MLB to start instant replay. Good or bad?

[WINGS]

Major League Baseball to use replay starting Thursday

Updated: August 26, 2008, 1:52 PM EST
(AP) - Major League Baseball has reversed its long-standing opposition to instant replay and will allow umpires to check video on home run calls in series that start Thursday, a person familiar with the announcement told The Associated Press.

The start date comes nearly 10 months after general managers voted 25-5 to use the technology, and following MLB agreements with the unions for umpires and for players.

[stanggt9050]

IMO, good as long as it is just for reviewing HR balls and nothing else.

[NYC Drew]

good.

[CBDAVIS]

With the computer chip the way they are now, they do not need a guy calling the pitches at home. With the camera up over the batter, I've seen some terrible calls.

[JJohnson]

IMO, good as long as it is just for reviewing HR balls and nothing else.

Agree. Since every park is different in the outfield, this is a good tool for the Umpires to use.

[Clyde in CO]

This is good.

some umps are as stupid and corrupt as chinese olympic judges.

[Zell]

Good.

[S.O.Interceptor]

There would be no reason for it if each team was simply forced to fix their fence. If they would just make every team have an actual fence the ball has to clear rather than a yellow line painted on the middle of a wall this wouldn't be an issue.

[Swanny]

Depends on how they use it. If they use it like they say they are going to, then I think it will be a good thing. However, if they start reviewing every tag on the bases, it will end up making the games a lot longer.

[asu-g23]

Good i think they should also use it in a few other circumstances

[Cinic]

Depends on how they use it. If they use it like they say they are going to, then I think it will be a good thing. However, if they start reviewing every tag on the bases, it will end up making the games a lot longer.

I dunno. What are there, 2 maybe 3 close calls in each game? I don't really think it would lengthen the game too much. IMO, they should do something like challenges similar to the NFL. Give each coach 1 or 2 per game. And anything close in extra innings is reviewed.

Now get me talking about automatic ball and strike calling. It would be weird to have an actual strike zone.

[CNYGlocker]

most replay calls can clearly be seen by fans at home in less than 10-15 secs after it happened. same replays to ump should make it simple and fast.
now whether they will admit being wrong?
hah

[JLA]

IMO, they should do something like challenges similar to the NFL. Give each coach 1 or 2 per game. And anything close in extra innings is reviewed.

.


I agree. I was thinking of the "challenge" thing myself. :)

[GlockFish]

Just what MLB needs - turn a boring three hour game into a 3 1/2 hour boring game.

[bocephus549]

The umpires will make a lot less money on the side.

[bush pilot]

I don't think MLB needs replay, the umps make mistakes both ways, things even out.

[Fiery Red XIII]

I'll miss many ejections from MN Twins manager Ron G. due to this...Baseball died in the 90's with the strike IMHO...no pun intended.

Red

[OKgetdown]

Bad. Not needed, and bad.

Leave this part of the American game alone.

[texas_rifle]

just do it the college football rule way. someone up in the booth does the reviews on each play instead of having to deal with the coaches calling for a review and the umps taking their time on the calls.

[florgy]

Bad. Destroys the integrity of the game. That is, when you remove the chance of human error by players, coaches, and ,especially, umpires you remove the humanity of the game.
Baseball is a perfect analogy of life. You can be the best team on the planet. Have the biggest, fastest, and most talented players on the planet and still lose.
It is a perfect game that is played by imperfect beings and must be judged with high standard, by imperfect beings.
And get rid of the damnable infield-fly rule!
Regards.

[JJohnson]

Bad. Destroys the integrity of the game. That is, when you remove the chance of human error by players, coaches, and ,especially, umpires you remove the humanity of the game.
Baseball is a perfect analogy of life. You can be the best team on the planet. Have the biggest, fastest, and most talented players on the planet and still lose.
It is a perfect game that is played by imperfect beings and must be judged with high standard, by imperfect beings.
And get rid of the damnable infield-fly rule!
Regards.

Sounds good, but the home run is one of the pinnacles of the game. To have it stolen from a player because the hot tub in left field does not allow enough contrast with the ball to judge it fair or not from 385 feet away, steals not only from the player, his team and his fans, but from the game as well.

A quick yes or no and the game moves on. Nothing has changed. the arbitrary rule says that a ball hit out between the foul poles is a home run. That rule is still in place, and the umpire's judgment is still intact as the replay calls cannot be argued similar to balls and strikes.

[JJohnson]

Quoting Lou Pinnela:

"Do you throw out a red handkerchief or something?" Piniella said, referencing to the way National Football League head coaches challenge plays on the field. "I would love to be able to throw out a red hanky. Imagine throwing something out on a field and not be ejected."

[proguncali]

BAD, the game is slow enough as it is.

I played as a kid and it was great fun, but MLB....yawn!

[Guns & Cockpits]

I don't care for it at all. The game has done without it for over 100 years. Leave it be, and give us something to be happy about when the umps screw it up in our favor, and something to piss and moan about when it goes against us.

[CBDAVIS]

Pardon me for asking, but what are the issues. It looks to me that it would be each to call a home run.

[WINGS]

I listened to a sports show this AM (Mike & Mike on ESPN Radio) and they had ex Philly and Hall of Fame player Mike Schmidt on. He is all for it and at a meeting this spring a whole boatload of Hall of Famers said that it was a great idea.
I saw some pretty bad calls this year on home run balls that were out of the park and called the other way. I'm all for the replay on those calls.