Historic day for instant replay in MLB

[Jarhead]

It's official for 2014. MLB will have instant replay for everything except the strike zone. Mods, I think this may be appropriate for its own thread, but move it if you think not. I don't know how this will shake out next year, but it's something that was bound to happen, sooner or later. The leading question is which will take more time, the arguments or the replay? It's a toss up, but I'm all for it.

[JohnGalt]

What happens when a ball hit down the third base line is called foul, but challenged and reviewed to be fair?

A ground rule double?


I agree this is a move in the right direction, but it's going to get complicated.

[DUKIECB]

I agree this is a move in the right direction, but it's going to get complicated.

I agree that is is a move in the right direction but I hate how it is going to be implemented. The whole 3 challenges per game thing just screams to me that a ton of time will be wasted. Why cant' they have someone in the booth reviewing the play and quickly determine if it needs to be reviewed or not? Baseball is a sport that has already suffered due to length of games and this just seems like it will dramatically add to that problem.

[Dev11]

I agree that is is a move in the right direction but I hate how it is going to be implemented. The whole 3 challenges per game thing just screams to me that a ton of time will be wasted. Why cant' they have someone in the booth reviewing the play and quickly determine if it needs to be reviewed or not? Baseball is a sport that has already suffered due to length of games and this just seems like it will dramatically add to that problem.

Amen to that. The current home run review time is way too long, and it only happens to each team about once or twice a year. The umpires on the field don't need to walk off the field to get the call right. Add an umpire to the booth for every game who just watches replay and radios his findings down to the home plate umpire.

Challenges are stupid. Review all of the calls that seem close. If they use the little system we've described here, it won't be a hassle.

The only downside to getting more calls right in a timely manner is that we don't get the joy of watching guys like Earl Weaver and Bobby Cox get off their old butts and scream senselessly at umpires. Admittedly, I'll miss that.

[Jarhead]

Amen to that. The current home run review time is way too long, and it only happens to each team about once or twice a year. The umpires on the field don't need to walk off the field to get the call right. Add an umpire to the booth for every game who just watches replay and radios his findings down to the home plate umpire.

Challenges are stupid. Review all of the calls that seem close. If they use the little system we've described here, it won't be a hassle.

The only downside to getting more calls right in a timely manner is that we don't get the joy of watching guys like Earl Weaver and Bobby Cox get off their old butts and scream senselessly at umpires. Admittedly, I'll miss that.

It's fun to watch when the umpires scream back. I agree that there should be an ump up in the booth to assist in making the calls, but challenges should also be available. Not in the convoluted manner planned, though. One challenge in the first six innings, and two in the last three makes no sense at all. Whatever they do, they should cover that infield fly rule incident that eliminated the Braves in last year's one game playoff. That one game playoff idea is stupid, too.

[matt1]

Amen to that. The current home run review time is way too long, and it only happens to each team about once or twice a year. The umpires on the field don't need to walk off the field to get the call right. Add an umpire to the booth for every game who just watches replay and radios his findings down to the home plate umpire.

Challenges are stupid. Review all of the calls that seem close. If they use the little system we've described here, it won't be a hassle.

The only downside to getting more calls right in a timely manner is that we don't get the joy of watching guys like Earl Weaver and Bobby Cox get off their old butts and scream senselessly at umpires. Admittedly, I'll miss that.

College football has replay right. Every play should be reviewed, but the game should only be stopped for close calls. I do not care if it takes a little longer; the most important thing is that the umpires get the call right.