Replay is In

How many times have you been watching a baseball game and saw a terrible call made by an umpire that changed the game or cost your team the game? I know that there is nothing more annoying then when a player gets called out who was clearly safe or an umpire blows a call and claims no home run when it clearly hit the top of the fence. Well worry no more because this problem may be resolved by the end of the summer.

Baseball umpires and management signed an agreement on Wednesday that will allow the sport to start using instant replay to help determine calls on the field. Major League Baseball still hasn't determined when the use of replay will start but installation of equipment has been going on at almost every ballpark in the MLB. MLB officials have said they hoped to start using replay in August and have been testing the technology at the Little League World Series.

Replays will be limited to boundary calls, such as determining whether fly balls were fair or foul, or whether they went over fences but not to argue balls and strikes.

One of the main reasons that replay hasn't been implemented yet is because some umpires feel that it is an insult to their judgement. John Hirschbeck, World Umpires Association president, tried to explain how replay is a positive thing for the game. "I told our members that it's just another tool that we can use to get the play right, not to look at it as a negative, but a positive,"Hirschbeck said. "As hard as you try, as much as you hustle, sometimes with just the landscape of the ballparks nowadays, it's hard to tell. So if we can get it right, you know what, let's use it as a tool to get it right."

Another roadblock to replay being instituted was Bud Selig who felt that implementing replay would simply slow the game down. Selig has always tried to make the games go by faster by making mound meetings shorter and not giving batters as much time between pitches to stand out of the box. Eventually Selig caved however as too many calls were being made incorrectly that were heavily affecting the outcome of games.

I think putting in replay is a great idea because although it may slow down the game a bit at least the right call is being made. Also replay in baseball will be much quicker than in football as in baseball things are often more cut and dry than football. For example when the refs review whether a catch was made or not they often have to look at the feet, see if the receiver had control, and then where the spot was. This is a lengthy process and also takes personal judgement into account. In baseball if an umpire reviews if a ball went over the fence it either did or it didn't so the replay should take only seconds.

Umpire crew chiefs will determine when replay will be used and will make the final decisions on calls. Up to three umpires will be able to look at the replays, which will be provided from a "war room" at Major League Baseball Advanced Media in New York. It's possible as many as five umps could review the replays during postseason.

It is nice to see baseball joining the 21st century and adding this new technology and as far as Bud Selig is concerned, baseball is a slow game no matter what you do about it. Adding replay isn't going to ruin your game it will only make it fairer for everyone playing it.