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Posted 08/12/2009 at 02:51 AM
The hot topic on my Tuesday show was instant replay, and baseball’s apparent unwillingness to accept the fact that this is 2009. I brought up the topic after witnessing Monday night’s Dodgers-Giants clash. First base umpire Bill Hohn had a bad night. He missed two calls where the runner was safe, but in both instances was called out. The replays proved pretty conclusively that Hohn was wrong each time.
Did these calls have any impact on the final result? Hell, I don’t know. There’s no way to determine the effect of the two mistakes. What I do know is that the Giants came out on the short end both times, and the Dodgers ended up winning the game by a 4-2 count. In each case, the leadoff hitter was due up next, so who’s to say whether the Giants could have gotten another run or two across. The one thing I do know beyond any doubt is that once a runner is called out, he can’t score. Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess.
There are no logical arguments to not using replay on a much wider basis in baseball. They already use it on disputed home run calls, and the system works. It should be expanded to include fair/foul balls and safe/out calls. If a replay proves conclusively that the umpire made the wrong call, change it. Getting it right is what matters. I’m not demanding that umpires be replaced with machines. But the fact is that the other major sports make much better use of replay than baseball is doing presently.
Those callers and texters who were arguing against replay don’t have a leg to stand on. They bring up the same old complaint we used to hear in other sports, something about it removing the human element from the game. I have to tell you, that drives me a little nutty. Basically, it’s akin to suggesting that email is a bad thing, because it’s taken away from the charm of an actual mailman delivering information. A totally illogical stance. Email is quicker and more efficient than what is now referred to as snail mail. It’s a better system. It doesn’t mean the old system has to be eliminated, but to not make full use of an improved setup is ludicrous. Yet for some reason, the fuddy duddies that run the game of baseball haven’t caught on and there’s still a handful of “purists” among the fan base who’d like to keep the game stuck in the 20th century. Thankfully, it’s a decreasing minority. Unfortunately, one of their members apparently happens to be the guy who’s in charge of the game.
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I had the Phillies for my 10 Star play on Tuesday and they came through with the victory. Pedro Martinez makes his anticipated return here and he draws Jeff Samardzija as an opponent. I have to give Pedro the edge on the mound and with the streaky Phillies finally back in the win column, look for them to get the job done again today.
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