Talk of Instant Replay at Winter Meetings...

[NJ Fan]

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) -- Brian Cashman wanted to make this perfectly clear: The umpires were correct when they called Alex Rodriguez out for interference on that crazy play during the AL championship series.

``They got it completely right, 100 percent,'' the New York Yankees' general manager said this week.

``But you would hate to have a game, or a series or even a season come down to a play where they miss it and instant replay could have helped,'' he said. ``So as far as instant replay, I'm in favor of it.''

Now, after a pennant race and postseason dotted with reversed rulings, baseball will get another chance to see who else wants to give replay a look.

The topic is on the agenda for Thursday at the GM meetings. And there seems to be growing support among teams to join the NFL, NBA and NHL in using instant replay on calls such as fair or foul and homer or not, but definitely not balls and strikes.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-gmmeetings

[StaceyRosie]

Can they use instant replay with the strikezone too?

[KP88]

I'm for implementing it. Make a call, but get it right (balls and strikes aside, however).

I have faith in the umpires to always make the right call, but what if they don't? What if the initial home run and the interference calls were upheld?

[StaceyRosie]

Originally posted by KP88
What if the initial home run and the interference calls were upheld?

You'd have to change your sig

[ForeverYankees2]

Give each team 2 replay's a game for foul/fair... safe/ out calls.....and base running.

[yanksrule69]

Someone behind the scenes should be watching and give a directive if the call is blatantly wrong. I'm not in favor of anything except something to that idea.

[wexy]

I'm against. The umpires at least have the smarts to consult with each other on tough calls like they did in the playoffs.

They don't need to slow baseball down further.

[ryanm1058123]

I'm in favor of instant replay in the playoffs; but only when the umps call for it. And it can't be on a call on an out on a base. That should remain as it is; a bang bang call.

[Irony Of It All]

They're also talking about pushing back the non-waiver trading deadline.

11) According to the NY Times, there was a straw vote among GMs on moving the trading deadline back to August 15, with the GMs split about 50-50

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/ar...majors-rumors/

[WebsterMulligan]

Originally posted by wexy
They don't need to slow baseball down further.

I completely agree. Instant replay could slow the game down to a crawl.

[jonnyc39]

Not to nitpick, but the Winter Meetings are different from the GM Meetings. The thread title is a bit misleading in that respect.

As for the topic: they've made it this far with relatively few major errors. No need to start now.

[1961]

Originally posted by ForeverYankees2
Give each team 2 replay's a game for foul/fair... safe/ out calls.....and base running.

Huh?? What if there are more than 2 bad calls for each team? I don't think this should be equated to football terms. Football's idea that the responsibility is on the team to question the call is just plain stupid.
No reason that baseball can't have an overseer to review on a play-by-play basis. It doesn't take more time than we already have to watch the replays from our livingroom to see whether or not the call was right.

[NJ Fan]

Originally posted by jonnyc39
Not to nitpick, but the Winter Meetings are different from the GM Meetings. The thread title is a bit misleading in that respect.

As for the topic: they've made it this far with relatively few major errors. No need to start now.

Sorry---I can't change the title now.

[Dr. Gonzo]

Originally posted by StaceyRosie
Can they use instant replay with the strikezone too?

moose would second that

[bakntime]

Originally posted by 1961

Huh?? What if there are more than 2 bad calls for each team? I don't think this should be equated to football terms. Football's idea that the responsibility is on the team to question the call is just plain stupid.
No reason that baseball can't have an overseer to review on a play-by-play basis. It doesn't take more time than we already have to watch the replays from our livingroom to see whether or not the call was right.

You can't do that. You simply can't scrutinize every single play in the game. There are elements of umpiring that are important to be called "live" and you can be constantly worrying if a call is going to be overturned. Out and safe calls need to be made in a timely manner because players need to know what to do next. If a ball is ruled as caught but it bounced, there are implications for both offense and defense. You simply can't review every single play in the game.

The "2 challenges" thing is the best way to do it. It allows those "big" calls with the game on the line to be re-exmined to make sure they're the right call, and would have the least impact on the flow of the game.

