Instant Replay in Baseball?

Instant Replay? Some say it will ruin the integrity of Major League umpires, therefore ruing the integrity of the game and some say it will ruin the pace of the game but in today’s world maybe we need it. All we need to mention are names like Tim Donaghy and Pete Rose to bring up just a few Professional Sports controversies. The only issue isn’t integrity but even more so human error.  

How many times have we seen controversial plays ruin people’s lives? 1985 “I-70 Showdown” World Series anyone? That poor umpire received death threats to himself andhis family. How many umpires require corrective vision and get away without using it because they ‘think’ they don’t really need it.

As the old saying goes maybe that is why ‘they need glasses’. With that being said, maybe this is what we love about baseball? This is why there are “Umpire Ejection Fantasy Leagues”. This is what brings excitement and entertainment to baseball. The ‘bang bang’ play shouldn’t be underestimated.

What manager or player is going to get bent out of shape over a call that they know can be figured out totally correctly via replay? Can you imagine baseball without Lou Pinella, Ozzie Guillen, and Bobby Cox’s continual rants which are often followed by ejections?

While Instant Replay may get the ‘accurate’ call, it may sacrifice something else. Who doesn’t love to see the other teams all-star get thrown out? With all that being said we already have umpire “conferences” in the middle of innings so why not get some information that could actually help them get it right.

After all, we see the right call at home anyways. If Major League Baseball goes beyond home run reviews baseball will miss out on what makes baseball Baseball. Baseball doesn’t have offensive and defensive lines hiding fumbles and ball placement.

Baseball prides itself on having umpires who are in position to make the correct calls. Hopefully we won’t take this job out of their hands, ever. Now, my question is  “why did they wait so long?”

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