Quite the momentous event, some 22 years after the NFL started using it.
For now, video will be used only on so-called "boundary calls," such as determining whether fly balls went over the fence or whether potential home runs were fair or foul.Video will be collected at the office of Major League Baseball Advanced Media in New York. If the crew chief at a game decides replay needs to be checked, umpires will leave the field, technicians at MLBAM will show umpires the video and the crew chief will make the call.
Didya note the incredibly conspicuous "for now" in that opening sentence? I sure did. Who let that elephant in the room? Shoo!
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2 comments:
I've said it from the beginning that it won't stop with home runs. Eventually, most things (like in the NFL) will go to the instant replay. It won't be that machines, necessarily, will take over umpiring positions, but they will become more a part of the game. I don't like it, but that's what we get for freaking out over a couple miscalled home runs. We'll see.
I don't think it's freaking out so much as the league getting caught up with the ability to use technology to help correct mistakes.
The thing is, speaking of freaking out, how many times a season will this be used? Five times per team? Less? More? That's an immaterial amount in my book.
The bigger wastes of time are, in no particular order:
1) Batter stepping out to adjust everything
2) Pitcher stepping off to adjust everything
3) Pitcher/catcher conferences to talk into their gloves
4) Situational pitching specialists, multiple per inning
5) Commercial times (go see a live game and watch the players wait after an inning for the TV to come back)
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