MLB Instant replay

We love baseball. We love little league, high school, semi-pro and, oh yes, we love Rockies baseball. But come on, don’t do this to us. Don’t mess with America’s favorite pastime, a game as much admired for it’s skill as it is its history. Adding instant replay destroys the purity of the game. There will always be mistakes, whether it be by players or umpires, but these are some you don’t need to fix.

Below is the AP story on baseball’s decision to add instant replay, although when it goes into effect is still up in the air. We went through the article and injected our opinions (IN
CAPS). Please feel free to send us your opinions at sbondy@scorepublishing.com.

NEW YORK --  (AP) Baseball umpires and management signed an agreement 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 replays will start.

Installation of equipment has been going on at ballparks, and officials have said they hoped to start using replay in August.

BASICALLY MLB IS SAYING THEY WANT TO GIVE UMPIRES THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET USED TO THE NEW SYSTEM BEFORE THE PLAYOFFS. BASEBALL’S BIGGEST CONCERN IS HAVING A PLAYOFF GAME OR, EVEN WORSE, A WORLD SERIES GAME DECIDED BY AN OFFICIATING ERROR. NO ONE ACROSS ALL SPORTS WANTS THAT TO HAPPEN BUT BASEBALL IS SPECIAL AND THEY’VE LET PRESSURES FROM OUTSIDE INFLUENCE THEIR DECISION.

Replays will be limited to boundary calls, such as determining whether fly balls were fair or foul, or whether they went over fences.

WHILE WE RESPECT THIS AND UNDERSTAND THIS IS THE MINIMUM INSTANT REPLAY DECISION, LET’S JUST HOPE IT DOESN’T GO ANY FURTHER.

The deal was signed by management lawyer Dan Halem and World Umpires Association attorney Brian Lam one day after a WUA spokesman went public with complaints over negotiations.

After haggling over final details, the sides exchanged proposals Tuesday night.

"We reached an agreement. Final decision with respect to moving ahead has not been made yet, but we have an agreement with the umpires," said Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice president of labor relations.

Finalization of the agreement was first reported by murraychass.com.

"We're going to move forward with the understanding the sides will come to the table later and iron out some of the remaining issues," said WUA spokesman Lamell McMorris, who criticized management on Tuesday. "Instant replay will be a work in progress."

WE CAN’T DEBATE THAT!

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.

HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE DURING A GAME? ONE OF BASEBALL’S BIGGEST PROBLEMS IS THE SPEED OF THE GAME. IN THIS DAY AND ERA, SPORTS FANS WANT EXCITEMENT AND ACTION. THE SPORT OF BASEBALL HAS SURVIVED ON ITS TRADITION AND THAT HAS BEEN BROKEN. WE’LL GO AS FAR AS TO SAY SPORTS NEED CONTROVERSY AND IT NEEDS JUDGEMENT CALLS. LET’S REMEMBER THAT.

The WUA had decided to boycott a Wednesday conference call in which crew chiefs were to go over replay with MLB officials. Manfred had said Tuesday that MLB canceled the call.

"They'll be some form of training," McMorris said. "We'll just have to figure out when and how."

Baseball officials have also been talking to the players' association about replay. MLB has maintained the legal position that an agreement with players isn't necessary.

"We're still in discussions with them," players' association general counsel Michael Weiner said.

DO PLAYERS WANT INSTANT REPLAY? YOU TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!