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Friday, June 13, 2008

MLB reportedly presents August date to umpires to implement replay

Replay is coming to Major League Baseball—and supposedly sooner than previously thought.

Citing two high-ranking officials within the World Umpires Association, USA Today reported on its Web site Friday that MLB wants to equip itself with replay, for deciding disputed home run calls, by Aug. 1.

MLB presented the August date to umpires on Wednesday, for the purpose of using replay on “boundary calls”—was a fence or wall cleared or was a ball fair or foul?—for home runs.

The matter still must be bargained between MLB and WUA officials before replay’s implementation.

“It’s all premature,” MLB spokesman Rich Levin told USA Today. “Nothing has been decided yet.”

Well, this is rather premature. The NFL would never make a change like this midseason, and for good reason-you don’t want dreaded glitches occuring in the middle of a playoff race. I am in general in favor of replay, but this seems much too rushed to me.

John DiFool2 Posted: June 13, 2008 at 07:20 PM | 34 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
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1. Greg Pope Posted: June 13, 2008 at 07:36 PM (#2818768)

2. villageidiom Posted: June 13, 2008 at 07:46 PM (#2818783)

The matter still must be bargained between MLB and WUA officials before replay’s implementation.

Two things on this.

1. The amount of negotiation on this could be significant. I'd expect the WUA to push for a college-style approach, with an additional umpire stationed in the TV booth. MLB might prefer to go more NFL-style, with the home plate umpire making the call based on replays fed to him at ground level. Exactly which events are replay-able, and which aren't, should be easy to define; whether there should be four umps or five, that's another story.

2. I like MLB's negotiating strategy: we're doing this, and we expect you'll approve. In this and in the steroid testing, they've moved to the side of public sentiment, putting the unions into a position of either agreeing or having to explain why they hate baseball. Waiting for the next CBA and giving up something to get it is sooooo 20th century.

3. RB in NYC (Now with New iPhone!) Posted: June 13, 2008 at 07:49 PM (#2818785)

MLB might prefer to go more NFL-style, with the home plate umpire making the call based on replays fed to him at ground level

Where is this ground-level going to be, though? Seems like that might actually be the hardest part of the plan to implement, since it seems like storing the thing in the dugout is probably a bad idea. Maybe in the photo pit, I suppose.

4. bunyon Posted: June 13, 2008 at 08:09 PM (#2818815)

I like the idea of a 5th ump. My main reason is that you then have a rotation to give the guys a break and, in the event of sickness or injury, you have someone taht can come downstairs (with the replay evaluation then coming onfield (as per the NFL). I'd have the replay ump down near field level with each hometeam responsible for providing competent technical crew. If a replay is needed and the equipment fails, the call goes to the visitors.

5. Enrico Pallazzo Posted: June 13, 2008 at 08:12 PM (#2818821)

Isn't there always an emergency fifth umpire anyhow? Why not give him something to do during the game. He's getting paid anyways. Salary costs wouldn't change, only the cost of replay equipment in the designated booth.

6. fletch Posted: June 13, 2008 at 08:14 PM (#2818824)

Ugh. I've seen plenty of bad home run calls go against my team over the years, but I abhor the idea of instant replay in baseball. I doubt the bad calls actually "even out," but it's close enough for me.

It's just home runs, but it's a slippery slope.

7. The Piehole of David Wells, Depends Salesman

Posted: June 13, 2008 at 08:16 PM (#2818827)

Isn't there always an emergency fifth umpire anyhow? Why not give him something to do during the game. He's getting paid anyways. Salary costs wouldn't change, only the cost of replay equipment in the designated booth.

my guess is that the argument will be something like: what do you do if an on field ump is injured and you need the ump in the booth to come onto the field? i think they will argue for a 6th umpire. it's not a bad idea.

8. Srul Itza Posted: June 13, 2008 at 08:17 PM (#2818829)

Isn't there always an emergency fifth umpire anyhow?

is there? I seem to remember a lot of games with only a 3-man crew, because one umpire became incapacitated.

9. fletch Posted: June 13, 2008 at 08:17 PM (#2818830)

Isn't there always an emergency fifth umpire anyhow?

Nope. If an ump is hurt and has to leave the game, they play with 3. (This happened in a Phillies game earlier this year. The home plate ump was hit with a swinging bat and left the game. The 3rd-base ump was positioned at home for the rest of the game, and another ump floated between 2nd and 3rd, depending on where the runners were.)

10. The Piehole of David Wells, Depends Salesman

Posted: June 13, 2008 at 08:19 PM (#2818833)

It's just home runs, but it's a slippery slope.

smash the cotton mills! wait... i mean, smash the video cameras!

11. Dan Posted: June 13, 2008 at 08:19 PM (#2818835)

I approve. Replay can't come soon enough.

