Friday, October 30, 2009

REPLAY OR NOT REPLAY

The media has flooded us with two subjects for the last month:
1. Pitching on three days rest
2. The use of instant replay
Picasner has already checked in on the three-day rest item, so let's discuss the instant replay controversy.

***HOW FAR DO YOU GO?***
To me, that is the real (and perhaps, only) question. To try and replay and perhaps change a decision in the middle of a play, creates all kinds of subsequent confusion. For example, if an outfielder traps a ball with men on base that is ruled a catch, and replay indicates that it was trapped, what do you do with the runners? Give everybody one base? Two bases, depending on where the play was? Even fair/foul calls could be a disaster. Two men on and a ball down the line is immediately called foul by the ump. All the runners stop. The fielder lets up or stops completely. Replay indicates the ball was fair. Now what? With fast runners, both men might have scored. So now you have the same problem: how many bases do you allow? The rules state that the umpire shall determine if a runner could score on certain dead ball situations, such as fan interference or balls bouncing or thrown into the stands. Advancing runners only two bases isn't really automatic. Again, where do you place everyone?
As you can see, instant replay could create more problems rather than just correcting those mistakes.

I am glad to see one thing: the umpires seem more willing to listen to arguments rather than just give guys the quick heave-ho. Of course, maybe it's because they've been proven wrong so many times for all the world to see.

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