Considering how slow moving baseball has been historically in making changes to the game, for once I have to give props to Bud Selig for actually getting out and doing something. With so many questionable calls being made by umpires on home runs this season, the clamor for baseball to use instant replay has grown louder than ever, and MLB is responding accordingly.In fact, it's starting to look as though instant replay will be in use in Major League games by the end of this season. From Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci:
Commissioner Bud Selig will make a presentation to owners at their two-day meeting in Washington that begins on Wednesday. Said Selig, "We're still checking things. I will tell you that nothing is final yet. All I can tell you is if everything is lined up, we will go to instant replay at some point."
Selig declined to set a timetable. His hesitation, according to a baseball source, is partly due to the logistics of getting the ballparks hardwired for such a system. In the most discussed scenario, officials at a central office, likely in New York, will monitor all games and immediately send video of questionable boundary calls to an on-site device for review by the umpires. The umpires would determine whether their original call should stand or not.
"If all goes well that could be sooner rather than later," the source said. When asked if owners expect instant replay to be used in 2008, the source replied, "Yes."Considering that both the players and umpires have supported the idea of replay being used, I don't see too many obstacles standing in the way of having it implemented this season. Really, the only thing that could slow it down would be having equipment installed at all thirty parks around the league.
So while we may not see it before the World Series is played this October, you can be pretty sure that replay will be in full effect for the start of the 2009 season.
