Instant Replay coming to baseball soon

[DirtyKash]

ESPN - Source: Baseball may try replay in Arizona Fall League - MLB

To sum up:

- MLB will attempt instant replay in the Arizona Fall League. If successful, they could carry it over to the World Baseball Classic and spring training.

- If everything there works as planned, instant replay could be used as early as 2009.

- It would likely be for home run calls only?

[HollywoodLeo]

I'd like it used for a bit more than just home run calls, but it's something.

[rockin500]

I'd like it used for a bit more than just home run calls, but it's something.

as long as its not used for balls and strikes and every little call, fine. The home runs need to be reviewed, especially with all the quirks of so many of the ballparks nowadays (minute maid park, etc.). There were like 4 blown home runs (at least soto managed to make it inside the park, but still!) this week.

[HollywoodLeo]

as long as its not used for balls and strikes and every little call, fine. The home runs need to be reviewed, especially with all the quirks of so many of the ballparks nowadays (minute maid park, etc.). There were like 4 blown home runs (at least soto managed to make it inside the park, but still!) this week.

That'd be taking it too far.

I'm thinking home runs, very close plays on the basepaths, and traps on fly balls.

And, naturally, the manager has a limit on how many he can use in a game.

[Kingdom]

Foul balls would be nice.


About ****in' time MLB jumped on the train

[Foster]

If done right, this good be a great thing.
Just testing it on the HR calls will give the entire system some time to develope, and before you know it, more should be added to the list of plays reviewable.

I am guessing that there is gonna have to be a lot of people, that know what to do, all ready before we see it in the big leagues.

[hot_corner_gurl]

Yeah I guess I'm glad that they're getting the instant replay. Maybe I'm just an old stick in the mud, but I kinda liked the game how it is. The close calls give you a reason to have a heated debate. And this seems like it's counter the new "rule" that they just issued recently about speeding up the games. But I guess if they use it in moderation then it'll all be fine.

[NYgiantsfan5689]

I disagree with HollywoodLeo. I think anything more than home run balls would infringe on baseball's longstanding tradition of very good umpires. Do they get calls wrong occasionally? Yes. They're human. Instant replay takes away the human aspect of baseball, which I believe is integral. I love it when managers get all pissed off and pull a Lou Pinella because a call is wrong. I love it when i sit at home and disagree with an ump's call.

Here's the bottom line: instant replay works in football because 1) they limit the uses and 2) there are so many judgement calls in football that it's necessary to take a second look in order to see what your call will be

In baseball, everything outside of balls and strikes is black and white. Yes or no. Safe or out. That's why I love it when umps show their human side occasionally. It's part of the game. Yes, it may screw your team over. But everyone gets screwed over at some point. And I think instant replay should not enter into baseball more than home run balls. It will make the game too machine-like. And I don't like that idea.

[Kingdom]

I don't see why they couldn't use it for foul balls or fan interference. They're almost extensions of homerun calls, not entirely, but apart of it all. Some of the newer stadiums have whacky dimensions that cause umps to readily miss foul/fair balls and fan obstruction, not to mention when a ball bounces off some random thing in the outfield somewhere. Most of the time, it ties into homeruns, but not always.

[DMBZeppelin]

That'd be taking it too far.

I'm thinking home runs, very close plays on the basepaths, and traps on fly balls.

And, naturally, the manager has a limit on how many he can use in a game.

I don't agree with that, I want replay in baseball. I don't think we need challenges though. There's only a couple questionable calls a game, so you have a replay judge. If there's CLEAR undisputable evidence, and there's a wrong call on the field. There'd be like a built in mic/speaker or something in the Ump's mask. The guy could call down "Reverse the call, he got way under the tag."

Crap like that wouldn't slow down the game. It also stop a lot of arguments from managers. If a call is blown, the replay judge can quickly reverse it. This can be a quick and painless thing. It doesn't need to be like the NFL in the early 2000's. I mean I think college football goes about replay better then the NFL.

[HollywoodLeo]

I disagree with HollywoodLeo. I think anything more than home run balls would infringe on baseball's longstanding tradition of very good umpires. Do they get calls wrong occasionally? Yes. They're human. Instant replay takes away the human aspect of baseball, which I believe is integral. I love it when managers get all pissed off and pull a Lou Pinella because a call is wrong. I love it when i sit at home and disagree with an ump's call.

So you want it to remain broke because it's "tradition"?

Give me a break. I'd rather have fair calls.

"Tradition" is quite possibly the dumbest reason to do something. (or not do something, as the case may be.)

