The MLB and Instant Replay

[kingssss]

Not to start another thread about the MLB after that play yesterday, but this is sort of a separate subject. Would it be a good thing or an awful thing for baseball? What do you think?

Here are a coupla articles about it:

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Asked if he had thought about instituting instant replay in the sport to duplicate a process already followed in the National Football League, National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League, Selig said:

"No, I think the human element in baseball is really very important," Selig told a world-wide audience via video, audio and print. "The umpires for the most part do a wonderful job. Sure, there are controversial decisions as there are in every sport, but I think overall, the umpires have really, really tightened up on everything, and I'm satisfied with the job they are doing right now."

After umpires reversed several key calls during the 2004 playoffs, the Major League general managers discussed the instant replay issue at their annual meeting and split, 15-15, on the prospect of instituting it even on a limited scope to help with those decisions.

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ANAHEIM -- Instant replay would be the worst thing to happen to baseball since the between-inning commercial breaks were extended in length to somewhere between now and Thanksgiving.

Every time an umpire misses a critical call in a high-profile game -- and these instances are remarkably few -- there is this instant replay chorus. It is characterized by a sort of whining sound.

This is not the National Football League. Baseball is a game of human effort, by definition an imperfect undertaking. The players are human. The umpires are human. They are all striving for perfection, an impossible goal, particularly in this game, but the attempt is riveting. It is what basically compels us to watch baseball games. There is absolutely no need to burden the process, and slow down the game, with an appeal to a different camera angle that probably won't resolve anything, anyway.

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[Jigga]

"Human error is part of the game" is the dumbest argument I've heard. The technology exists that would allow the umps to get it right. Isn't that the most important thing?

[pcgd]

No. As one of the writers on ESPN has said, you know what Instant Replay in baseball proves? That nearly 99% of the time, the umpires are dead on. And the human element IMO is a fine arguement, because its true. In no other sport is failure looked upon as success as baseball. You only get a base hit 3 out of the 10 times you hit? Hall of Fame! Its part of the game. It always has been. Once every 5 years there is a big play in the playoffs that is wrong. Its typically a judgement call that the umpire screwed up on. What about the million other calls throughout the year they made correctly?

Its a slow game already. They've tried to speed it up. You think they'll want to slow it down by instituting a replay?

[zer0dotcom]

I like PC's points. It's not often in Baseball that you get a blown call. and there are enough guys on the field to see just about everything that goes on. It can already take long enough as it is to play a game, if you start letting instant replay enter in, calls are going to get scrutinized each inning to make sure they are correct.

[BB61]

Which is more important... slowing down the pace of the game (which isn't exactly a lightning-fast game to begin with, mind you), or getting the call right? Greg's right. This whole argument about the "human error" factor is bullplop. I've got news for you -- MLB umpires as a whole are just plain awful. Almost 50% of the close calls they make are human errors. I'd rather take the extra time and sit and wait than watch my team get screwed because Dan "Cataracts" Iassognia's strike zone extends to the ankles.

Each umpire has their own system, their own way of doing things. I think there's a way to impliment replay without it controlling the game, much like it is in the NFL -- you have to limit its use so that it can't be used on every play. But it needs to be in the game. The Wild-Card didn't ruin baseball, niether did interleague play, and neither will this.

[WSU151]

I've got news for you -- MLB umpires as a whole are just plain awful. Almost 50% of the close calls they make are human errors.

I disagree. MLB umps are very good at close calls. They may miss one or two here and there, but I'd say they're correct on about 95 to 99% of them. Them's the breaks. If they missed 50% of close plays, there would be a revolution...think about it.

If holding in football was called as it should be on every play, games would take days. I'd rather the refs miss a couple of holding calls, speed up the game, and use human judgement and error.

[CC97]

I think instant replay should be reserved only for those plays the umpires have to gather together to make the call.

[OnWis97]

It's tougher in Baseball than football.

Suppose someone hits one down the line that the ump calls foul. Then the reply booth changes it. Where are you going to put the runner(s), who stopped running with the "foul" call? I don't want them to play every foul ball out then confer with the upstairs to call it foul and start over.

[OnWis97]

I also think that either way, MLB should immediately decide "no replay in 2006." Take the time to make sure it is a good system for 2007, if they do it."

[pcgd]

Baseball is the only american sport that requres no technology whatsoever (minus lights for night games). Every other sport requires a clock or something of that nature. That's why its more human than other sports. That and the rareity that something bad happening comes up is why I don't want replay. That's the human element aspect of the arguement. There is no artificial element like a clock. Its all decided by the men that play and the men that officiate. Not camera angles or clocks. And in my opinion it should stay that way. And don't forget, I'm a fan of a team that had one of the biggest umpire mistakes of all time go against them.

[Jigga]

Baseball is the only american sport that requres no technology whatsoever (minus lights for night games). Every other sport requires a clock or something of that nature. That's why its more human than other sports. That and the rareity that something bad happening comes up is why I don't want replay. That's the human element aspect of the arguement. There is no artificial element like a clock. Its all decided by the men that play and the men that officiate. Not camera angles or clocks. And in my opinion it should stay that way. And don't forget, I'm a fan of a team that had one of the biggest umpire mistakes of all time go against them.

Your arguments are sound.

My position is those 1% of cases necessitate mechanisms to allow for the correct call to be made. I think the professional umps do an EXCELLENT job and are right much more often than not, but at the professional level, as big of an industry sports have become, you cannot afford to get it wrong.

With that said, Instant Reply would have done nothing to clear up the events of Game 2. I've seen that replay 100 times...you just can't tell.

I think there should be replay, but it should be limited to a "challenge" system like the NFL has maybe 2 per game per team. Review stuff like fair/foul balls, home runs, fan interference, and safe/out calls, but never balls and strikes. I think it could work withouth ruining the fabric of the game...

[infrared41]

Replay in Baseball? Never ever. Not under any circumstances period. MLB umps are by far and away the best "officials" in all of sports. They rarely become part of the game or become a deciding factor in it. Over 162 games they get it right 99% of the time. I'll gladly take that 1% to keep baseball from becoming the NFL. Human error is part of the game. Players make errors, managers make errors and so do umpires. Baseball is as close to perfect as we need to get. Leave the replay for the guys that really need it, NFL officials.

[kingssss]

I agree with pcgd and infrared. I don't think baseball should become like the other sports, and get slowed down even more by the instant replay. Umpires get almost all of the close plays correct. I have Tivo, and many times i see a play that they call out, and I'm like wow what a bad call, and then I slow it down and pause it and he really was out. They get, like infrared said, about 99% of the calls right, and I don't think instant replay is needed. Basball should stay the only sport where it's all humans, and no technology.

[nwtrailtrekker]

no, becuase it holds up the game too much. plus it loses tradition.

i actually liked what happened in the angels sox game because it stirred contraversy, baseball needs more of that.

[kingssss]

i actually liked what happened in the angels sox game because it stirred contraversy, baseball needs more of that.

It does?

[Pat]

I think each team should have 2 or 3 a game or something. That would be sweet.

[gashouser27]

Just need better umpires..

Better trained and some accountability for being horrible