Should baseball have more instant replays?

[dennis thompson]

I think that baseball should allow 2 instant replay requests per game per manager for any call but a ball & strike.
I'd also like them to speed up the game by not allowing a batter to step out of the batters box once he steps into it.
What do you think?
Dennis

[Zach England]

I am not sure I like the idea of the "challenge" or limiting the number of replays because in the NFL, and to a lesser extent in college football, this has almost become a tool of game/clock management. Obviously in baseball you cannot penalize with loss of a timeout. I think any replay in baseball should be for extraordinary circumstances, such as last night's, and I am inclined to think that allowing it or disallowing it in any given circumstance should be a discretion call by the home plate umpire. A manager can ask for it, just like a manager can ask for just about anything, but an umpire can say no, and arguing the need for replay should be akin to argueing balls and strikes.

That is just my first thought. I don't like the challenge system in the NFL because the point of replay should be to get the call right, regardless of how many challenges a team has. However, I think the comparison between football and baseball does not really work as an adequate analogy. The games are too different.

I don't know what the answer is or what the system should look like, but what happened last night is something that should not happen. it is unfortunate that Jim Joyce, who by all accounts is a fine umpire, will be remembered for this.

On the other hand, the way the situation was handled by everyone involved, including Joyce, Leyland and Galaragga, demonstrated a lot of class and sportsmanship. Has Selig made a statement? I haven't heard more about it today.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Absolutely, positively NOT - and I'm on the losing end of last night's deal.

One of the many things that are unique to baseball. Like no clock. Like only one defensive player can see the entire field of play. Like the scorecard (what fan keeps a scorecard at a football, basketball, hockey game?) Like the "fair pole" is called the "foul pole". Like "it's a round ball and a round bat and you gotta hit it square". Like trying to explain the infield fly rule to your wife. Like the flagpole in fair territory in Tiger Sta........oooops. Scratch that last one.

And - puh-leeeeese - don't any of you NL wackos start on me about the DL. At least, not until you can figure out how to turn a pitcher batting in the All-Star game into an actual World Serious home-field advantage. :D

[Glenn Clabo]

Don't forget...the only sport where the defense has the ball.

[Dave Gaul]

Bad calls are part of the game. Period. (short version!)

I see it like this, look at the way strikes & balls are called... every umpire can call differently. Both the pitcher AND the batter have to adjust to the way the pitches are being called... it's part of the challenge of the game!!

Baseball is unique in many ways, and it should stay that way!

If anything, bad calls should have post-game penalties($$) for the umps who make them... or does that already exist.. I dunno!?

[John Coloccia]

Bad calls are part of the game. Period. (short version!)



Period!

Why not just do away with umpires on the field entirely and just use cameras? Bad calls are part of the game. Don't want a bad call? Play better so you dont cut it so close. The call is part of the game. I don't like instant replay at all, in any sport, with the exception of racing sports.

Just my opinion. I'll never have the $$$ to buy a team and be influential so don't worry too much about it :D

[Zach England]

I find tradition to be a less-than-compelling reason to not use replay.


I don't think anyone is saying that balls and strikes should be reviewable.

[Gene Howe]

the game is way too slow as it is!
Same with the NFL games.

[Jerome Stanek]

I am from the Cleveland area but I still think the umps should have a way to review close calls that other Umps question or even if the ump that called could go back and check his own call.

[Zach England]

the game is way too slow as it is!
Same with the NFL games.


I love to watch baseball in by WW "shop" while I work on stuff (or don't) partly for this reason. It is deliberate, methodical and rhythmic. I can enjoy a game while only paying attention half the time.

[Doug W Swanson]

You know it's a bummer that the guy lost the perfect game with a blown call.

What about the blown call that cost the Twins a game against the Mariners? The runner was clearly out at second base for the 3rd out but the ump called him safe so the winning run scored.

I'm on the fence with instant replay for baseball....


Doug

[Paul Ryan]

I completely disagree with all of you I guess. I think every play other than balls and strikes should be reviewed. There is enough time between pitches for plays to be reviewed. On average there is more than 30 sec between pitches, and 99% of all plays do not need to be reviewed. I think in some cases it may speed up the game "unless the red sox and yankees are playing". You wont have the managers bitching and screaming at the umps. I do not agree with the challenge flag because they will be used in strategic time such as to allow a reliever to warm up or other ways. College football take forever now but it hasn't happened because of their replay policies.
I think trips to the mound from any player or coach should be reduced to 1 per inning unless a pitching change is to be made. I hate to see blown calls determine a players salary. If you are reviewing fouls and HR you could easily check out the close calls at the bags. I don't believe any time will be added to the games. Bad calls are part of the game because technology hasn't been implemented. I dont believe bad calls should be part of any game too much money is involved today.

[Joe Chritz]

I don't like any of the replays.

Officials are part of the game. I haven't ever seen any obviously biased officials in any major sport. Sometimes the calls go for you, others they don't.

