Replay in Baseball

Ice is thawing. Birds are chirping. Senators are preparing inquests, and renowned author Jose Canseco prepares to release what is sure to become his second consecutive best-selling book while the public drools over the thought of more back-stabbing accusations. Yes, spring is just around the corner, and the 2008 Major League Baseball season promises to be the most entertaining yet.

While the Hollywood-esque steroid circus continues to play itself out, one problem will receive little to no publicity whatsoever. Official reviews via replay, the controversial issue which may widely affect baseball’s future, may be best addressed by looking back at it’s past.

Last October, the Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres participated in the most outrageous MLB contest of the entire 2007 season. It was a tie-breaking winner-take-all game that would decide which team would earn the National League wildcard. The nationally televised game quickly transformed into an epic fall classic, and even as a neutral observer (the Minnesota Twins didn’t make the playoffs) I was sucked into the action.

Prior to the game, the Rockies achieved the implausible by winning 13 of their last 14 regular season contests, cutting the Padres’ vast wildcard lead down to nothing. The Rockies suddenly became a hard-hitting scoring machine, driven by young players that seemed oblivious to their underdog status. Meanwhile, the Padres had earned their success with a stellar pitching staff that boasted the league’s lowest E.R.A.

As the game progressed, the Coors Field faithful relentlessly pushed their Rockies through a tumultuous volley of heart-wrenching let-downs, ecstatic rallies, and unbelievable surprises. It seemed more like a cheesy made-for-tv sports (Angels in the Outfield or Rookie of the Year? -ed) movie than a play-in playoff baseball game. Eventually, the game came down to the now-infamous 13th inning. Up two runs, a mere three outs away from the playoffs, the Padres put the ball in the trusted hands of Trevor Hoffman, MLB’s all-time saves leader. Seemed like game over.

Then, similar to the preceding twelve innings, the unimaginable took place. An unshakeable pitcher faltered, immediately allowing two doubles, a triple, and an intentional walk, all of which erased the two run lead. With the score tied, the Rockies had MVP candidate Matt Holliday on third base representing the winning run, and little known Jamey Carroll at the dish with a chance (albeit a slim one) at earning immortality among Rockies fans.

The entire stadium, along with the television and radio audience, held its collective breath as Carroll hit a fly ball to right field. Everyone awaited the inevitable play-at-the-plate. Brian Giles caught the ball and Holliday sprinted towards home. Giles threw a perfect strike to catcher Michael Barrett that arrived a split-second before Holliday’s head-first dive, but the crushing impact of the collision between Holliday and Barrett jarred the ball free. Safe! The game was over, the Rockies won.

Of course, mayhem ensued. The Colorado bench rushed onto the field, mobbing Holliday at the plate as the crowd erupted with celebration.

Then came the replay.

It appeared that Holliday never actually touched home plate. Was the entire game was a fallacy? What’s the point of playing 13 nail-biting innings only to have the game decided by a faulty call? The replays aired constantly over following days, while sports talk-shows and newspaper editorials buzzed off of the controversial umpiring.

Replays also confirmed that a ball hit by Colorado’s Garrett Atkins during the seventh inning, initially ruled a double, was actually a home-run. Bad calls made by umpires during a game of this magnitude brought up a significant question: Why aren’t replays implemented within baseball’s officiating system?

What would baseball be like with a replay system like the one currently used in the NFL? I immediately think of Steve Bartman, and the even more pitiful Chicago Cubs during the 2003 National League Championship Series. Chuck Knoblauch’s notorious “phantom tag” against Jose Offerman in the 1999 American League Championship Series is another moment where missed calls played a crucial role during a pivotal moments.

The list goes on: Derek Jeter’s “home-run” that was caught by the outstretched (over the field) arm of twelve-year-old Jeff Maier in game one of the 1996 ALCS. Kent Hrbek’s “lift-tag” (as in “lifted off of first base”) of Ron Gant in the 1991 World Series. A.J. Pierzynski’s run to first base during the 2005 ALCS. I’m sure you could add your team’s moments of infamy, where a bad call cost them the game (or the season). We’ve all felt the searing injustice and have screamed at the television in frustration. How many umpires have I cursed for being incredibly stupid and completely blind? Too many to count.

So why isn’t there replay in baseball? The argument has been made that “the integrity of the game” will be tarnished, and that the human element that comes with umpires adds a level of interest and authenticity not found in other sports.

To both arguments only one word needs to be said: steroids. Since when has baseball or it’s fans been worried about integrity? Baseball’s television ratings for 2007 spiked dramatically due to people’s interest in the never-ending steroids scandals that plagued the season. Baseball’s integrity is all but gone, but at least replays can help restore some of its tarnished reputation by accurately managing the action happening on the field.

Others suggest that a replay-system will put added pressure on the umpires, and make them vulnerable to unwanted criticism and scrutiny. Similar suggestions were made when the NFL declared that it was incorporating a replay system. Ironically, replays have taken less pressure off of NFL officials and put more pressure on NFL coaches. Instead of berating an official because of a missed call, crowds and media now target coaches for bad replay management.

Replays create an extra element of in-game drama and excitement that allows viewers to watch action slow motion sequences from a variety of camera angles. For those playing the game and for those watching, the satisfaction comes in having fair, honest, and accurate in-game officiating. Replays allow that to happen.

The game of baseball inherently consists of many high-speed bursts of action and reaction, the results of which are determined by mere milliseconds. A play at the plate. A batter beating out a throw to first. A runner stealing second. A tag. A sharp line-drive foul ball. A diving catch. A home-run. A catcher dropping a called third strike. There are too many plays that are too hard to judge with the naked eye, and these plays can often mean the difference between losing and winning the game, the playoffs, or the World Series (or a fantasy league!).

Baseball has nothing to lose. The NFL (which according to an ESPN survey is currently America’s most popular professional league) isn’t the only institution that has successfully implemented some form of replay within their officiating. The NBA, the NHL, NASCAR, and even professional tennis have all jumped on board. Whether umpire-unions like it or not, the precedent has been set, and baseball needs to join the 21rst century.