In the first two months of this 2010 season, a few dazzling pitching performances have stole the headlines and caught the attention of many baseball fans. Through June 2nd, baseball fans have been treated with 2 perfect games from the likes of Oakland A’s lefty Dallas Braden and Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Roy Halladay, along with one no-hitter from Cy Young candidate Ubaldo Jimenez of the Colorado Rockies. It is rare enough to see these kinds of pitching performances over the course of one season, but in a two months span it is simply remarkable.
Earlier today, Armando Galarraga (RHP) of the Detroit Tigers almost became the 3rd pitcher this season to throw a perfect game as he was a mere one out away from accomplishing the feat. However, Galarraga saw a very controversial finish to his pitching performance as first base umpire Jim Joyce ruled Cleveland Indians shortstop Jason Donald beat Tigers’ first basemen Miguel Cabrera’s throw to Galarraga at first base for the final out. After the play, replays clearly showed that Galarraga did in fact have his foot on the bag before Donald reached the bag and effectively was snubbed of a perfect game. After the game, Joyce was adamant that he missed the call after seeing the replay for the first time and sought out Galarraga to apologize for blowing his chance at history. After seeing an instance such as this occur, the baseball community has to wonder if they should expand the use of instant replay in the game.
In August of 2008, MLB instituted limited instant replay for the very first time to determine disputed home run balls. So far the use of instant replay has been limited to just home run balls, however, every bad call late in a close game or an instance such as Galarraga’s has sparked discussion on whether baseball should expand the use of replay beyond home run balls. Craig Calcattera of NBC Sports is a big believer in expanding instant replay and proposes a simple solution to the process:
“It is absolutely imperative that baseball implement some form of replay now. This season, before the playoffs. The best way, in my view, is to simply station a fifth umpire in the official scorer’s box. Give him the same feed the broadcast guys have. Give him a buzzer and, when an obviously bad call like this one happens, have him call down to the crew chief and overturn the call.”
This off-season baseball general managers passed on expanding instant replay for the 2010 season and were generally satisfied with the current process. Believers in the current use of instant replay feel that the game of baseball should remain pure and allow for human error from umpires as it’s a part of the game. Another obstacle in the expansion of replay is that many feel it will slow the game down even more. Over the past few years, MLB has tried to speed the game up and keep the flow of the game at a reasonable pace and having umpires converge and slow down the game to look at a replay isn’t appealing to many GM’s and MLB officials. However, the more times umpires miss calls that affect big games or even the record books, the talk of expanding instant replay in baseball will grow louder.
What will it take to expand instant replay in baseball? Should we just limit it to home run balls and trust umpires to make the right call and allow for human error? In my opinion, I am a big believer in keeping the game pure and feel that while I may not agree with every call an umpire makes, it’s a part of the game and has been for decades. Certainly calls such as today magnify the issue at hand, but honestly how much would we be talking about this blown call if this were to occur with 2 outs in the 5th inning instead of with 2 outs in the 9th? It will be interesting to see where the use of replay goes in the future as I am sure this will not be the last we hear about the issue.
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They need to get it in immediately….many of the tigers saw the replay before they argued with the umpire
Dear Mr. Commissioner,
Let me start off by saying you have done some great things for the game of baseball. Your new playoff format has allowed for more teams to be relevant late in September. The game has seen enormous growth and your RBI (Revitalizing Baseball in Inter-cities) program is an excellent step in the right direction. You have cleaned up the use of steroids and PED’s and the All-Star game is again a great spectacle like it should be. There is great parity from a competition standpoint and the business side has never been more lucrative. Baseball is as successful as it has ever been!
Mr. Selig you have done some extraordinary things, let the next extraordinary thing that you do be nothing. The game of baseball doesn’t need cameras now just like it didn’t need them back in 1903. Just like Ted Williams didn’t need video analysis to become the greatest hitter ever to live.
Part of the game of baseball is the human element. We don’t need fancy equipment and the latest cutting edge technology. You need 18 players a ball and a bat, just like Abner Doubleday needed in the 1800’s, just like they needed in the army bases during World War I. Like every little league diamond and every semi-pro baseball field the most important element is the human element. Don’t remove that from our game.
Gaffes are part of the game as embarrassing as they may be. Buckner’s error, Merkle’s boner, Don Denkinger’s blown call, Grady sticking with Pedro, and Jim Joyce’s missed call that cost Armando Galarraga his perfect game, mistakes in the game of baseball happen.
I’m sure even you, Mr. Selig, have made a mistake or two. Would you love the chance to go back and overturn it? Of course, but that’s not an option. Baseball is a metaphor for life. And the truth about life is that mistakes happen and you don’t always get the fair shake. Baseball has been successful and profitable because it is different. We don’t need the NFL’s policies, or the NBA’s guidelines. What we need are real genuine people, flaws and all, performing their tasks to the best of their ability. Please Mr. Selig, simply do nothing and allow the humanity of our sport to shine!
Not Under Review,
Alex Childers
25yr Old baseball Fan & NHHS Baseball Coach
New Haven, IN