The discussion of instant replay in Major League Baseball is a hot topic right now and it looks like it's on the verge of becoming a reality—at least, for home run calls.
I am fine with the use of instant replay on home run calls, because with the ever-changing configuration of baseball stadiums and yellow lines blending in and bending all over walls in the outfield, it is not the easiest thing to definitively call.
There are two things I do worry about with instant replay, though. First, that this could open the door for everything being up for review.
If this were to ever be the case, lets just replace the umpires with robots.
There is a certain beauty to the blown call. Controversial plays define a certain game's legacy within the pantheon of memorable sports moments.
For instance, George Brett and the pine tar incident will forever be more memorable then Geoff Blum's extra-inning home run in Game Three of the 2005 World Series. The fact that I even had to tell you when Blum hit the home run proves my point.
My second problem is that by instituting instant replay, MLB is making the job of the umpire too easy.
When calls are blown, it's usually because the umpire is out of position.
Why?
Well, look at my friend Joe West, who blew a call in a recent Chicago Cubs-Houston Astros game. Kaz Matsui attempted to steal a base, and was clearly tagged by Ryan Theriot before he made it to second.
The problem here is that Joe West was out of position, and his view was blocked by Theriot. Theriot was in a position any shortstop would be to cover a steal. West did not move, missed the play, and called Matsui safe.
Joe West, like many umpires, is obese. His run (when he very rarely does so) resembles more of a waddle. That might explain why he made all of five feet onto the outfield grass to blow a call on a home run by Geovanny Soto. (Soto wound up with an inside the park home run, but it should never had been that way in the first place.)
MLB has had problems with the health of its umpires. This is a problem that is unique only to Major League Baseball.
Eric Gregg, who was always known for his weight problems, passed away at 54.
John McSherry was listed at 328 pounds at the beginning of the 1996 season. He made it through all of seven pitches on opening day that season before he fell and died of a heart attack at age 51 in front of nearly 50,000 fans.
The problem is unique to baseball because in other sports a great deal of movement is required among its officials.
I don't think that the MLB should require its officials to be constantly moving but in the wake of McSherry's death, the MLB had the chance to implement strict physical requirements for their umpires. Other sports have these requirements, despite the fact they really don't need them.
These requirements do not exist in the MLB—as you can see by the impressive physique of Joe West.
Instant replay is a short-term answer to the blown calls of umpires. Maybe Major League Baseball needs to look at how overweight the majority of its umpires are.
Maybe if Joe West lost 100 pounds, he could move his behind into better position to make the correct call without the assistance of instant replay.
Maybe.
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4 months ago
Well, maybe instead of basing health specifically on weight, how about requiring umpires to pass a simple physical at the beginning of the season and at the All-Star break? They should have to be able to run the warning track around the entire stadium 20 times within a specific time. If they can do this, the rest of their health will certianly not be an issue, and at the very least it will ensure that the umpires will at least be physically able to get into position to make the close calls. Whether they do or not is another matter, but at least that way everyone on MLB's umpiring staff will have the ability to get into position when the time comes.
4 months ago
the point of instant replay as it will apply to major league baseball is strictly for a fair/ foul calls and homerun calls it will have nothing to do with joe west and his weight. instant replay will be applied in the arizona fall league and in spring training. according to reports by tom macCarthy it may be used in the 2008 playoffs. Though Joe West bothers me as a person the cwboy is a damn good umpire whether he blew a call tuesday or not.
4 months ago
I agree with you completely, the initial implementation of IR for home runs, or fair/foul, or this, that, the other thing, is fine; but it WILL NOT end there. We'll have similar use of the IR in baseball as we see today in the NFL--I'm sorry, using replay to have the ref declare there were in fact 12 men on the field (the 12th man 1 foot from the sideline and obviously heading out) to get a bad play nixed is just poor sportsmanship--and already long games will become longer.
I think the method used by MLB for the playoffs for ensuring good calls should be expanded to the regular season, if there is really legitimate concern that there are too many bad calls going one team's way--instead of the umps at the bases, add two extra umps to the LF and RF lines, and guys that are in good enough shape to move in on a grounder that barely leaves the infield, and move out toward the wall if there's a chance it's going that way. Logistically, it'll be cheaper that way, as well--hiring 28-30 more umpires is going to be far cheaper than setting up official's replay equipment in 30 ballparks, making sure it a) works properly and b) has little chance of causing a bad deflection of a well-hit ball.
4 months ago
Why would they have to set up replay equipment... they can just have someone up in the press box give a thumbs up or a thumbs down haha... or more realistically have an earpiece in one of the umps ears and he can tell them what happened. I only agree to replay on homeruns and nothing else... ever. To do replay on fair or foul balls would ruin the game because that is either a live or dead ball. What if you have a fast runner running the bases that could get a triple but the ball is called foul.. so the ump changes the play.. how do they decide on how many bases the runner should be allowed?!... Anyways homeruns are the only issue anyways... if an ump can't call fair or foul on a ball that is staying in the park... he doesn't deserve his umping job
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