Instant Replay needs to die

[Mr. Baseball]

Alright, you guys got your wish. I know there are a lot of you out there that were convinced that instant replay was going to improve baseball and eliminate situations like we saw with Armando Galarraga.

I'm not trying to be overly dramatic, but in my honest opinion, instant replay is the worst thing to ever happen to Major League Baseball. In my eyes it's worse than the steroid era, worse than gambling on games, worse than wild cards, worse than the designated hitter. I just hate it. Every time I see it while I'm watching a game I want to throw something.

Can we end this stupid experiment now and trash it?

[Jason Moyer]

Instant replay would be ok if it couldn't be used on inconsequential plays. Instead of going from only homeruns being reviewable to everything being reviewable, they should have just added plays involving a run scoring.

In general, in all sports, I don't think a play should be reviewable unless it changes the scoreboard somehow.

In baseball, having these long breaks to review inconsequential plays is hilarious when you consider that MLB should be working on REMOVING dead air, and not adding more of it. Now, if the umpires themselves want to review a play that's a different story; if say, a close play breaks up a perfect game and the umpires want to make sure they got it right, then let them initiate it themselves. Managers should not be able to challenge a play unless the outcome changes the scoreboard though.

[TribeFanInNC]

Originally Posted by Jason Moyer

... they should have just added plays involving a run scoring.

The problem is that every play could lead to a run. Even on out/safe at first base with two outs, the next guy could hit a homer. That's huge. Same deal on like fair/foul plays. The next pitch could be a homer. Once you open the bag, you have to allow for making sure all the plays are right.

I'm waiting for the time when baseball becomes tennis and you get like 5 ball/strike challenges and the computer is right 100% of the time. THAT would be obnoxious.

[RchW]

Originally Posted by Mr. Baseball

Alright, you guys got your wish. I know there are a lot of you out there that were convinced that instant replay was going to improve baseball and eliminate situations like we saw with Armando Galarraga.

I'm not trying to be overly dramatic, but in my honest opinion, instant replay is the worst thing to ever happen to Major League Baseball. In my eyes it's worse than the steroid era, worse than gambling on games, worse than wild cards, worse than the designated hitter. I just hate it. Every time I see it while I'm watching a game I want to throw something.

Can we end this stupid experiment now and trash it?

No.

[pstrickert]

I think the managers should not have the benefit of looking at the call on replay before deciding to challenge. This would make the manager think twice about challenging, unless they were sure the call was clearly blown. Plus, it would get to the challenge immediately, instead of wasting time waiting for the thumbs up/down from a coach in the dugout.

[John Madden]

I can't fathom why anyone would have that strong of an opinion either way on this.

[Green & Gold Heart]

I think replay has been great. Sure, a lot of the reviews take too long but I like seeing the right calls being made. It's no fun when teams get screwed over by bad calls.

Now the home plate collision rule is another story.

[mirrf]

Originally Posted by Green & Gold Heart

I think replay has been great. Sure, a lot of the reviews take too long but I like seeing the right calls being made. It's no fun when teams get screwed over by bad calls.

Umps have made the wrong call even when they had the review. So it's never going to be perfect. But they get more calls right now than before. So that's good.

Although I don't like the delays, especially because I think the game was waaaay too long in the first place.

But overall, I think replay is a good thing.

Originally Posted by Green & Gold Heart

Now the home plate collision rule is another story.

+1

Plays at the plate were one of my favorite aspects of Baseball. Now instead of enjoying the play, I'm thinking about the legality of positioning. Maybe I'll get over that over time, but if I don't, the game has taken a step backward.

[ThatSeventiesGuy]

Get Denkinger'd once, you'll be a fan of instant replay forever.

[Bluenoser]

I've been against instant replay from the beginning. For me, mental/visual errors are part of the game, both for players and officials. Sometimes the wrong call gets made against your team, sometimes it's in a critical situation. Sometimes that call goes in favour of your team. I believe (no analytical evidence) that it balances out over the long haul. I like that part of the game (all sports). I like the emotion it brings into a game.

I think back to when I watched John McEnroe or Jimmy Connors arguing with an umpire over an in/out call. I think back to Earl Weaver and his entertaining tirades with umpires, or Tommy Lasorda. The fans loved it, I know that for a fact.

