Replay in MLB

Umps have been blowing an abnormal amount of calls in this year's playoffs. Is it time for baseball to embrace the advent of technology and expand instant replay to cover traps and close base-running calls?

I understand baseball is supposedly a game of tradition but I can't see any reason why MLB should dwell in the bronze age when it comes to employing instant replay. Blown calls like the ones we've seen should never happen. It's an easy fix. Why is Selig denying the inevitable?

Originally posted by darvlay
Umps have been blowing an abnormal amount of calls in this year's playoffs. Is it time for baseball to embrace the advent of technology and expand instant replay to cover traps and close base-running calls?

I understand baseball is supposedly a game of tradition but I can't see any reason why MLB should dwell in the bronze age when it comes to employing ...[text shortened]... nes we've seen should never happen. It's an easy fix. Why is Selig denying the inevitable?

Thank goodness they got together and got the call right on the double play where they were about to leave the Yankee runner who was out TWICE on first.

They also didn't even need to tag Hideki Matsui, he was out when they threw to first.

If the umps want to get together an make a call right, they should have a screen out of the way where they can all get together an at least watch a play IF and ONLY IF there is a dispute. Not every play.

Tito Francona had a funny line he talked about. The ump called a play wrong. In the conversation, Francona said "you got the call wrong, and you're going to know it in about 7 seconds when the crowd starts booing".

Sure enough, the crowd groaned and moaned as the play was shown on the Jumbotron.

P-

Nah! Games already too long. We would never have the Billy Martins of the world kciking dirt onto an ump's feet!

Originally posted by scacchipazzo
Nah! Games already too long. We would never have the Billy Martins of the world kciking dirt onto an ump's feet!

Billy Martin died years ago.

Leo Durocher, John McGraw and Earl Weaver don't manage anymore either.

Besides, they could still argue over balls and strikes.

Originally posted by darvlay
Billy Martin died years ago.

Leo Durocher, John McGraw and Earl Weaver don't manage anymore either.

Besides, they could still argue over balls and strikes.

Lou Piniella is still around!!!!

Of course there needs to be replay in MLB. Obviously it's impossible for the umps to accurately make some calls. They happen too quickly.

There was a great movie called "Criminal Justice" with Forest Whitaker and Anthony LaPaglia. The lawyer is looking over the client's rap sheet and the client yells "What's my sheet got to do with this!?" The lawyer says, "The prosecutor's going to have your sheet. The judge is going to have your sheet. You don't want the only shmuck in the courtroom who doesn't know what's flying to be your own lawyer; do you??"

In baseball, the only shmucks in the building who don't know what happened are the only people who's opinions really matter. How ridiculous is that?

Originally posted by shortcircuit
Lou Piniella is still around!!!!

Did Sweet lou even get ejected this year? The old man ain't what he used to be.

Originally posted by sh76
In baseball, the only shmucks in the building who don't know what happened are the only people who's opinions really matter. How ridiculous is that?

Well put. It's truly bizarre!

Originally posted by sh76
Of course there needs to be replay in MLB. Obviously it's impossible for the umps to accurately make some calls. They happen too quickly.

There was a great movie called "Criminal Justice" with Forest Whitaker and Anthony LaPaglia. The lawyer is looking over the client's rap sheet and the client yells "What's my sheet got to do with this!?" The lawyer says, ...[text shortened]... appened are the only people who's opinions really matter. How ridiculous is that?

Let's take the human factor out of the game altogether. We can umpire the games with video and electronics and make sure the calls are correct.

in fact, while we are at it, why not replace the players with animation and let computers generate the results based on programmed systems. Players won't get hurt, there will be no contract hassles, we can get rid of agents and labor unions too.

Upper management can be reduced because they can outsource most of the day to day stuff to India or China for a fraction of the cost.

There would be no rainouts or bad weather concerns because the games would be played in cyberspace. There would be no need for stadiums or the taxes levied on the public to cover the costs of erecting and maintaining these cathedrals of sports moguls.

Think of it...no need to buy a ticket, pay for expensive concession stand food prices, no long lines at the restrooms, no traffic jams getting to and from the ballpark, no parking fees and no hassle.

There would be no need for advertising to offset costs, because there would be little cost needed to offset. No more listening to hours of commercials or reading moving billboards inside the stadiums.

I am liking this idea alot!!!

LOL. I am guessing SC is against instant replay.

