Cubs And Pirates Postponed... But Baseball Needs Replay NOW

Props to Galarraga for keeping his head. I loved seeing Miggy stand up for him and keep jawing with Joyce the rest of the inning.

I don’t think it takes a little league ump to call Donald out. Worst call in the histories of perfect games

He’s 75, 76 in less than 2 months. The average life expectancy of US male is 75.6. Just sayin’.

As I have written several times, give each manager two challenges per game. Most games, you’d never use any.

Just thinking aloud here…

Why wouldn’t I as a manager use all my challenges every game? What’s the harm? If the old adage is something to the effect of “A manager can affect as much as 10% of the game’s outcome”, I’d be darn certain to use both my challenges each and every game—thus upping the ante that my baseball mind can positively affect the game’s outcome.

There has to be some de-incentive so this doesn’t happen, akin to NFL taking timeouts away. I’m hard pressed to think of an idea, however. You cannot take away an out. But perhaps you can take away a mound visit? I dunno.

Dan

Nobody ever really thinks about the umpires when thinking about perfect games. Along with the pitcher and defense, umps have to be perfect too.

But also feel bad for all of us BCB’ers recently

I wasn’t a huge proponent of replay before, but after this I see no other choice. That kid deserves a perfect game. That ump deserves to have the call go the right way even if he made the wrong call. If Bud Selig doesn’t do something about this now, then he never will.

Al I really appreciated the fact that you said giving him a perfect game in a press conference would just be ridiculous. Total BS. Fix this now!

I believe any sort of MLB-approved change (not that there’s gonna be one) has to be done prior to the team’s next game. Unfortunately, the Tigers play tomorrow @ 12:05. Talk about a horrible, horrible time for an early game.

Dan

1) Selig needs to give the kid a perfect game. I don’t care if it would be ridiculous. It is less ridiculous than pretending this call was right, which is what happens if nothing is changed.

2) Al’s replay suggestions are excellent. As for the challenges thing, that is fine, but also say that disputed calls in close games (defined as calls that would put or remove the tying or go-ahead run in or from the on deck circle after the 7th inning) are reviewed automatically.

3) Tell managers they may no longer leave the dugout except to change pitchers, check on an injured player, or to specifically ask the ump to review a play or to specifically ask why the other manager has done so.

It would have taken 25 seconds max to overturn that play tonight. Do not bring me time.

here.

One is on this post regarding replay (yes or no).

The other one is on the right sidebar asking whether Bud should award Galarraga a perfect game.

Please vote in both polls.

jerk

I don’t need a bunch of writers and ex-players telling me whether or not Ron Santo is a Hall of Famer. I know he is. Same with Armando Galarraga – I saw for myself tonight that he threw a perfect game. A blown call isn’t going to change my mind.

and credit him with the only 28 out prefect game in history.

That would be justice.

Do replay. Don’t have some stupid “challenge” system. It’s like “We’re using replay to get the calls right. Except if they blow more than two calls a game. Then we don’t care if an ump blows it.”

If we’re going to use replay, then use it to get the calls right. Don’t play some stupid game about whether people should throw a flag because maybe an ump will blow a call later in the game.

If there’s a close play, ask the umps. If they feel it deserves a replay, they’ll ask for help. None of them want to be Jim Joyce and even if one does, there are three other umps who could overrule them and go to replay.

Just say no to a stupid NFL-style challenge system.

Hence the inclement weather.

In all seriousness, poor Galarraga. Kid deserved that and got screwed.

RIP Ken Griffey Jr. You will be missed, well the pre 2001 you. Nah, kidding. Class act. I still have a Griffey 24 Mariners jersey from when I was a wee lad.

Al makes more sense with this proposal than many mainstream analysts.

My respects, Al.

That umpire’s call is inexcusable and unforgivable. He erased history and ruined the enjoyment of the game, even though there was no malice or ill will on his part. However, let me congratulate the umpire for being a man, admit his mistake and tell the player he was sorry for the error. The pressure should not be on the umpire but on the Commissioner to prevent this from happening ever again, by instituting replay for this kind of call.

And most definitely NO to crediting Galarraga with a perfect game. I can’t think of one time in the history of baseball when that has been done. Even the 1919 Reds are still credited with winning the World Series. The Tigers still WON the game tonight, and that should be the most important thing to their fans.

As for replay, a bad call has as much chance going for your team as against it. When I watch my favorite NFL team play, it’s hard to even celebrate a touchdown because it’s inevitable the play will be reviewed. I don’t want that for baseball. Humans make mistakes, and human error has been a part of baseball since the beginning.

I see only two viable alternatives.

1. Overturn the blown call in the best interest of the game and award Galarraga (as was suggested above) the only 28-out perfect game in MLB history. AND use this event as the foundation for a meaningful institution of replay review (non balls & strikes).

2. Leave the call as is and use this event as the foundation for a meaningful institution of replay review (non balls & strikes).

Therefore, the Commissioner of Baseball will do the following: nothing.

2 Replays per team only on bases empty plays and inning ending force plays. This will keep from having to award runners bases after overturned calls and would basically maintain the “human element” while keeping us from these plays tonight.

EVERY play being reviewable would be a drag (not to mention nearly impossible unless the camera angles on broadcasts drastically improve).

I’m in favor of replay expanded beyond pure HR calls, have been for a very long time. But I really don’t want every catch to be reviewed for trap or catch.

Maybe do it a little like the NBA where replay rules expand only in the final 2 minutes/OT. Not that every game is actually decided in the 8/9, but its definitely a middle ground.

