27
2011
From Left Field: Expansion Of Instant Replay Imminent?
An article by 
It seems like MLB Commissioner Bud Selig is finally giving in, albeit slightly.
For years, the thought of instant replay in baseball remained just a thought, as Selig and his cronies stressed “human error” as part of the game.
Fair or Foul?
Umpires had been making good and bad calls since the game’s inception, so why did the current administration need to change anything?
However, once the NFL adopted its instant replay program, the technological aspect of sports changed drastically. Coaches could challenge a disputed call, and later, every disputed call with less than two minutes remaining is automatically challenged.
And new this season, every scoring play is now reviewed, even the obvious ones.
Though it changed the game, the right calls were being made. As a result, the emphasis shifted from luck in getting a favorable call to actuality. Did the receiver actually make the catch or did the runner actually break the plan on the endzone?
After seeing how instant replay affected football and after a string of seasons with overall poor umpiring, Selig introduced the first facet of MLB instant replay, which allowed the umpires to review if a ball is or is not a home run.
That has been a successful first step, but just this past Tuesday, Selig announced that the league “will enlarge replay a little bit.”
He said he didn’t want every single call to be reviewed, and that doing so would hurt the sport.
But that’s all that was said.
In an AP report from April, the review of fair or foul calls and trapped balls was a topic of MLB’s discussion, but it was decided not to implement that this season.
Still, it looks as though we will see extended instant replay in 2012. Maybe managers will be able to challenge safe or out calls. Or even if a balk call is actually a balk.
The question is where do we draw the line?
Baseball games take three hours as is, so reviewing all these blown calls would prolong the game even further. There are dozens of calls in every game that can technically be disputed.
I’m on the fence about this whole issue. I’m all about seeing a fairly officiated game (especially if the Mets fall victim to a bad call), but I also respect that human error is part of the game.
For all the times the Mets have suffered from a bad call, they likely have been the beneficiaries of bad calls. It all evens out in the end.
The problem is that if the expansion of instant replay continues, we may get to the point where every single pitch can be reviewed as being a ball or a strike. That’s highly unlikely, but I hope you get the point.
Depending on what MLB officials agree upon for the new instant replay procedures, they need to take a firm stance and say that’s it.
The game must progress as is, because if this trend continues, we will see robots on the field umpiring games.
What are your thoughts?
About the Author: Jim Mancari
Jim Mancari hails from Massapequa, N.Y. He recently earned a Master's degree in Journalism at Hofstra University. He is a devout Mets fan and takes pride in his team, despite their lack of success over the last few years. Like all Mets fans, Jim has plenty of hope. He also writes as the sports reporter for the Brooklyn Tablet newspaper and the senior editor of metroBASEBALL Magazine. Click my name to view my personal website.
4 Comments + Add Comment
NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 22 | 18 | .550 | - |
| Nationals | 22 | 19 | .537 | 0.5 |
| Phillies | 19 | 22 | .463 | 3.5 |
| Mets | 15 | 23 | .395 | 6.0 |
| Marlins | 11 | 30 | .268 | 11.5 |
Last updated: 05/17/2013
Recent Comments
- Metro12: on Injury Update: Wheeler To Rejoin Las Vegas Rotation Next Wednesday: Nevermind. I looked it up and...
- DrDooby: on Meija Strikes Out Six In Rehab Start But St. Lucie Loses 5-4: What was Mejia's velocity ? That and...
- Metro12: on Injury Update: Wheeler To Rejoin Las Vegas Rotation Next Wednesday: Well said, good doctor. You hit the...
- Dave In Spain: on Mookie On Valdespin: Give The Kid A Chance, He’s A Very Spirited Kid…: 1. I have no problem with personality...
- DrDooby: on D’Arnaud To Remain In Boot Camp For Two More Weeks: The way it looks, d´Arnaud is...
MMO Mets Chat
Need Tickets To The Mets Game?
Check Out These Great MLB Links!
Photographs From Gordon Donovan
5354 Fans Follow Us On Twitter!
1270 Fans Like Us On Facebook!
2341 Fans Read Our Feed!
1702 Fans Subscribe via Daily Email!
The state of umpiring has deteriorated to the point where instant replay has become necessary and even more is needed. Too often umpires are lazy, dont ask for help on close calls, or like to inject themselves into the game. For those reasons their roles need to be minimized.
They need to have instant replay allowed but put it in a similar way that football does. Have a limited number of times a manager can call for a review. Don’t allow it on balls or strikes though. That would make umpires really pissed and would take forever during a game. Having replays constantly during the game would ruin the flow of the game but sometimes the umpires just make horrible calls. Also if the same umpire keeps making bad calls he needs to be suspended or fired.
I think you take what the NFL has, combine it with what the NHL does, and adjust it for baseball.
All managers are allowed to challenge any play deemed challengeable (which MLB can decide, but let’s say fair vs foul, home run vs not, safe or out on a throw/tag/catch). The first failed challenge (manager was wrong, play stands as called), and the pitching coach cannot visit the mound for a full inning (6 total outs). The second failed challenge and the manager is ejected and the team is no longer allowed to challenge a call during that game.
Where the NHL’s method comes in is how the challenge is reviewed. All games will add an extra umpire, isolated from the game, in a booth in the press box. Any challenge will be relayed to him, and his ruling will be final after using instant replay. Also, in the Playoffs only (too much during the regular season), any scoring play will be automatically reviewed by an official at MLB headquarters who can signal to pause the game if a detailed review is deemed necessary (there’s the 30 seconds between plays for him to review the play already, which should be enough for most plays).
I agree that we can’t go down the slippery slope on this. I think this method – with a punishment system like the NFL’s timeout penalties – will prevent games from getting too long (unless the umpiring is absolutely atrocious), keep managers from challenging a play every inning, and allow the integrity of the game and umpires remain intact.
I don’t expect to see challenges anytime soon.
What would be more likely is to have a booth umpire much like the NFL has that can call in the umps to review plays where REPLAY might show something significant!
The MLB and the TV Networks (in an edict to the umps) has been trying to speed up the games for a decade now. They are not going to slow it down with team challenges because if you give them to them they will use them for more than just challenging plays and since there is no penalty you can levy for challenging a play that is not reverse they will NEVER allow that to happen!
Imagine game 7 and the pitcher is hot mowing down your team.
You challenge a routine ground out to first not because you think it was close but because you want to break the rythmn and feel of the hot pitcher.
Without a penalty for using a challenge for no good reason or for challenging a play that was called right thats what will happen. You give them challenge flags and they will use them!
The best way is to have a umpire in the booth that looks at the replays and decides if a play was close enough to look at!
But if you ask me I think the BEST way to get better officiating is to allow teams to challenge plays AFTER the fact, Let the MLB review it and if the replay says it was wrong, note it on the Umps record and at the end of the year if you get so many challenges that would have been reversed that Ump gets fired!
It will stop the snap judgements from some ump, stop players and mamagers from being thrown out so quick, and keep the Umps honest in trying to get it right so they can keep their job!
But the Ump Union will NEVER go for that!