[don4yanks]

I would never have been in favor of instant replay for baseball until the "conferencing" that took place during this years ALCS. Regardless of the fact that they ultimately got the calls right, it is now setting a precedent for the umps putting their heads together and I can envision this happening more and more. Managers are going to demand that the whole umpiring crew be caucused on every close situation. In regular season games you won't have as many umpires on the field and in some circumstances they may not be able to "caucus" their way into the correct call which is being shown over and over again to the fans by television.
It will take no more time, in fact if done properly, it will take less time, to instant replay as opposed to ''conferencing".
Instant replay in limited situations is right around the corner for baseball.

[Cap'n Intangibles]

It wouldn't be too bad if like in football a manager only receives a couple of instant replays a game. The technology and the concept are sound, it's just thee execution that could be questionable.

[FreeYayo]

We don't need to slow down an already slow game. You just lose more fans.

[RockDog]

Originally posted by FreeYayo
We don't need to slow down an already slow game. You just lose more fans.

I agree. This would make the game even slower than it is now. The Umps may make some mistakes, but that's part of the game. Where would you draw the line on what is reviewed/challenged?

Think of all the times when a team turns a double play and the Short Stop clearly didn't touch Second base, but they call the runner out because th SS was "in the neighborhood" of the base. Does every double play then come up for Instant Replay?

I'm all for getting the right call on a play, but not at all into extended game times.

[bakntime]

Originally posted by FreeYayo
We don't need to slow down an already slow game. You just lose more fans.

2 instant replay challenges per team is going to slow down the game and it will lose fans? Four potential one minute challenges, for exmaple? That will add a total of four minutes or so to a baseball game, at most. Bernie Williams spends that much time stepping out of the batters box every at bat.

Instant replay won't slow down the game. Slow working pitchers and batters that step out and call time after every pitch do.

[SoCal Pinstriper]

The Big Ten has used a system this year that has proven superior to the NFL's. An official in a booth watches the game. When he sees a questionable call, he uses a beeper to notify the referee to stop play. He then looks at the angles, and makes the call. Play resumes. No challenges. No refs peep shows.

I heard on a telecast last weekend that the calls have been made in almost half the average time that the NFL takes.

That said, I'm not sure that we need any of this in baseball.

[ForeverYankees2]

Originally posted by FreeYayo
We don't need to slow down an already slow game. You just lose more fans.

Ok, but isn't it better to get the play right?

Plus when umpires gather to talk and discuss calls it usually takes a while anyway, so why not use that time to look at a simple replay? It might be quicker. That's why I said I would only allow each team to have 2 replays... just for really really really close calls.

[K-W]

I say make it available to umpires to view if they want. Sometimes umpires dont get a clear view, the umpire knows how well he saw it. The managers can suggest he look at a replay, but in the end it is the umpires judgement on whether or not to use it.

I am only in favor of replay if the umpires retain control of the call.

[FreeYayo]

Originally posted by bakntime
2 instant replay challenges per team is going to slow down the game and it will lose fans? Four potential one minute challenges, for exmaple? That will add a total of four minutes or so to a baseball game, at most. Bernie Williams spends that much time stepping out of the batters box every at bat.

Instant replay won't slow down the game. Slow working pitchers and batters that step out and call time after every pitch do.

Who's to say they use the NFL format.

Plus there are too many unwritten rules and guidelines and grey area regarding calls on the field. Such as neighborhood calls, and slapping a tag down in front of a runner when the throw clearly beat him but the fielder missed by a couple of inches. The players know when these grey areas are acceptable. You don't see a player get too pissed when he gets thrown out by 10 feet and the tag misses by inches. It's also not too often when a player gets up crying and screaming about the neighborhood play... its a safety thing.

It would change the entire game. The whole game isn't black and white like football in that 2 feet in are 2 feet in. Can't change that fact.

[NJ Fan]

Oh well---the vote was spilt 15-15 so they've stopped discussing it for now.

[Ljberkow12]

They need to use replay on home run call. Too many parks now have people sitting too close to fair territory. I'm still amazed that the idiot initially blew the Bellhorn home run in game 6. That was just awful. How many calls does a left field umpire even make?

[jonnyc39]

First, I was under the impression that umps only conference in postseason games. I've never seen them do it during the regular season. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Second, nobody is advocating that replay is to be used for balls and strikes, right? In that case, how often would replay actually have to be used? It is very rare in baseball for managers or players to argue a call made by an umpire over a homerun call or baserunning play. Over the course of a season, it simply doesn't happen very often. Knowing that, instant replay just seems like a total waste of time, energy and resources. If anything, having replay available would cause teams to argue calls that they normally wouldn't.