Instant Replay in Baseball - Ruinous or Reasonable?
To all you sports fan out there, here is the question of the day - Should the MLB use instant replay like the NBA and NFL?
For my opinion on the subject, just ask the San Diego Padres. Last night, the Padres and the Colorado Rockies faced off for the National League Wild Card. The game was an absolute nail biter, coming down to the bottom of the 13th. The Padres took a 2-run lead into the bottom part of the inning, bringing in closing legend Trevor Hoffman to seal the deal. But, like they have done all season, the Rockies fought back and eventually won the game on a close play at the plate - a really close play. So much so that the umpire literally had to guess whether or not the runner was safe. Unfortunately, he guessed wrong. Replays clearly show that Barrett, the Padres’ catcher blocked off the plate so that even Matt Holiday’s head-first slide couldn’t get him there.
So, now the Padres’ have to go home for the off-season and relive that moment. If the umpire had made the correct call, who knows? Maybe the Padres would have won the game, thereby making the playoffs and keeping their World Series dreams alive. But alas, it was not so.
That is why it is absolutely imperative for the MLB commish to consider implementing instant replay. The NFL and NBA have both turned to instant replay with much success. So, why shouldn’t baseball follow suit. It is the only way to know what really happens.
There are those who say that using cameras and instant replays to make calls is unnatural and ruins the beauty of the game. But, without it America’s pasttime will continue to be riddled with controversial and downright incorrect calls.
Nishan Wilde is VP of Sales for Robbins Sports and Athletics, an online resource for
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Leave this game alone. The umpires make the calls. These gentlemen are not wrong all that often to warrant instant replay.
I am a Padres fan. The call was made and like it has been for decades, you live with the call, right or wrong.
Don’t ruin this great game and bring in instant replay.
I’m sorry Nishan, how do you figure that the NBA and the NFL has had great success? The plays are reviewed by the man up stairs. I have seen plays be disputed and you can clearly see exactly what happened on the play, but the man in the booth may not see it and the play is still called wrong.
We only have one sport that is untouched by the senseless instant replay. That is baseball.
I hope for once that Bud has some sense and will not allow it into the game.
Comment by BJ — November 7, 2007 @ 12:27 am