Come to Think of it...After Further Review, MLB May Use Instant Replay This Year

Upon second glance, it has come to our attention that MLB intends to implement instant replay, with the intention to have it working by August of this year!

Amazingly, MLB intends to move quickly on this as controversial home run balls keep getting negative publicity for baseball as they appear with regularity on ESPN and other outlets.

As I've written before, I think this is a knee-jerk reaction that is not needed by MLB. It will slow down the game unnecessarily, as there are alternative methods that could be attempted before taking such a drastic action that will impact the game forever.

Another thing I've thought of is it may eventually reduce the umpire's effectiveness, because they won't have to make a lot of the same decisions as before, knowing they can fall back on replay without sticking their necks out to make the call.

That part may be a long way off, as this planned roll-out is limited to home run calls only. But I suspect that its use will open the floodgates and it will take over the game.  But I digress.

USA Today reported Friday on its Web site that MLB had approached the World Umpires Association about implementing replay on Aug. 1. That's merely a tentative target date, as MLB still needs to settle on a replay system that would satisfy everyone involved, from the umpires to commissioner Bud Selig.

Still, it is both surprising and a bit disturbing. Perhaps replay is inevitable in baseball, as many in the sport seem to believe. But even so, why rush into something like this? It is not prudent, and certainly not baseball-like to do this without the necessary due diligence that research and a trial period would bring.

Why not try it out first in the minor leagues to work out the bugs? Or, if that's too slow for MLB, at least wait until next spring and beta test it during Spring Training.

But MLB does not want the embarrassment of having a nationally televised playoff and/or World Series game be decided by a controversial home run call. Apparently the Mitchell Report was enough embarrassment for one year.

But what about the potential embarrassment of a glitch in the replay system during the postseason? It just all seems too rushed to me.

Instant replay in baseball may indeed be inevitable, August 1st or no August 1st. But let's take our time and do it right or those who are opposed to it will use those initial glitches to highlight that it was a bad idea in the first place.  Come to think of it, I know I will.