Here's the bottom line: instant replay works in football because 1) they limit the uses and 2) there are so many judgement calls in football that it's necessary to take a second look in order to see what your call will be

1. And they can do the same in baseball.

2. And there are also judgement calls in baseball. I can't count how many times I've cursed at the TV after the Padres got robbed of a base hit because the OFer trapped the hit but it was ruled a catch.

In baseball, everything outside of balls and strikes is black and white. Yes or no. Safe or out. That's why I love it when umps show their human side occasionally. It's part of the game.

It's "yes or no" "safe or out" but it's trying to determine which answer it is that's the problem.

Yes, it may screw your team over. But everyone gets screwed over at some point. And I think instant replay should not enter into baseball more than home run balls. It will make the game too machine-like. And I don't like that idea.

Translation: Yes, the current system is ****ed up, by hey, it's tradition!

[HollywoodLeo]

I don't agree with that, I want replay in baseball. I don't think we need challenges though. There's only a couple questionable calls a game, so you have a replay judge. If there's CLEAR undisputable evidence, and there's a wrong call on the field. There'd be like a built in mic/speaker or something in the Ump's mask. The guy could call down "Reverse the call, he got way under the tag."

Crap like that wouldn't slow down the game. It also stop a lot of arguments from managers. If a call is blown, the replay judge can quickly reverse it. This can be a quick and painless thing. It doesn't need to be like the NFL in the early 2000's. I mean I think college football goes about replay better then the NFL.

The game is slowed down anyways because everytime a call is made where IR would come in handy the manager that got the short end of the call comes out and whine anyways.

And then if they reverse it the other manager comes out.

It wouldn't change a thing other than that we can now get the right call.

[Kingdom]

I think how obvious it turned out that Delgado and ARod missed out on homeruns recently is a good sign instant replay would help out. A couple calls a game, or every so often, that warrant the use should not be a big deal. If people are worried about game length, it's baseball, unless you have a 30 year old greg maddux out there pitching all the time, you're looking at 3 hours-ish and that's not counting any other distractions. If you like baseball, you'd appreciate a few more minutes to get judgment calls correct. I would think.

[NYgiantsfan5689]

So you want it to remain broke because it's "tradition"?

actually, yes. i realize this may not be what other people think, but it's how i feel. and i don't think it's "broke." it's part of the game.

2. And there are also judgement calls in baseball. I can't count how many times I've cursed at the TV after the Padres got robbed of a base hit because the OFer trapped the hit but it was ruled a catch.

that's not a judgement call. it's either a catch or not a catch, there's no judgement involved, just whether the ump saw it or not. by judgement i mean something like pass interference in football. that's a ref's judgement.



I really have no other argument, we're going to have to agree to disagree. you don't like the idea of keeping a few bad calls due to tradition. i do. i don't think we're going to get past that.

[DMBZeppelin]

I disagree with HollywoodLeo. I think anything more than home run balls would infringe on baseball's longstanding tradition of very good umpires. Do they get calls wrong occasionally? Yes. They're human. Instant replay takes away the human aspect of baseball, which I believe is integral. I love it when managers get all pissed off and pull a Lou Pinella because a call is wrong. I love it when i sit at home and disagree with an ump's call.

Here's the bottom line: instant replay works in football because 1) they limit the uses and 2) there are so many judgement calls in football that it's necessary to take a second look in order to see what your call will be

In baseball, everything outside of balls and strikes is black and white. Yes or no. Safe or out. That's why I love it when umps show their human side occasionally. It's part of the game. Yes, it may screw your team over. But everyone gets screwed over at some point. And I think instant replay should not enter into baseball more than home run balls. It will make the game too machine-like. And I don't like that idea.

This isn't 1893, the reason instant replay hasn't been in baseball that long is because the technology wasn't always there. There's nothing human about screwing up. Instant replay is no different then spell checking. You wouldn't tell your employee "Oh well this article was poorly edited, and had a lot of misspelled words. It's ok I like that human errors."

Blown calls do NOT improve the game. They have one job and one job only. Make the correct calls, giving them the option of replay only improves the chances the call will be right. Which is EXACTLY what we all want. I really don't go into a game "I really hope my Cubs get screwed over today." and Lou Piniella will still have a blow up. He might not like a strike out call, or agree with the replay ruling.

I mean many people lost jobs when we went from sewing clothes by hand to making them on machines. It's a necessary evil, you have to take a little bit of the human screw ups out of the game. As a result the correct calls will be made, which is what we all want anyways... at least I thought we did.