Joe

[Don Alexander]

seems like we are a people obsessed with speed

maybe we all need to slow down and take the time to see what we are missing by always being in such a big hurry

baseball isn't too slow................. people are in too big a hurry

[Jim Koepke]

If baseball is too slow for you, tape it and then run it at high speed.

Everyone knows it was a bad call, but it stands. Would it mortally wound baseball if Bud Selig allowed an appeal to this call?

I kind of lost some faith in baseball many years ago during the strike. I have been to a few games since, but just do not have the excitement that I used to and this does not help.

Players using performance enhancements has eaten away a little more at my faith.

Baseball is about the only sport that I have paid attention to other then a season of football when the 49ers went to their first Super Bowl win.

I lost a little faith a few years ago when a rule change took a perfect game away from Ernest G. Shore. That game had a lot of historical frosting. Everyone knows who the starting pitcher was, but few can name him. Ernie Shore came in as a relief pitcher. The starting pitcher only faced one batter, walked him and got ejected. The runner was picked off trying to steal. The next 26 batters were retired in order.

Baseball took away two awarded perfect games by writing some rule clarifications. Why can't they do the right thing and give the kid his belated honor in history?

At least I am not some young kid losing faith.

Armando Galarraga is a young kid. Hope he can keep the faith.

jim

[Paul Atkins]

Don't like the replays? Don't televise the games, -only live games allowed. Get out of the house and support the teams in person.

[Rich Engelhardt]

All pro sports are silly and a waste of time and money, IMHO.

Money has ruined the game.

IMHO, the way to put excitement back into the game would be to pay the winners of the World Series (or whatever) the lucrative salary.

Everybody else would get minimum wage.

Betcha THAT would put incentive back into the game PDQ!

oh _ and +1 to the don't televise the games.
Baseball, IMHO, is best enjoyed by listening to it on the AM radio.

[Jim O'Dell]

I had to listen to the Ranger game last night on the radio as the storm the night before took out the cable line. :( I didn't enjoy it one bit. :p
I can actually see it from both sides. It's always been a "live call" sport. Maybe it should stay that way, but I feel really bad for the pitcher. I disagree with asking the scorekeeper to change it to an error, it wasn't an error, at least not by a player. I also feel bad for the ump. He called it as he saw it. But watching the replay, he saw how wrong he was. From all reports, realizing that hit him pretty hard. I was glad he manned up and went to the pitcher in the clubhouse to apologize. I understand he didn't even shower before doing so. I though that was a class act to an unfortunate event.
But the look on the pitcher's face when he heard the safe call was priceless! To his credit, he didn't blow up. But that smile that said "You're kidding, right?" was perfect. And he showed kids everywhere how to react to a bad situation. Jim.

[Rick Prosser]

I don't watch much sports, so not a lot of impact for me - but I don't see why an obvious mistake cannot be corrected after the fact.

In this case, it does not seem like it was a difference in interpretations (balls and strikes), but a simple mistake. A simple, obvious mistake should have a method (maybe not replay) to be corrected when the technology is there to point it out.

Mistakes happen.

Asking from ignorance...

There is no doubt this was a mistake, but apparently it is not allowed to be corrected? No one has the power to fix this call?:confused:

In the unlikely event that some ump went rogue and made an obvious bad call that cost the world series title - is there no one who can make it right?

[Joe Chritz]

the game is way too slow as it is!
Same with the NFL games.

How's this? Let either manager appeal a call. The on-field umps head shed and reach a conclusion. Conclusion stands, end of discussion. Again, you win some, you lose some.

Hockey.... All the speed of Basketball with the physical of football and the mental of baseball. I don't like the replays in this sport either.

Joe

[Zach England]

I don't watch much sports, so not a lot of impact for me - but I don't see why an obvious mistake cannot be corrected after the fact.

In this case, it does not seem like it was a difference in interpretations (balls and strikes), but a simple mistake. A simple, obvious mistake should have a method (maybe not replay) to be corrected when the technology is there to point it out.

Mistakes happen.

Asking from ignorance...

There is no doubt this was a mistake, but apparently it is not allowed to be corrected? No one has the power to fix this call?:confused:

In the unlikely event that some ump went rogue and made an obvious bad call that cost the world series title - is there no one who can make it right?

The commissioner has a lot of power and, I believe, could ultimately make that decision by diktat. But it is, to my knowledge, wholly unprecedented. Selig has already stated that the call will not be overturned. Perhaps someone with more baseball knowledge can weigh in on the historicity.

The ironic thing is, that in a season that has already seen two perfect games, the non-perfect game has gotten the most attention and seems set to have the most impact on the sport. I consider myself fortunate just to have watched it live on television. It seems like it will make indelible impact.

[Jerome Hanby]

I think that baseball should allow 2 instant replay requests per game per manager for any call but a ball & strike.
I'd also like them to speed up the game by not allowing a batter to step out of the batters box once he steps into it.
What do you think?
Dennis

And let the batter carry the bat with him around the bases. Of course the infielder would need something to make it fair...maybe caltrops.