| 09 May 2012
Get the call wrong and it could majorly affect who wins or even determine the outcome of the game.
So why has baseball been so slow to adopt tools to help the umpires make the right call?
Over years of debate and other major sports leagues adopting instant replay, baseball finally succumbed the pressure of the fans and media by allowing for instant replay on home run calls only.
When the surprising change was announced, the media and fans were already shouting for more instant replay analysis than just home runs. And why the heck not?
Hit the jump to continue reading on why baseball should implement instant replay.....
Baseball has been filled with these so called "traditionalists" for years that immediately try to squash any part of the game that present day fans would want to alter slightly.
What the traditionalists have to understand is that no one is calling for a little red baseball challenge flag to thrown on the field or for a ruling to be handed over to a panel of judges holding white cards that say "fair or foul".
Fans merely want baseball to take advantage of the multitude of views we have at home.
What would happen if instant replay in baseball was expanded to the following scenarios:
Fair or Foul
Out or Safe
Held on the ball or dropped it
Hit batter?
Would the world suddenly start raining fire balls and apocalypse start? Maybe not, but it certainly would cut down on the petty and meaningless "I'm going to talk slightly louder really close to your face so maybe you change your mind about the horrible call you just made".
"But wouldn't instant replay make the game even longer than what it is?" A lot of the time these arguments last double, even triple the amount of time it would take to look a couple camera angles for 30 seconds. How much work does it take to place league official in a video booth who can quickly overrule an obvious mistake?
It goes without saying that umpires are truly great at what they do. They can spot 98% of plays and call them correctly. With that being said, its not 100% and when you're a fan on the bad side of the call, it hurts. Especially when that call can decide how a game end or series plays out ala Don Denkinger.
Really, who wants another situation like this to happen?
Instead of treating replay as "robot that will eventually take an umpire's jobs in baseball", traditionalists and the media should treat replay as an aid.
If a play occurs that is questionable, the coach should be able to go over to umpire and ask for a review at least once per nine innings and any questionable call in extra innings should automatically be reviewed. This would keep the traditional relationship with the umpire and coach respectable, with the ultimate goal of giving the umpires a chance to utilize the same technology we have at home.
With HD TVs becoming the standard in American households, missed calls will only be magnified and the shouts for expanded replay will become louder.
Most fans can agree that a loss based on play is easier to swallow than a loss based off a bad call. If utilized properly, instant replay in baseball should be implemented ASAP as an aid to the umpires to make sure every call, is the right call.
