Aren't they? Just listening to the Cubs game and the announcers are reviewing the new Instant Replay plan being implemented on questionable home run calls.

I know IR is used in just about every sport, but why have the umps and refs there at all at this point? Just put cameras everywhere and be done with it.

As much as I love technology, I'd rather it stay off the field and the court. Of course, JMHO.

DM

I tend to agree. It undermines the authority of the umpires. And the delays while everyone stands around looking at tv replays are a real drag.

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[picasaweb.google.com] [www.flickr.com]

You are not silly and old-fashioned. Not only are bad calls part of the game, they become legend and they fuel countless discussions in bars. How the hell do you argue about a beep? In Baltimore we still talk about the time the ump threw Brooks Robinson out of a game. It was like throwing Bambi out of the forest.

You are silly and old-fashioned.















But I do agree with you.

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I am not Ryan Seacrest, and I do not approve this message.

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Seacrest
You are silly and old-fashioned.















But I do agree with you.

As long as you didn't call me Shirley...

DM

I think instant replay is a good thing...it works well in football...not perfect, but not horrid (like it used to be). Baseball can and should institute it as well. I think bad calls are bad because it can change the course of an entire season...

The coaches should have 2 challenges for the entire game. If they feel that a challenge is warranted, then let the coach make the call (like football).

This way, no one needs to charge home plate and show kids around America how grown men SHOULDN'T behave.

My 2¢ worth.

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All I ever really needed to know, I learned from watching Star Trek.

Bad calls? I thought you were talking about spotty cell phone service.

We talkin' about...sports?

Next thing you'll have is cameras calling balls and strikes - sortta' like that ticket you got when you turned red on right without stopping - with no cop present.

Actually, I *was* going to talk about that.

They've had the technology to call balls and strikes in real time since at least 1991 - remember just how wide Eric Gregg's strike zone was for Livan Hernandez?

I think getting a uniform strike zone that matches the rule book (is any pitch above the belt ever called a strike?) would speed up the game tremendously. If nothing else, it would get the offense closer to days before it exploded (steroids and smaller ballparks notwithstanding).

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Embarassing myself on the Internet since 1978.

How's a pitcher ever going to get them to swing at a low outside pitch once they learn that system?

Presumably, any ball which starts over the plate and breaks outside will still induce a swing. But, why should batters be forced to chase balls as the strike zone gets progressively wider during the game (Greg Maddox)?

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Embarassing myself on the Internet since 1978.

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raz
Presumably, any ball which starts over the plate and breaks outside will still induce a swing. But, why should batters be forced to chase balls as the strike zone gets progressively wider during the game (Greg Maddox)?

Whole different issue and the one that causes most upsets about sports officiating is consistency. An official or umpire who is inconsistent is incompetent. Ask any player and they'll say "just be consistent' and I wont complain.

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RgrF
Ask any player and they'll say "just be consistent' and I wont complain.

I'd take that with a grain of salt. Somewhere in the vicinity of most sports cliche answers like "we have to play them one game at a time" or "I'm just happy to be here and help the team". Given the potentially acrimonious relationship between players and umpires, that is about the harshest thing a player can say without ticking off an umpire.

But, consistency is entirely the issue. Why should the strike zone be different for two different umpires? If one sits on the inside corner and the other on the outside why should that affect the strike zone? If a pitcher throws a fastball at the letters, why is it a strike today and not tomorrow? So, should managers match pitchers to umpires?

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Embarassing myself on the Internet since 1978.

Well I coach youth sports and take my word, it's no cliche for us. Having to bring an idealistic kid down to earth after a bad call isn't what coaching should be about but becomes part of it.

Learning to take a bad call and get your butt back in the game is a growth experience, one that some kids never get past. Taking the human element out would not serve any purpose other than the pursuit of a win.

We have enough of that. Let them play the game for the sake of the game and not for the win or loss. It's called the Positive Coaching Alliance, you can learn more about it here [www.positivecoach.org]

I'd rather see a rule change implemented at the beginning of a season, not in August.

There can still be controversy even with IR.

I agree, bad calls are a part of the game. Its the human element in baseball that continues to draw me in. I don't get that with American football these days although I still enjoy the game. I think the real solution is to have scuff-able material around the yellow limit lines to show if a ball has struck above or below (like the chalk lines on the field). Then all an umpire needs to do is have a close look and thats that. Reviewing calls take too much time, it would only take a couple of minutes for a ump to check a scuff.

Cheers!

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RgrF
Well I coach youth sports and take my word, it's no cliche for us. Having to bring an idealistic kid down to earth after a bad call isn't what coaching should be about but becomes part of it.

Learning to take a bad call and get your butt back in the game is a growth experience, one that some kids never get past. Taking the human element out would not serve any purpose other than the pursuit of a win.

We have enough of that. Let them play the game for the sake of the game and not for the win or loss. It's called the Positive Coaching Alliance, you can learn more about it here [www.positivecoach.org]

I've coached little league as well, and I agree with the above. But, we are talking about major league baseball - not youth sports.

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Embarassing myself on the Internet since 1978.