Major League Baseball has always been special in various ways.
The U.S. Supreme Court held in 1922 that professional baseball would be exempt from antitrust laws (laws that basically keep players from successfully suing the league over things like free agency). Baseball is the only of the four major professional leagues with that exemption.
Baseball is still the only sport called America’s pastime. And baseball is the only major sport without extensive use of instant replay.
The debate over MLB’s lack of replay has been raging for the last few years as other leagues have expanded the use of their own forms of replay. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig sits still, upholding the current, antiquated system in place.
It’s time for a change.
Currently, the MLB instant replay system allows for reviews of home run calls to determine whether the ball was fair or foul, whether the ball actually left the playing field and whether the ball was subject to spectator interference.
That’s a good start, but it’s simply not enough. The current system is costing teams runs, outs and, more importantly, games.
Thursday night, lack of instant replay may have cost the Atlanta Braves not only a game but their playoff series against the San Francisco Giants (Yes, it’s been nearly a week, and I’m still fuming about it).
In the fourth inning, Giants catcher Buster Posey was called safe by umpire Paul Emmel on a steal of second base. Posey hadn’t gotten a steal all season, and he certainly didn’t earn his first on his own.
Replays on TBS showed Posey was out by at least a foot. Posey would later score the only run of the game, and the Giants won, 1-0.
Selig, unlike Emmel, needs to make the right call and change instant replay to include outs, not just home runs. I don’t want to start arguing and having instant replay on balls and strikes. That would take too long.
To prevent making games any longer, managers could be limited to two “red flags” per game to challenge calls, just like in the NFL.
But change won’t be easy. The other thing that makes MLB so special is the fraternity that surrounds it.
That fraternity is comprised of numerous elder statesmen — I mean very elder (not that there is anything wrong with that).
The thing is, professional baseball has been around longer than any other professional sport. So those in and around it are older. They know the game, they know its history and they love that history.
One thing about older people: They don’t like change. It’s a fact of life. Just try to take an old lady’s spot at church and see what happens.
“The game’s been this way for 100 years, and it’s done well,” former Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella told MLB.com earlier this year. “Players, managers and coaches are all going to make mistakes, as umpires are, and it all evens out.”
The good news is some of the younger coaches are in favor of it. So maybe there will be a change.
If there is, though, MLB won’t be the first baseball league to use replay. It’s been one-upped in that respect by the “young’uns.”
The Little League Baseball World Series instituted instant replay this summer to ensure correct calls were made. The umpires, in fact, wanted replay. They are volunteers who pay their way to fly to Williamsport, Penn., and give their time to umpire the games for 11- and 12-year-olds.
The replays worked. Instant replay was used 16 times during the tournament. Eight calls were overturned. The total delay for all 16 calls, according to Yahoo! Sports: 52 seconds.
All they wanted was to get the call right. They did.
Now it’s MLB’s turn.
Andy Schwehm is a 21-year-old psychology and English senior from New Orleans. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_Aschwehm.
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Contact Andy Schwehm at [email protected]