On Jan. 16, Major League Baseball finally announced that it would be expanding replay technology. Casual observers may question why the decision took so long when other sports leagues have very successfully integrated this technology, such as the National Football League in 1999. They were relatively simple changes: managers will be able to trigger reviews up to two times a game, and after the seventh inning, umpires will be able to initiate a review on their own. While there are some exceptions to the rule, according to Tony La Russa, a former manager in the MLB, the replay rules will cover 90 percent of plays. Yet, baseball fans, players, and officials have been and continue to be divided on the issue of replay technology. The divide is not over the utility of the technology, but over the break away from the traditions of baseball.
To those who oppose instant replay, umpires and their imperfect calls reflect the tradition of baseball, as well as the culture surrounding the game. Human error is an integral part of the history of baseball. While there is no denying the importance of tradition in baseball, it is frankly shocking that there has been so much reluctance surrounding the incorporation of instant replay.
Baseball has changed in the past—for instance, when the height of pitchers’ mounds were lowered in the 1960’s—and it should be able to change again. Changing the game to increase fairness is not a break from tradition, but a way to improve the game. While umpires are important, they are not players in the game, and their job is to accurately call the game, which isn’t always possible, because of human error.
One clear instance of the need for instant replay was shown in June of the 2010 season when former Detroit Tigers’ pitcher, Armando Galarraga was denied a perfect game, which occurs when the opposing team is kept from reaching base during the game. On what should have been the last batter of the game, first baseman Miguel Cabrera fielded a ground ball from the Cleveland Indians’ Jason Donald and tossed it to Galarraga covering first, clearly beating the runner to the bag. Galarraga had retired every single batter prior to that at-bat and was one out away from a perfect game, but first base umpire Jim Joyce called Donald safe.
After the game, not only were fans in an uproar, but even the umpire, in tears, apologized for his mistake. The “Galarraga Incident,” as it is known, could have easily been prevented using instant replay. The reactions to the incident, both from the fans and the umpire, show that not incorporating technology until now has had clear negative consequences. These replay rules are a step in the right direction because they finally serve, in La Russa’s own words, to “target the dramatic miss, not all misses”.
The idea that this technology is not intended to stop all possible miscues could be surprising to the casual observer, but in reality it is the best policy for baseball in its current state. While the tradition and history surrounding baseball are certainly great, today’s fans are much more interested in the result on the field. With these new replay rules, teams are for the first time allowed to show replays in the stadium. This shift means that fans who attend games are no longer prevented from understanding a call.
As a fan of baseball, I recognize that one of the key problems is the length of individual games. While going to a baseball game in person is not cheapened by the length, it is a fact that these days, the only way a sport can increase or even maintain its popularity is to attract as many TV viewers as possible. As a result, the MLB will have to thoroughly test how the replay system affects the length of games and judge whether the improvements in accuracy outweigh the extra time it takes to review. The MLB has set the goal of perfecting the replay system in three years, which may be too generous of an estimate considering that the NFL has been trying to decide upon a final replay system since its modern inception in 1999.
On the whole, the new replay system does not change baseball beyond recognition like many anti-replay advocates fear. What it does provide to baseball fans is a sign that the MLB can change with the times and move past the notion that it is dominated by those still living in a bygone era. The instant replay system helps ensure that the MLB will continue to improve its accuracy in making on-field calls and therefore remain true to the integrity of the game.