But I would think the Allstar game would be the best chance to give it a first test.

12. retro-shiite Posted: June 13, 2008 at 08:19 PM (#2818836)

The general consensus on the other thread seemed to be that whether you were for or against the idea of replay, MLB would find a way to implement that would please nobody. Implementing in mid-season seems about right.

I think they should implement it in Game 4 of the NLCS. In the top of the 4th inning, with 2 outs. That'd be awesome.

13. Drew (Primakov, Gungho Iguanas) Posted: June 13, 2008 at 08:27 PM (#2818841)

I just came from the ESPN.com message boards. Based on the stated prevailing attitudes of posters there (on any topic), here's what I think they'd say:

#### MLB they r a bunch of loosers go yanks stfu lol

I feel the need to purge....

14. Best Regards, Larry M. Posted: June 13, 2008 at 08:31 PM (#2818845)

The NFL would never make a change like this midseason, and for good reason-you don’t want dreaded glitches occuring in the middle of a playoff race.

What kind of glitches are we talking about?

It's an ump watching a video to see clear evidence that the ball was a home run. The only glitches would be that the video wouldn't work... which means everything is the same as it was.

15. phredbird

Posted: June 13, 2008 at 08:42 PM (#2818866)

another stupid thing in mlb's pitiful wrongheaded attempts to make baseball more like the nfl.

16. Best Regards, Larry M. Posted: June 13, 2008 at 08:52 PM (#2818878)

another stupid thing in mlb's pitiful wrongheaded attempts to make baseball more like the nfl.

I'm sorry, but I completely disagree with this.

Instant replay on safe/out call, or ball/strike calls, catch/trap calls... yeah, that's going too far. Those things can take several minutes to sort out, and it'll slow things down terribly, and way too often.

But a missed home run call happens fairly rarely, despite how things have gone this season, and it can change the outcome of a game all by itself. An umpire should be able to judge within a few seconds of viewing a video whether or not he missed the call.

It should end up being used very rarely (rather than multiple times every game like in the NFL), and the times that it is used it will be a positive thing.

17. bunyon Posted: June 13, 2008 at 09:06 PM (#2818893)

Nope. If an ump is hurt and has to leave the game, they play with 3.

I just finished reading Crazy '08 (pretty good read) about the 1908 season. I was stunned to learn that it was common at that time to use just one umpire. I thought there had always been two. I'd heard stories of guys blatantly cheating and figured it was because it was so hard to see everythig with two umps. But, geez, with one ump, I'm more amazed people paid any attention to the rules.

18. Hello Rusty Kuntz, Goodbye Rusty Cars Posted: June 13, 2008 at 09:15 PM (#2818902)

I don't know anything about labor relations, and I don't have a strong opinion about whether replay should be part of the game, but MLB's communication with the umpires should be "This is the rule. Learn it."

19. BeanoCook Posted: June 13, 2008 at 09:16 PM (#2818904)

The general consensus on the other thread seemed to be that whether you were for or against the idea of replay, MLB would find a way to implement that would please nobody. Implementing in mid-season seems about right.

If one thing was certain, it was that there would be ######## by people with nothing better to do with their lives no matter what MLB did. That seems to be a constant.

20. BeanoCook Posted: June 13, 2008 at 09:17 PM (#2818906)

another stupid thing in mlb's pitiful wrongheaded attempts to make baseball more like the nfl.

Agreed #15. Yet this very thread there are people holding the NFL up to be some sort of standard. The NFL can go to hell as far as I am concerned.

21. Jimmy P Posted: June 13, 2008 at 09:23 PM (#2818909)

It's an ump watching a video to see clear evidence that the ball was a home run. The only glitches would be that the video wouldn't work... which means everything is the same as it was.

As Kornheiser says, go to Best Buy and buy a Tivo!

The NFL would never make a change like this midseason

And the argument's come full circle. For years, people have criticized baseball for wanting to be the NFL, and now they're criticized for not wanted to be like the NFL.

22. Cabbage Posted: June 13, 2008 at 09:41 PM (#2818926)

It's just home runs, but it's a slippery slope.

Phoning the Honorable Frank Easterbrook... Judge Easterbrook, please report to the instant replay thread.

23. phredbird

Posted: June 13, 2008 at 10:06 PM (#2818949)

to all the things you said, larry, all i can say is so what? calls are missed. its part of the game. when its taken to this level of interference and distraction -- and please lets be honest, replay will ADD TIME to a game, where media idiots are already looking for every opportunity to criticize baseball -- it loses the aura of a game, which is already in precious short supply. i'd rather roll things back, to be frank, but mostly in the area of stuff like uniforms and schedules and interleague and the DH.

exactly, beano. to hell with the NFL. i think their fascination with replay has to do with getting things correct so that gamblers don't get all bent out of shape or something. but that's just me.

