Baseball's Instant Replay

Baseball is introducing their version of instant replay. This is needed, you see, because several months back there was a home run which was ruled not a home run. Or not a home run which was ruled a home run. Who can remember?

This is vitally important to the game, you see. What would happen if, in game seven of the World Series, an umpire made a mistake? For, like, 2 weeks, people would care. Maybe.

I actually don't care one way or the other about instant replay. What I've enjoyed is that no one's taking the conversation any deeper. Most seem to be in favor of instant replay, but no one is asking the questions. Do we just do home runs? Do we do any call that a manager argues? Do we do something in between? Will that elephant in the room, er, stadium obstruct the view of the replay camera?

In the end, of course, it doesn't matter. The entire point of it is that once or twice there was a slow sports news day. Sports radio had nothing else to talk about so they made it seem like the lack of instant replay was a crisis situation. In the future, there'll be a complaint about how instant replay was handled. It'll be a slow sports news day. And sports radio will have another crisis Du jour to talk about.

So enjoy baseball. Enjoy instant replay. Enjoy the inevitable "crisis" which will come from it.

And have a good day.

Baseball Rethinks Instant Replay

The general managers have decided it's okay for the powers the run the league to implement instant replay.

The GMs suggested it be limited to three scenarios: checking if home runs are fair or foul, making sure the ball didn't bounce over the fence for a home run, and fan interference.

My stance, as always, is no replay. While it is difficult to argue with the viewpoint of "if you're going to do it, you might as well do it right," my thought is why is it okay for players to make mistakes but the umpires can't? It's a game of humans for humans; let them be human. If nothing else, it's a reminder that it really is only a game.

What caught my eye, though, was Chicago White Sox general manager Ken Williams' quote: "It will be a lot easier and less to get that right than some of these arguments that ensue when a call is disputed." They're not taking the errors out of the game; they're taking the arguments with managers out of the game. No more managers kicking dirt on umpires for missing calls (well, some calls).

My stance on that? If the umpires are going to go higher tech, the managers should follow suit. That's why I'm working on a Facebook application that will allow people to "kick dirt" on other people. If an umpire misses a replay call, I'd suggest they stay away from their Facebook account for a few days.

:(

And have a nice day.