Should the MLB implement a new instant replay policy?

Great article. This is why I voted no…

I understand this was a serious BLOWN call, no one will dispute this. And I understand the significance of just how important this last out was, history to be made. But like you said, replays will seriously slow an already slower paced game way down.

To be fair, umpires do a pretty good job at calling games, in my opinion. And you don’t see many calls as completely wrong as this one. So every “close” play will then be replayed.. There are ALOT of close plays in a baseball game.

Also, for the idea of having “challenges”, say one per team per game, had Leyland say used a challenge when his team was on offense over a disputed foul/fair hit, there still wouldn’t be a replay of the last out, so it really would mean nothing?

Those are just my opinions. Baseball is a slow sport, which I don’t have a problem with right now. But I don’t think it should be made slower.

That this kind of call is probably made 9/10 times.

I voted yes but at the same time I could live without it. Honestly, I’d be happy either way. Whether or not a replay system is set in place, I’ll still be watching baseball and calls will still be blown. It doesn’t matter much to me.

because I don’t think that’s a workable system for baseball.

Everyone likes to point to football’s instant replay as some kind of gift from the sky, but let’s be honest. It’s awful. Maybe when it’s the difference between scoring or not you should take 5 minutes to figure out the call, but all the other times it just takes too long. People whine incessantly about baseball’s length, and now most of these same people want to add instant replay?

That doesn’t mean there can’t be a system that works. Perhaps there needs to be a “fifth umpire” who’s job it is to get the HD feed and watch it from the box. If there’s a controversial call, it can generally be determined within a minute by watching all these new camera angles and speeds. So something happens, the manager comes out to argue, the fifth umpire goes to work and radios down the right call to the crew chief, who then either overrules the call on the field or upholds it. With training I bet this could be done in less time than a manager takes to argue these calls.

Some rules would have to be in place, though. It should only be used for outs, runs, or fouls. That covers most of the game, but shouldn’t be used for balls and strikes. Second, like in football, when a call is reversed or upheld that’s it. The manager (if he’s out there arguing) needs to go immediately back into the dugout with no further words, or is ejected from the game.

I’d think this would be a workable system that wouldn’t alter what the game of baseball has been like for over 100 years.

First, that is the value of human element. In my view, a blown call to break up a no-hitter is equivalent to a smoking line drive hit right at a fielder to preserve it. There is an element of luck to everything (ahem Dallas Braden ahem), let’s get over it already.

Second, all these random guys suddenly pitching no-hitters is getting a little old, to a point where a no-hitter or a perfect game is kind of a “meh” thing. It’s not supposed to be a perfect storm of good pitching and bad hitting, a perfect game is the highest single-game pitching achievement. If for every Randy Johnson there are two Dallas Bradens doing it, what’s the value of this achievement in the first place?

I’m glad this happened. Finally an umpire with the nuts to not bow to the pressure of the situation. The baseball fan in me is disgusted every time I see a gigantic strike zone or batters being falsely called out at first in late innings of a no-hitter just because the circumstances are favoring the pitcher.

First, well done, Wailord! I thought about doing a post about the replay debate, but you’ve written a much better one.
I’m strongly in the “no” camp, which shouldn’t surprise anyone. I’m a grumpy old traditionalist who still thinks the DH is an abomination.
One of the beauties of baseball is the way a “quirk” can impact the outcome of the game. The human frailty of the “error” and the corresponding joy of a great play are part of what makes the game so interesting. Arguing the “if” (as in “if Johnson makes the throw, the game wouldn’t have gone into extra innings”) is something fans love to do. Yelling “we was robbed” and blaming the umpire is a rich baseball tradition.
As you point out, baseball includes some subjectivity. Balls and strikes and ‘bang-bang’ plays are not precise. But often, even after seeing the replay multiple times, the call could go either way. While yesterday’s was clearly a “bad call”, most disputed calls are more vague. And the ensuing arguments are often entertaining. Would Earl Weaver have been anywhere near as much fun if the ump walked away to a replay booth? I don’t think so.
There are “breaks” in the game that give a team a win they probably didn’t deserve. But over the course of a 162 game season, they tend to even out. The “fluke” and the “quirk” and the “bad call” happen to every team at one time or another. Part of what makes baseball so “perfect” is its imperfection. The “perfect game” is so rare because it requires a certain amount of “luck” (no ‘seeing eye ground ball’ for example), and “bad luck” has spoiled hundreds of great pitching performances.
As for the speed of the game…what’s the rush? Baseball is supposed to be leisurely. If you’re looking for fast pace, go watch basketball or soccer. I’ll relax and sip my beer as the game slowly unwinds.
And yell “we was robbed” when the umpire blows the call.

Kind of fun to notice all the fallout from the “bad call” in the news. MLB (and by “MLB” I mean Bud Selig), looking at reviewing the call, and possibly overturning it. Michigan Gov. Granholm is urging the state legislature to declare the game a “perfect game” (not sure how you list a state proclamation in the record books), and the U.S. House of Representatives may also hold hearings about the call. Also, Gallarraga brought out the lineup card to Joyce (who’s home plate umpire today) for today’s game, with an exchange of hugs.
“Just a game”, right?

There are ways to do replay well.

I recognize that the pace of the game is a concern. MLB certainly doesn’t want to make games longer. So use the college football model: every play is reviewed by a dedicated ref, who stops play only if he needs more time to make sure of the call. Any out/safe call and any boundary call should be reviewable. There are only a few of these per game that are questionable, and the video evidence usually makes the play immediately reversible or confirmable. It would take much less time than football calls, which are much more complex.

To prevent managers from taking matters into their own hands and wasting time on the field so that the review ump has a better chance to overturn the call, just tell managers that they can’t come out and argue calls any more. I wouldn’t miss it.

thank whoever it was that promoted this (I assume Jim). Writing this was fun, and actually forced me to go and figure out a) where I could find this fabled “pitch f/x” and how to use it (granted, I only used it for pitch-by-pitch of the game), then had to use bbref to find the one-hitter info. Stats are a fun thing and certainly part of what makes baseball the greatest sport out there, woo.

I say yes. I would in no way object to having an extra umpire in a room in the stadium, watching the game and able to review the plays from there. In fact, it couldd help take care of one of the things I hate about the current review situation- I think it’s dumb that they have to take all the umpires off the field to go look at the video. Why not just have someone already in the room to do it?

Teams can already stall if they want to- pitcher takes forever to get on the mound, or the batter keeps stepping out of the box. It’s going to happen, and unless MLB wants to put a clock on it (which I’d be against) then there’s not much they can do about it.