Also, I wish they’d start employing YOUNGER umpires. When your job depends on being able to see, move and keep up with 20 somethings its pretty silly to expect overweight 50 y/os to be correct all the time.

is the force at second on a double play. It’s an unwritten rule that all you need is to get close to the bag. I’ve always been fine with this because I think it keeps the risk of an injury at a minimum.

This would have the added benefit of eliminating manager ejections — since they wouldn’t be out there yelling and screaming

One of the most colorful, entertaining and fun parts of the baseball ritual is when two (almost) elderly, overweight men stand potbelly to potbelly, noses a fraction of an inch apart, heads slightly tilted (as if for a kiss) yelling at each other with almighty rightousness of their lungs. Add to this, dirt kicking, cap stomping and base throwing, the spice of a good manager/umpire courtship dance.

Al, do you really want to destroy this?
 
 
;-)

All of them said something to the effect of “He was out!”

This includes Marty Brennaman.

But give this guy his perfect game.

After that, a replay request that upholds the umpire’s call should cost the team calling it an out.

I’ve long apposed this idea but the contrast of this call and how seamlessly replays worked in the hawks game led me to change my mind last night. Why not. What’s the harm. If they can get the call right using replay then that should be an option. They did it twice in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Replay allowed on:

• Plays on bases (including whether a runner left too early on a sac fly)
• Catches
• Fair/foul
• Homer/Ground Rule 2B
• Hit batsmen (I’ve read a couple of ump biographies, and they will tell you that because of the angle, HBP that clip the uniform or hit the foot are very tough calls)
• Those couple of times a year when someone loses track of the outs or the count.

Not allowed on:

• Balls/strikes
• Balks
• Interference plays
• Neighborhood plays at 2nd
• Check swings

Bases:

• If a player ruled out is found to be safe, he is awarded that base only

Catches:

• If a called out is found to be a trap, the batter is awarded a single and runners move up one base
• If a called trap is found to be a catch, runners may return to their original bases without penalty

Foul/fair

• If a ball is called foul, but is ruled to be fair, batter is credited with a single and runners move up one base UNLESS it is the judgement of all four umps and the replay official that circumstances (deep fly ball; shot on the baseline; runners moving) that more bases would have been achieved.

(Or, you can take that out of the equation and just say it’s a single if it doesn’t leave the infield and a double and two bases if it does)

Hit batsmen:

• Any pitch ruled to hit the batter and then found to have missed him is a ball, unless he swung, in which case it should have been called a strike anyway

I did that in 5 minutes with a baby screaming at me. It ain’t hard.

is used in every major sport. Even tennis uses it. There might be the game every so often that needs more than 1 replay, but most games dont even need 1. When there is a close call, the tv coverage sees it immediately, so there must be a way to let the mgr know. thats the way the NFL does it. the booth person makes the decision most the time not the coach.
there is enough time between plays with baseball to have a “booth” person decide wether or not a replay is eveb worth looking at.

to “not sure” on whether the call should be reversed. My initial response was to say yes, it should. However, upon reading some of the arguments against I now think it may be a stupid precedent to set (especially with a commish like Bud).

“You guys like me all watched the TV and saw the replays,” Galarraga said, “and for any pitcher in any league anywhere, that was a perfect game. When you watch the replays, it was totally an out. There’s no way he can call that safe. That’s what made me sad. I can’t help it. I really can’t help it.”

mlb.com

wish the Cubs could replay every game this year.

This all baseball needs, more length in games, more trips to the clubhouse to discuss calls, goodness how many bang/bang calls will get replayed. What do you allow? How many do you get?
 Sorry, I am in the minority I know that, but no to 4 hour games, and more bullshit.

The heat will he turned on Selig/MLB like no one has ever seen before. The immediate, widespread, unanimous response to this one play last night astounded me. Instant replay, cable/satellite TV, and the internet really contributed to how we feel this morning. Yet MLB refuses to use these same tools to enhance the game on the field. Crazy.

… the one on this post is about replay; there is also one on the right sidebar on the front page asking if Bud should overturn the ruling and award a perfect game.

And no one’s mentioned Dale Scott’s blown call at 2nd base in the Twins-Ms game last night? Sure, Joyce’s blunder cost Galarraga a perfecto – real shame, except that he retired the next batter and the Tigers won anyway. Scott cost the Twins a victory. Not a sure win (they were in extras already), but the correct call would have gotten them out of the inning. Instead, Josh Wilson was called safe at 2nd, and the Mariners’ winning run (in the form of Ryan Langerhans) scampered home.

The new face of safe at second:

but hasn’t that ship already sailed? it seems like the people who aren’t watching baseball because the game is long and slow already left a long time ago. It’s more likely that people will get frustrated and stop watching because of blown calls and a failure to rectify the situation than because the game is long.

is how it contrast to other amazing umpire calls that they do get right. I am continually shocked at bang-bang plays at first. The Cubs make an out, I get mad, they show the replay and the umpire got it right. The speed of baseball is amazing – see Starlin Castro web gems for proof. The number of right calls that umpires get right today should not be overlooked.

Mariano Rivera and Leyland have called Joyce one of the best. He was 2nd in an SI poll among players.

But Don Denkinger was considered a great ump, and went on to be crew chief of the 1991 World Series, which was as tense and pressure-packed a series as you’d ever see.

Richie Garcia was considered a great ump.

It happens to the greatest, which is why there should be replay.

Decides to overturn the call, I wouldn’t have a problem with it, especially since it WAS the 27th out. its not like anyone else would have had a chance after that.