Instant Replay in MLB
Many people will say that baseball is too slow a game to add instant replay, but not with my system. It is really quite simple. I model my idea after college football. There are no challenges by managers or on field monitors for umpires to review. Every play is watched on television monitors in a booth upstairs by a MLB official. If there is a call that is clearly wrong, the official buzzes the crew chief’s pager, who goes to the dugout listens on the phone to the right call and the adjustment is made.
Already this year, a perfect game, which very rarely happens, was ruined by an errant call by Jim Joyce. He apologized profusely and the pitcher forgave him, but this travesty could have been avoided. Just a few days ago, “Balk A Day” Bob Davidson cost the Marlins a win on a foul ball call down the third baseline which gave the Phillies a chance to climb closer to the Atlanta Braves in the tight NL East race. He still refuses to say he missed the call despite it defying the laws of physics. What a jerk.
I think we should make sure we get the important calls right. I’m not saying review every pitch, that will be covered in a later blog, but this system could be used without delaying the game and probably would only be used on average about once every game or two. By the way, the worst three umpires in the game are Angel Hernandez, C.B. Bucknor and the aforementioned Bob Davidson.
Well said. Limited review for extraordinary circumstances would not slow the game and would prevent gross injustices like the loss of a perfect game.
ReplyDeleteTonight's game made your point John!
ReplyDelete