SC, the slippery slope theory only applies to gay marriage, not professional sports. 😛

Originally posted by sh76
Of course there needs to be replay in MLB. Obviously it's impossible for the umps to accurately make some calls. They happen too quickly.

There was a great movie called "Criminal Justice" with Forest Whitaker and Anthony LaPaglia. The lawyer is looking over the client's rap sheet and the client yells "What's my sheet got to do with this!?" The lawyer says, appened are the only people who's opinions really matter. How ridiculous is that?

I agree --- but it just takes time to dislodge the traditionalists who don't want to change anything --- and baseball seems to be one of the most traditionalist of sports.

It seems that every time instant replay has been tried in other sports, the benefits have clearly outweighed the costs. At the end of the day, the fans generally greatly prefer having the correct calls over retaining the "human element".

Last year, a series of horrid home run calls led to instant replay for home runs. I don't recall anyone complaining about the new policy. Now, after this post-season's bumper crop of blown calls, I expect to see a major expansion of instant replay. The extra time that such calls add will be offset by the time saved by not having extensive arguments.

As for the memories of managers kicking dirt on the umps -- is this really the kind of role models we want for our kids? (or for those kids' parents when they attend little league games?).

Originally posted by Melanerpes
I agree --- but it just takes time to dislodge the traditionalists who don't want to change anything --- and baseball seems to be one of the most traditionalist of sports.

It seems that every time instant replay has been tried in other sports, the benefits have clearly outweighed the costs. At the end of the day, the fans generally greatly prefer havin ...[text shortened]... we want for our kids? (or for those kids' parents when they attend little league games?).

Surely you don't want any of these bozos as role models, do you? Yikes! I use them to tell kids this is how not to act. Traditions are not bad. We seem to be moving into a world where perfection in sports appears more imoprtant than in politics. How replay of surgery? After all they really screwed MJ's face up. You really think replay has had a positive infulence? They replay every doubtful call in college footbal and still get it wrong. Wh would it be different in MLB? They have that machine thingy that tracks strikes. I don't believe it is always right and neither are the umps. Big deal. Water cololer talk would be boring without bad umps!

Originally posted by shortcircuit
Let's take the human factor out of the game altogether. We can umpire the games with video and electronics and make sure the calls are correct.

in fact, while we are at it, why not replace the players with animation and let computers generate the results based on programmed systems. Players won't get hurt, there will be no contract hassles, we can ge ...[text shortened]... commercials or reading moving billboards inside the stadiums.

I am liking this idea alot!!!

I totally agree -

The human element is what makes sports so great. Especially baseball.

In fact, I think they should ban TV networks from airing replays, and they should also disable
Tivo and DVRs during games, so the fans don't actually see what the correct call was. This
way we can all have the same human element experience as the umps do.

Also, what's with the electronic scoreboards? I'd rather see humans standing up there
drawing large numbers on poster board. While we're at it, what's the deal with all the
electronic clocks in football and basketball? Heck, humans can keep time just as well as any
computer. I'd rather have a guy in the corner keeping time with his foot. It will give the game
that fresh human element that makes it so wonderful.

Now that I think of it, to truly get the human experience they should ban games from ever
being broadcast on TV. You have to be at the game in person to really experience it anyway.
This way there won't be the billions of dollars in TV deals and it will positively affect player
salaries by decreasing them to a more reasonable, middle-class America type range. Once we
have all this money freed up from the evil, technology based sports markets, we can use it to
find a cure for cancer.

I think we can unanimously agree that baseball (and all sports) was at it's best before TV and
technology came barging in. Let's return it to what it was for the sake of the game itself.


No computer-technology making golf clubs either -- fans prefer to watch players hit balls with
hand made wooden clubs.

Originally posted by Phlabibit
Thank goodness they got together and got the call right on the double play where they were about to leave the Yankee runner who was out TWICE on first.

They also didn't even need to tag Hideki Matsui, he was out when they threw to first.

If the umps want to get together an make a call right, they should have a screen out of the way where they can all ...[text shortened]... .

Sure enough, the crowd groaned and moaned as the play was shown on the Jumbotron.

P-

The ball hit the ground. Another blown call.

meh, it's the game in soccer... they've been saying for years to bring in instant replays on certain things. wigs at the top saying they don't want to take 10 seconds out of a game that only last for 90 mins claiming it will waste to much time.

nfl, cricket, tennis.. how where were they before the replay days? there's to much money involved to allow human error.