Replay in baseball

So apparently there is now instant replay in baseball.

"Like everything else in life, there are times that you have to make an adjustment," baseball commissioner Bud Selig said following Tuesday's announcement. "My opposition to unlimited instant replay is still very much in play. I really think that the game has prospered for well over a century now doing things the way we did it."

Well it is true that with all the odd baseball parks around as of late that the "home run" call has been harder and harder for the officiating crews to make. Last month there were several incidents where it was plainly obvious that the umps made the wrong call. In baseball, where you work hard to get one point at a time, I can certainly see that one 'little mistake' can affect the outcome of the entire game.

I don't know if I whole heartedly agree with the whole thing. Right now they are saying that instant replay is only being used for 'boundary calls.' Ok, that I can deal with. You and I know it's only a matter of time before they start using it for calling tag-outs, balls, and strikes. I certainly disagree with that application. The 'human factor' is what makes baseball so appealing!

The orioles manager agrees with my particular point of view:

"I find it very strange that, with 30 games to go in the season, that they would start it now. I find that very peculiar. If they wanted it so bad, what took them so long to get it going and why wait until this particular point in time?"

Here's the stupid part. If the crew chief ump think that a call needs to be challenged, he and all the other umpires leave the field to go to a special booth behind the dugouts. A call is made to MLB headquarters in New York, where a retired ump will review the video and play it back to the crew chief. The crew chief has the final call and will only overturn the original call if there is clear evidence.

If there is any objection from coaches/team members about an overturned call they will instantly be ejected.

I still say perhaps they should fix the PARKS and make boundary markers more conspicuous and leave the calls up to humans...