Now before I go on, please don’t get me wrong, I’m for Instant Replay for the right scenarios, but I am not sold that inserting it in the middle of a season is the best idea the Commissioner’s office ever came up with.
Using Instant Replay to aid in the proper calling of Home Runs dealing with fans touching the ball or hitting a foul pole or judging if it’s fair or foul, in my opinion, is a good idea. I just don’t want to see it get abused or used as a springboard for uses it was not meant to be designed for, whatever that future idea may be. What are your thoughts on this idea? What would be OK or not OK for use in the MLB?
I wrote about the possibility of using Instant Replay in MLB games back in February, to read what I had to say back then, click HERE.
The Commissioner’s Office and MLB umpires have come to an agreement this week to allow the use of Instand Replay during this 2008 season. For more details on this developement, please check out what ESPN has reported by clicking HERE.
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2 Responses
After seeing one of the worst calls ever in the Rays game the other night, I wrote about this myself. I believe they should do it, but do it the right way when they do. I believe they need more than the home run calls they are considering, and include trapped balls and such. They need to do it right the first time and not rush to get it done this season.
I personally love the dynamic between umps, players, and coaches and players’ skill in learning how an ump calls a zone. However, the big calls must be made correctly, otherwise it is a drag for both teams. “Winners” don’t want to skate by on a blown call, and losers carry that with them forever. I think reviewing of “boundary home run calls” should be allowed, but the # of challenges should be limited to keep the game fast paced and as traditional as possible. I do trust the league to make smart, calculated changes-its America’s most traditional sport, and 99% of fans wouldn’t have it any other way. I love fans jumping out of their chairs freaking out and arguing over calls whether in the stadium or at home in front of the tube. I recently started representing Sharp which has become the official HDTV of MLB because its technology specially geared for the sport, and I must say, baseball in HD is amazing. No blurring, great contrast-ie more advantage in arguing for the right call and making the right call. With technology what it is today, it would be a shame to have championships lost on a bad call, however its use should be limited.