24. Best Regards, Larry M. Posted: June 13, 2008 at 10:10 PM (#2818951)

to all the things you said, larry, all i can say is so what? calls are missed. its part of the game. when its taken to this level of interference and distraction -- and please lets be honest, replay will ADD TIME to a game

I completely disagree.

It'll take 30 seconds to check the replay on a home run.

You really think a manager is not going to argue a missed home run? Or that he'll argue for less than 30 seconds? It'll shorten a game.

25. Jimmy P Posted: June 13, 2008 at 10:33 PM (#2818964)

calls are missed. its part of the game

It is. True. But, it's also easily correctable and shouldn't be part of the game. The players should determine the outcome, not the officials.

when its taken to this level of interference and distraction -- and please lets be honest, replay will ADD TIME to a game

On challenged home runs, we already have an umpire conference, usually followed by one, if not both, managers coming out of the dugout to argue. Will a definitive tv replay really take longer than all that? Really?

26. depletion Posted: June 13, 2008 at 10:34 PM (#2818965)

I vote for the 5th ump in the replay booth. You know the umpire union will go for it. You won't see the spectacle of a field ump sticking his head in a black plastic replay tunnel. The game is broken up a bit by the home run anyway.

27. Greg Pope Posted: June 13, 2008 at 10:36 PM (#2818967)

It'll take 30 seconds to check the replay on a home run.

You really think a manager is not going to argue a missed home run? Or that he'll argue for less than 30 seconds? It'll shorten a game.

I really hope you're right. The NFL does a pretty good job of keeping the coaches out of the ref's face. They can't come onto the field or there are some serious penalties. MLB doesn't mind if the managers come out while time is called. If they do the (only) sensible thing and have a reviewer up in a booth who can check while the batter's rounding the bases and then radio down the decision, then that's fine. If they put it on the field, then the manager will still come out to argue, the ump will reluctanctly go over to the screen, with the manager following the whole way. Then if the call is reversed the other manager will come out, etc.

This doesn't happen in the NFL. The coaches just accept the call and move on to the next play. Baseball just has a different attitude.

I'm all for the implementation I described, but I'm very concerned.

28. phredbird

Posted: June 13, 2008 at 10:40 PM (#2818971)

i don't agree. it will not take 30 seconds. and i still don't care. it's unnecessary. i have no problem with the potential for this sort of error, because it's gone on like this forever without hindering the sport. it's just not something that needs fixing. i hate to sound like someone relying on 'that's how it's always been', but this isn't something like blocking african americans from playing. the umpires on the field should be umpiring to the best of their ability, the players should be playing the same way, and that's how the game gets decided, and that's it. i'm just on a different spot on the spectrum, i guess.

29. vortex of dissipation Posted: June 13, 2008 at 10:41 PM (#2818974)

I just finished reading Crazy '08 (pretty good read) about the 1908 season. I was stunned to learn that it was common at that time to use just one umpire.

And the 1908 season had one of the most famous disputed home runs (or in this case non-home run) in history, the Ed Abbaticchio foul ball for the Pirates against the Cubs in the ninth inning of the last game of the season (before the Giants-Cubs replay).

30. AJM Posted: June 13, 2008 at 10:43 PM (#2818976)

all i can say is so what? calls are missed. its part of the game

Yup, I just love missed calls.

31. phredbird

Posted: June 13, 2008 at 11:11 PM (#2818996)

really? yeah, i do too.

whatever.

32. bibigon Posted: June 13, 2008 at 11:46 PM (#2819053)

all i can say is so what? calls are missed. its part of the game

And segregation used to be part of the game too. Things are part of the game until they're not.

I won't dispute the slippery slope argument however - this is a positive step along replacing umpires entirely.

33. phredbird

Posted: June 14, 2008 at 12:09 AM (#2819085)

bib, you are taking my comment out of context. i did take the time to be specific. to me, this falls more in the area of an unnecessary tinkering when the sport has not suffered for it.

34. ronh Posted: June 14, 2008 at 05:31 AM (#2819429)

The amount of negotiation on this could be significant. I'd expect the WUA to push for a college-style approach, with an additional umpire stationed in the TV booth. MLB might prefer to go more NFL-style, with the home plate umpire making the call based on replays fed to him at ground level. Exactly which events are replay-able, and which aren't, should be easy to define; whether there should be four umps or five, that's another story.

There's a 3rd option.

Have a retired or soon to be retired ump(s) siting in front of TV monitors in NY or wherever and have them review the plays. Then have them somehow signal the game umps.

Having a game ump watch a montor is too slow. The NFL has showed us that.

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MLB reportedly presents August date to umpires to implement replay

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