to your guys.
NBA opened the door to instant replays for all shots at the end of each quarter at 2002 after a number of disputes in the previous post season. It seems like everyone is happier and no one want more replays on
other things than what rules allow now.
So.. limited instant replays is doable!
mel,
Thanks. I have a bad feeling though. Hope im wrong. I think this series is going to drain either team that advances. So you guys might have caught a break.
Heard this morning that Bynum is having surgury. Doesnt sound good. Is it a clean up or further damage?
Video replay should be banned in every sport. I can’t stand waiting for challenges in the NFL, and stoppage in the NBA. Bbaseball is boring enough as it is, I have no patience for non-Yankee games. You want it to slow down even more?
@Doreen – It wasn’t the correct call, but it was an extremely close call. I don’t have to stretch my imagination to far to believe a human being could make a mistake on that one.
Does anyone remember a similar play by Jim Leyritz, oh, about 15 years ago?
He hit a home run. It was fair. Then the umps reversed it and called it a foul ball. He went nuts and got thrown out, I think.
I vote NO on any replay whatsoever. Even though at the time of this Leyritz call, I was cursing the gods.
SoS,
Clean up the “fraying” at the bottom of the cap. They’ll probably explore some more. Hope they don’t recommend the dreaded “m” word. They just need to do it so he can start rehabbing again.
It feels like you’re cheating on someone because Andrew’s emergence started the whole snowball early in the season. Then his injury spurred the whole Gasol thing (they explored it last season, it was Gasol or KG!). To be enjoying the success without him seems kind of cruel. So I hope he comes back full strength next year.
It was a tough call to make. The ricoshette was hard see. The only thing that was really visable was the guy catching the ball in foul territory. IMO, with a blind eye it looked like a foul.
Was anyone else getting ticked at Morgan and Co. Continuing to say that the foul pole wasnt in line with the field? They kept showing the camera from where the guy was sitting, not directly behing the pole. It was very annoying to say the least.
for those against instant replay because it would take too long, think about the number of raging, angry managers that would have no reason to come out and argue when the wrong call is made.
mel,
Good point. I dont think the Gasol trade happens with Bynum healthy.
Im following 2 of my teams in the playoffs. Spurs and Red Wings. There was a stat that they showed a few days ago that the only 2 teams to blow a 3-0 lead in hockey was the penquins and the red wings. It was 33 years apart from each other. Guess what? Its 33 years from the last one that happened. Pittsburgh already advanced yesterday and Dallas has made it a series with Detroit 3-2. Hope history doesnt repeat itself. Bad enough my Yanks blew a 3-0. Dont ever want to experience that again.
“Was anyone else getting ticked at Morgan and Co. Continuing to say that the foul pole wasnt in line with the field? They kept showing the camera from where the guy was sitting, not directly behing the pole. It was very annoying to say the least.”
i found a great way to ignore whomever is announcing on a given night. it’s called watching the game from a bar.
unfortunately, it could be pricey at times, on both the wallet and liver.
“i found a great way to ignore whomever is announcing on a given night. it’s called watching the game from a bar.”
If i knew where the s.a.p. button was at i wouldnt have listened to the nonsense. Saucy,watch the game in spanish. Its cheaper. Only other solution is mute.
No replay, ever. The randomness of an umpire’s call is an essential part of the game. That may sound strange, as we expect them to get calls right. But umpires are not machines, they are humans, and humans make mistakes. That’s okay with me. It’s part of the excitement, and the humanity, of baseball.
If replay on calls is ever to reach fruition it needs to be done in baby steps.
Start off a season with replays used in base calls only and NOTHING more for that season. If consensus shows it’s working, expand to outfield calls the following season.
Take the model from football. At first it was questionable. Today it’s been refined and accepted.
Tom –
I guess what we all tend to forget, myself included, is that umpires make these judgements in real time at real speed without benefit of super closeups and slo motion. So, you are correct, sir, that it isn’t that far a stretch to see that that was a close call.
SoS27
Re: Morgan & Miller going on about the foul pole lining up with the painted foul line – doh – yeah, from some angles, but the only angle that counts is straight down the foul line.
Here’s the alternative to using replay on home run calls—wire the foul pole. With today’s electronic wizardry, I would think that designing a pole to set off a buzzer or a lamp at the top, or glow bright white if contact is made with its shaft or screen should be practical—and would be easily understood without marring tradition.
The game has changed. The equipment is better, the physical training is better, why can’t the umpiring be better.
As far as the time is concerned, after a call is made, discussed, argued, overturned, and argued again how about just using a replay to get it right and save time and effort. Especially in postseason games where, if I remember correctly, there is a “backup umpire,” why not just throw a TV in front of him. Ultimately it’ll save time and they’ll get it right.
Lastly, I don’t buy this “slippery slope” argument. The same reasons balls and strikes and basepath calls won’t go to instant replay will remain forever. Making people make calls from 200 feet away is just ridiculous.
I usually agree with what you have to say; however, I do not agree with you AT ALL. I pray that there are enough baseball puriest out there that will not allow this to happen. I think it has caused lost interest in other sports that have incorporated instant replay, and I think it will do the same in baseball. It’s part of the game, part of every sport, to have good and bad calls. Although what you suggest is limited, it won’t stay that way. It will slowly creep into every play being reviewed and that just makes the point of playing obsolete. Instant replay needs to stay out of sports.
Even though this made me think less of you, I’ll still be a faithfull reader.
I’d settle for just replays of close plays on the stadiums’ jumbotrons.
Remember when they used to do that? Good times…
Oh, and Joe Morgan ought to be bronzed or something.
Great ballplayer but as an announcer or color man (careful!)... not so much.
automated strike zone. I almost threw up in my mouth.
Whitey Fraud,
I said the same exact thing to my dad last night about Joe Morgan.
Either do replays or don’t. If you set a “challenge” limit (like 2 per team per game), there’s no reason not to allow it on any type of play. What idiot manager is going to waste either of his 2 challenges on arguing a ball/strike call?
I don’t buy the time-wasting argument. As others have said, if you have to wait for arguing players/managers anyway, what’s the difference? Also, don’t we see several replays on TV before the next batter gets his first pitch? How much extra time will it really take?
That said, I think replays are pretty useless. Sure it’s frustrating to see bad calls, especially against your team. And I’ve felt like, especially in the past few years, the umpires have made some ridiculously bad calls. But over time they definitely even out. And many (most?), like last night’s, wind up having no impact on the outcome of the game. Sure, you can argue that it might affect a manager’s next decision, or a team’s energy, or any number of things. But there’s no way to say how (does the team get knocked down or fired up?), so that’s a pointless argument.