Now - that emotion is missing from sports. I'll never get see another McEnroe or Connors. No arguing with a camera. Seeing Earl argue a safe/out call on a close play at home plate was classic baseball. I guess in the future I can watch the next Earl Weaver throw his ball cap and kick dirt at a camera. That'll be entertaining.

Emotion is just as big a part of sports, if not more so, than talent, skill, desire, etc etc.

IMO instant Replay is sucking more and more of that emotion out of sports.

[John Madden]

I'd rather see real emotion rather than emotion manufactured by an ump failing at their job.

[ihatenames]

I think this could all be solved but just putting a 5th umpire in the booth. He can call down or buzz down to the crew chief if there is a BLATANT missed call. This challenge stuff is a joke. 50-50 calls don't need to be challenged. That's part of the game in my opinion. Just make sure there is no blatant missed calls.

The whole idea is to get calls right not make a game of it with challenges.

[MorseMoose]

I could accept missed calls when there were two umpires in a game, but not the number we have today. I could accept missed calls when there was no evidence of it being wrong, but not with cameras and instant replay we have today.

I like the replay...even if there things still get screwed up from time to time.

[RchW]

Originally Posted by ihatenames

I think this could all be solved but just putting a 5th umpire in the booth. He can call down or buzz down to the crew chief if there is a BLATANT missed call. This challenge stuff is a joke. 50-50 calls don't need to be challenged. That's part of the game in my opinion. Just make sure there is no blatant missed calls.

The whole idea is to get calls right not make a game of it with challenges.

When 90% of the 50/50 calls go to the other team then I'm all for every challenge possible. In the past the "big" teams got the 50/50 call especially in the late innings. I may be crazy but it looks like the umpires make the call they see now because they have backup via replay. That's better for the game.

A lot of challenged calls are so close that the original call either safe or out would not be overturned upon review. That means it's working.

Anyone complaining about the time delays should be asking for MLB to mandate that batters get in the box and that pitchers be ready to throw. Putting an end to catcher pitcher conferences would be another step.

[slic1149]

I do not believe in instant replay, I believe in umpire accountability. Toward that end I would like to suggest umpire statistics. Video allows us to see when an ump makes a mistake. A crappy ump should be fined, then suspended, then sent to the minors (the minor league ump with the best stats replaces him or her), and the next step is to release the umpire.

I would suggest individual stats for each umpire, and crew stats for each crew. Crew stats will keep umpires from covering for each other. Instead of using a camera to reverse calls, the entire crew should have one another's back. An ump who changes a call because of a mistake by a member of the crew, should be congratulated not ostracized by the rest of the crew.

Finally, I believe being a ball and strike umpire should be a position on the field, just like being a second baseman. If a crew has a great home plate umpire, why should he only call one quarter of his crew's games?
Put him behind the plate because he does a good job, not because it is his turn.

Baseball is a game of numbers. We have statistics for everything except umpiring. Why? Was Don Denkinger a bad umpire, who should have been fired, or a good umpire, who blew a call, and should have been fined or suspended. I submit that neither you or I know. Since we do not have a statistical baseline to compare his overall performance to, we have no way of really determining what his overall skill level is. A player's career is based on performance, and that performance can be judged by anyone who want to look at his stats. The same should be true for a Major League Baseball umpire.

[John Madden]

Umpire statistics are compiled and checked with PitchFX. We just can't see them, AFAIK.

[slic1149]

Originally Posted by John Madden

Umpire statistics are compiled and checked with PitchFX. We just can't see them, AFAIK.

A statistic that isn't available to a fan, isn't a statistic, it's a secret.

[mirrf]

Originally Posted by slic1149

Baseball is a game of numbers. We have statistics for everything except umpiring. Why? Was Don Denkinger a bad umpire, who should have been fired, or a good umpire, who blew a call, and should have been fined or suspended. I submit that neither you or I know.

One thing that we can all agree on is that Angel Hernandez is a bad umpire.

[slic1149]

Originally Posted by mirrf

One thing that we can all agree on is that Angel Hernandez is a bad umpire.

Really, show me some statistics to prove it.

[cephasjames]

I think that the umpire watching the game in New York should have an answer as to whether the umpire at the field made the right call and then should simple say "upheld" or "overturned" into the head umpire's ear piece. No need to stop the play and have the umps put on headsets, yada yada. The NY ump should be immediately reviewing every play and know very quickly whether the correct call was made or not. The only thing he should be waiting on is whether a manager challenges or not.