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During most baseball games I watch, I see a blown call by an umpire. Whether a fair ball was called foul, a strike was called a ball, or a base runner was erroneously called out, the blown call can result in minor to titanic consequences for the victimized team. While the debate over the introduction of instant replay to baseball is moot--it was officially instituted August 28, 2008--I believe that baseball would be best served if it used instant reply more than it already does.
As of right now, replay can only be initiated in three instances: 1) determining fair/foul for home runs; (2) determining whether the ball actually left the field of play; and 3) whether a fan interfered with the ball on a particular play. While I commend MLB and Commissioner Bud Selig for their steps to get the ball rolling, they have come up short. And their reluctance to use replay more is still leaving controversy-stricken teams, players, and fans no recourse.
Most baseball fans are aware of what happened earlier this season in Detroit. Pitcher Armando Galarraga was one out away from a perfect game. The should-have-been last batter of the game grounded a ball to first base and Galarraga went over to cover the bag. From EVERY camera angle imaginable, the throw was in Galarraga's glove before the batter touched the base. But umpire Jim Joyce (who since then has admitted the mistake and apologized) called the batter safe, thus ruining a pitcher's chance at history. That moment (video here) was the catalyst for all this instant replay talk. But it has since died down, and I have no clue why. Will it always take blown calls of historic proportion to get the ball rolling?
I propose instant replay should be used for any questionable catches (trapping the ball before it hits the ground) and fair/foul balls down the lines. So you delay the game for a minute or two. Knowing that the correct call was made, I doubt any player, manager, or fan would object. I think the most important objective is accuracy. In a game that we take so seriously, why are we leaving so much room for error? Errors that can easily be prevented!
Sometimes baseball is just too stuck in its way. We have to remember that professional sports are about competition and winning. Any competitive person who wants to win would sacrifice a couple minutes a night to make sure the calls were correct and the outcomes of games were decided by bats and balls, not errant calls. During important games in the other two major sports in America, basketball and football, we always beg the referees to "let the players decide" the game. We advocate a hands-off approach so that the talent and skill and hard work of the players rises to the top with minimal interference from Joe Referee. Why is baseball any different? Sure, it's an older sport. But older does not have to mean archaic and out-of-date. Let's take advantage of new innovations and make the game better than its ever been.
The following are some interesting articles from both sides of the original debate concerning the use of instant replay in baseball. I purposely looked for articles from non-traditional sports sources to try and find new perspectives or new ways of presenting the arguments.
- "Does Baseball Need Umpires?" by Jonah Keri, The Wall Street Journal
- "Why Baseball Needs Instant Reply" by Derek Thompson, The Atlantic
- "Armando Galarraga's More Perfect Game" by Hampton Stevens, The Atlantic
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