Baseball Brunch: Upon Further Review ...

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

When Willy Aybar's home run Thursday in Cleveland was upheld by a video review, it marked the sixth time in six days umpires made use of baseball's instant-replay rule.

So the natural question to ask Jimmie Lee Solomon, Major League Baseball's executive vice president of baseball operations, is why the flurry of trips to the secret chamber to watch replays? Are the umps more willing to consult the tape than in the past?

"These things come in bunches," Solomon told FanHouse.

He added, "I think that the umpires are becoming much more comfortable with the technology.

"It's a new process. They had to learn a new protocol and for the first times in their careers avail themselves of technology that might overturn a call made in their best judgment on the field. The umpires have embraced it and seen the big picture."

That can't be disputed. Instant replay began last Aug. 28 for home run "boundary" calls, and there were seven uses in 434 games over the rest of the 2008 season – one every 62 games

This year, there have been 13 reviews in 737 games, one every 57 games, or nine percent more often.

Crews were not instructed by MLB to take advantage of replay more often, according to one veteran umpire. Nor did they need to be.

"We're not afraid of it," the umpire told FanHouse. "I think as a group, we want to make certain we get things as right as we can get them."

Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez said that both times the Marlins were involved, the process went smoothly (managers are not only not allowed to demand replay, as NFL coaches can, but they can't even request it). He agreed the umpires do seem more willing to use replay,

"Why not?" Gonzalez said. "It's about getting it right."

Two of last week's reviews took place at the Mets' new stadium, and Citi Field seems ripe for replays with its overhang in right field and changing fence heights.

Add in that both new New York ballparks, and the renovation in Kansas City, allowing fans seated in the outfield to sit close enough to the fence to reach over and there are plenty of reasons for replays.

(By the way: It's been 13 years since Jeffrey Maier and we haven't learned to set back the first row of outfield seats?)

As for how it's working, Solomon called replay "a resounding success."

Manny Acta doesn't seem to agree. He had two calls go against his Nationals team in last week's series against the Mets and he didn't agree with either even after seeing the replays.

"Something has to be done," Acta said. "Because this was supposed to be to help make the right call, help the umpires. It's supposed to be a clear-cut home run. If it is so inconclusive like the last couple of days, then the call shouldn't be changed. They either need to get more, better feeds or something."

But Solomon said the umpires have executed their mandate: keep the call on the field unless they see "clear and conclusive" evidence it was wrong.

Solomon felt Acta was speaking out of frustration.

"You're out there playing, you're competing, the team might not be doing as well as you'd like," Solomon said. "You're looking for an avenue for your frustration. Replay is always going to be there to uphold or overturn a call that's going to be in favor of one team and against another."

Mets manager Jerry Manuel, who has had replay go 5-for-5 in his favor (two Mets homers upheld, two doubles changed to a homer, one opponent foul ball upheld), has little to complain about.

Except maybe his wait.

Last Monday's review took more than six minutes, checking to see where a fan who reached over the left-field wall at CitiField touched the ball.

Solomon said some reviews have taken less than two minutes and expressed great satisfaction with the procedure, where feeds from all broadcasts are monitored at MLB.com's New York office and queued up for the umps.

"Sometimes there are tough ones to view and you've got to look at many different angles," he said. "It sometimes can take a little longer than we'd like."

Acta said he had no problem with the length of the delay as long as the right call is made, and Manuel agreed.

"I'm a fan of getting it right," Manuel said. "And if they got it right, that's what's important. Especially home runs. That's a part of the growth of baseball. Baseball kind of doesn't like to institute different things and stuff like that."

In fact, it took two blown calls in a week at Yankee Stadium last summer to convince MLB – which seems more sensitive to matters when they happen in New York – to use replay on homers.

And if it has worked so well, will it be expanded?

Solomon pointed out that commissioner Bud Selig "had to really be convinced to go this far.

