Major League Baseball And Instant Replay
GMs Fail To Vote For Expansion
Nov 13, 2009 Bruce Klopfleisch
Rather than talking about Alex Rodriquez's or Chase Utley's great play, fans are talking about Phil Cuzzi, Tim McClelland and other umpires who clearly made bad calls on seemingly easy plays. None of these controversial calls could be reviewed under the limited replay system adopted in 2008. Therefore, incorrect calls were allowed to stand. Instantaneous television replays were played over and over, showing the mistakes. But the umpires could do nothing. Fans, players, managers and the media expressed their outrage with the current system. This presented MLB with the perfect opportunity to expand the system. Instead, the general managers decided to keep the flawed system.
The Current System
According to MLB rules, an umpire can only use instant replay in two situations:
1. A possible home run ball was fair or foul; or
2. A possible home run ball went over the fence or not.
Phil Cuzzi couldn’t use instant replay when he ruled that Joe Mauer’s hit down the left field line bounced foul rather than fair. Television replays clearly showed the ball was fair (it wasn’t that close), yet Cuzzi could not correct his error. McClelland ruled that Nick Swisher left third base too soon (he didn’t) and ruled that Robinson Canoe was standing on third base when tagged (he wasn’t). He could not use instant replay to make the right call. Television replays showed McClelland made a mistake, yet nothing could be done to correct them since these plays are not reviewable. Both umpires later admitted they made a mistake, but is this the best MLB can do? The umpires did use instant replay to determine that Alex Rodriquez did hit a home run in game 3 of the World Series when his ball hit a television camera that was in the stands. It was originally ruled a double, but after replay showed the ball did go over the fence, the call was corrected.
Arguments Against Expanding Instant Replay
Commissioner Bud Selig’s position on instant replay is to leave it the way it is. “I’m quite satisfied the way things are,” Selig told FOXSports.com. “We need to do a little work, clean up some things. But do I think we need more replay? No. Baseball is not the kind of game that can have interminable delays.” Opponents of replay say that it would remove the “human element” from the game and rely too much on machines. Finally, opponents point out the problems that occur when there are runners on base when a bad call is made. Take the Mauer hit. If there had been a runner on first or second, what happens to him? There are far too many variables that can come up with base runners if a correction is made on other calls.
Arguments For Expanding Instant Replay
Proponents of replay argue that the delays will not take as much time as Selig and others fear. Television replay can be done in a matter of minutes, even seconds in some cases. An umpire can be up in the booth, review the play and let the home plate umpire know what the correct call is. A few minutes delay to make the right call is not going to turn off the fans. It may give MLB more legitimacy with the fans since umpires are making more errors that could cost their team a game. MLB already allows other delays like meetings at the pitcher's mound, stepping out by the batters, pitchers working slow and managers coming out to argue calls. A few more minutes to get a correct call will not damage the game.
Allowing wrong calls to stand will harm the game. The other major sports have replay because officials make mistakes. Those leagues realize that the speed of the game has increased and the speed and power of the players have increased so much that help from machines is needed. The human eye can no longer keep up with the speed of the game in some situations. This is where replay can help. Besides, aren't officials there to make the correct call?
What to do with runners on base is a legitimate issue. Rules are for ground rule doubles with runners on base. Other rules can be made for other situations, including replays.
Future of Instant Replay
MLB should begin to look at a process to review objective calls, like fair/foul or out/safe. Subjective calls, like balls and strikes, should not be reviewed. MLB, like the NFL and tennis, can limit the number of challenges a manager can make during the game. This would lessen the chance that an umpire’s mistake, rather than the actions of the players, would dictate the out come of the game.
MLB Commissioner Bud Selig
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