I Have Seen The Light On Replay

Enough is enough.

The charm of baseball has always been a certain set of rules that are unique unto itself.

It is not dictated by a timepiece, and it occurs on a field that varies from venue to venue.

The slow pace allows for detailed observation and reflection, and it is a game played on a daily basis for 6 months, only then be followed by the postseason.

Baseball puts a face to it's participants, and is governed by statistics, some of which endure generations.

The grand old game is also identified by human error, whether it be by the players or umpires ( or fans ), and that has always been a key component of it's allure.

Not any more.

As technology has advanced, and other sports have adopted, baseball has become the curmudgeon in the room, the antiquated old poop who goes kicking and screaming into the night, failing to see the forest for the trees.

Face it, for the most part change is good, and it's high time that baseball embraces it.

And everybody knows it.

What should be the pinnacle of the season, where the hero and the goat become an intricate portion of history, the spectre of incompetence has become first and foremost.

Baseball employs 4 umpires during the course of the regular season, and adds 2 more for the playoffs in an attempt to reduce the possibility of human error, but it hasn't worked.

Plagued by questionable calls in the past, instant replay was adopted by MLB to review questionable calls concerning home runs ( chicks dig the long ball ), in an effort to determine " fair or foul " and " above or below the line ".

Sadly more now is needed, as this year's postseason has exposed the fallibility of those in charge of regulating the game.

As someone who has felt the sting of a blown call, up close and personal ( '85 World Series ), I still resisted the implementation of expanded replay, but no longer.

The game, the teams, and the players deserve to have the outcome of a game determined by play on the field, and not by a missed call by someone who could not complete a basic physical fitness test.

It's just a matter of time before it costs a team ( again ) a championship, and it's just not fair to anyone.