"Will we go further? I dare say I don't know. The technology is so fantastic today. It just might be our technology points us in that direction. But there are no thoughts at this time to expand replay."

The umpire said the "boundary" decisions are when replay is most useful.

"That's the only call," he said, "we have like the NBA, NHL, NFL guys – the only call where you're running and you're that far away from it."

Overheard and Understood

• Toronto's recent slide doesn't have the Blue Jays inclined to either dump players nor add. "We're two games out [in late May]," general manager J.P. Ricciardi told FanHouse. "If you had told me that in spring training, I would have taken in. Fifty games into it, we're doing OK.

"I think June is really when you get to the point where you say, 'Do we do anything?' I think the next 30 games are indicative of where we are, where we're going, what we'll try to do."

The only hitch in that plan is Toronto's strange schedule makes it tough to evaluate where they stand in the AL East until late in the season. The Jays have played just 14 intradivision games (going 6-8) and after Sunday don't play another one until June 29. Of their final 84 games, 45 are against the Red Sox, Rays or Yankees (27 of the final 51).

Chart of the Week
What if Adrian Gonzalez didn't play in the home-run graveyard known as Petco Park? Gonzalez has 14 home runs in San Diego's 26 road games, a pace for 44 road homers. Only six players have hit as many as 30 road homers in a season:
Road HR	Player, Year
32	David Ortiz, 2006
32	Babe Ruth, 1927
31	Brady Anderson, 1996
31	Roger Maris, 1961
30	Jim Gentile, 1961
30	Mickey Mantle, 1961
Source: Red Sox

• A scouting report on Cubs infielder Jake Fox, who was called up after hitting .423 in Triple-A, 17 homers, 50 RBI, 33 extra-base hits, an .886 slugging percentage and a .503 on-base percentage: "I don't think he's all that much, to be honest with you. Defensively, he's probably below awful. You can pound him in with fastballs all day and you can throw him breaking balls and he'll chase. Throw him a fastball middle [to] away or a strike breaking ball, and he'll put a charge into it."

• Four Orioles pitchers this year have started and won in their big-league debut, the first time any team has had four such pitchers since the 1890 Pittsburgh Alleghenies (now Pirates). And the only other team in that category was the 1888 Chicago Black Stockings (now Cubs).

• People expect the White Sox, who were unable to land Jake Peavy, to still make a move. "Kenny [Williams, Chicago's GM] will definitely do something," one executive said. "He won't sit still."

• Eric Milton's win Tuesday for the Dodgers was his first since Aug. 8, 2006. In between Milton's two most recent wins, 710 other pitchers recorded at least one win – and Roy Halladay had 47.

• Rick Porcello, 20, is 5-0 with a 1.50 ERA over his past five starts. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only one younger pitcher had such a stretch (five straight wins, ERA of 1.50 or better): Dwight Gooden, in 1984.

• The Angels' victory Wednesday against the White Sox kept alive their streak of not being swept in a home series since June 25-27, 2007 (against the Royals).

• The Red Sox might move for a shortstop if one becomes available. "I don't think [Boston is] afraid to do it if [it has] to," said a person familiar with the organization.

• Indians right-hander Carl Pavano won five times in May, more than his high for any season in his four years with the Yankees. The five wins also equaled his total for May 23, 2005, to April 30, 2009 – a span of 1,438 days.

• After Stephen Strasburg goes first to Washington in next week's draft, it looks like Seattle will take with North Carolina hitter Dustin Ackley – but an executive from another team warned Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik, formerly the Brewers' scouting director, is unpredictable and could change directions.

• How good is Nationals rookie Justin Maxwell in center field? Washington reliever Ron Villone favorably compared Maxwell (who was sent back down Saturday) to "a young Junior" – meaning Ken Griffey Jr., who was a teammate of Villone's in 1995 and 2000.

• Mets third baseman David Wright is on pace to become the first player ever with 150 strikeouts and 140 singles in the same season. Most high-strikeout batters hit for power, and most singles hitters are contact hitters.