Thoughts? http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3554357

this should have happened a long time ago. MLB is slow

it was really stupid to start this midseason and with no testing. they should just put up without it for the rest of season in the MLB. Start it in the minors for the rest of the year and if that goes well do it full time in the preseason next year and then in the reg season.

Or at the very least start it for the post season this year. imo its unfair to teams that may have lost games on a call like that early on

really fucking dumb to start it at this point in the season

here are some more "insider" baseball thoughts imo

you guys spoke of using instant replay on plays other than pole benders and fan interference on homeruns. Let me toss in a quick two cents on what is expected in the game of baseball. I'd like everyone to keep in mind while I have zero knowledge of ever working at such a level, I have a pretty good understanding of what goes on up there.

Your routine play into second base where the runner or batter/runner slides "under the tag".

Basically it just doesn't exist for the most part. The player basically has to make a real strong effort to slide around the tag in order to be called safe. This goes for just about any base. Keep in mind that bad throws that cause swipe tags at runners are judged on their merit imo and are not subject to the ball beating the runner rule.

Why does this happen?

Honestly it's just the expected call. Many fans hate it and don't get it, they boo the piss out of umpires for calling people out when the ball has beat them by 7 feet but they "got in under the tag". Rarely will anyone on the field say a word when the ball beats the runner to a base by a substantial amount of distance and the runner slides directly into the base. It's what they want call.

"Close" plays at first base

I don't want to break hearts or anything, but ever watch Web Gems on Baseball Tonight? Some of those plays at first base are outs just because they are tremendous plays to even be close. If the shortstop is running into left field to field a two hopper, dives, bare hands the ball and throws from between his legs the runner needs to beat the play out by six feet to be called safe. Again, there are rarely big heated arguments over these kind of plays.
Why?
I honestly don't know when this became readily acceptable in baseball, but its clear it's because of the "top plays" and their need to be on highlight reels, etc.

For those still doubting me and the reason that they will never review plays like this, think about the front end of a double play. The shortstop or second basemen is usually a nice distance from second base while retiring the runner from first base. If they allowed replay to "review" any play a team seemed fit, all of a sudden they would be asking this play to be reviewed when they needed a run to score. It would take a rule and make it be applied to the letter of the law. This is something that would not be good for the game at all imo.

Is replay good for baseball? sure. Umpires are given an absurdly difficult job of judging where the ball left the field, whether or not the fan's pinky was over the yellow line at the time it was struck etc. The ballparks they make now are made to be fan friendly and look cool rather than serve the purposes of playing a baseball game on (obviously I am not referring the stellar playing surfaces that big leaguers play on).

you think umpires are that inaccurate consistently but only when great plays are being made?

sigh @ your edit aiuusdufsdu8f9a8sufd89uq23ot4

if its just a routine play, sure it's judged on what happens. If it's some whacky play that is sure to make the highlight reels it's more than likely an out when close/2 steps past bag at times.

I'd also say that game situation dictates some of this as well

oddly enough umpires are told at umpire school that they aren't being trained for the 95% of the calls that are routine during a game, but the 5% that are whacky and catch you off guard.

so you are fine with the pivot guy or turn man or whatever the fuck they are called on a double play to physically have to be on the base to get the out called?

you are alright with tag plays being called 100% accurately (IE regardless of how much the ball beats you by, you have a chance to be called safe by simply sliding directly into the base)?

these are honest questions that I think should be asked if you say "baseball should use replay on everything or nothing." When you think that teams won't challenge these kind of plays because they are "expected" what happens when it's a big game in late Sept and a team needs that run that would have scored if the guy at second base was called safe when the shortstop was three feet from the base turning the double play?

 

Originally Posted by BillMueller

oddly enough umpires are told at umpire school that they aren't being trained for the 95% of the calls that are routine during a game, but the 5% that are whacky and catch you off guard.

SFTrue, umpires arent taught how to make a safe/out call or a ball/strike call. We are tought how to be in the best position possible to make a call. And also how to have chemistry with your partners so you all know where eachother are going on a certian situation.

The higher level school basically only teach rules and interpretation of certain rules.

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I really hate this step "forward". Its going to lead to review on the close judgement calls and balls and strikes.

This is terrible for umpires and I cant believe that they let it happen.

No one ever remembers the other 400 calls they got right during the game but the 1 that could have been wrong.

Tim McClellan has always been my favorite ump