Major League Baseball will never be the same.
Today, it was announced that instant replay will be used for virtually every play, with the exception of balls and strikes starting in 2014, according to USA Today.
The proposal was presented to all 30 ownership groups by MLB vice president Joe Torre, Atlanta Braves president John Schuerholz and advisor Tony La Russa. It will also include three “challenges” that managers can use throughout the game. The idea was widely accepted by the owners, and is expected to be formalized at the next owner’s meetings on Nov. 13-14.
Managers will be able to use one challenge through the first six innings, with the other two challenges available from the seventh inning on. Similar to football, if a manager is successful with his replay challenge, he will not be charged with a review. If all three challenges get used, umpires may only review home run plays, as is the current state of replay in baseball.
MLB will have men with umpiring experience in their MLBAM offices in New York monitoring each disputed call. They will have the final say on a call, rather than the crew chief on site at the game.
This obviously represents a major change in how the game will be played in the future. The human element is what makes the game of baseball charming, for over 100 years. This will obviously not be accepted by the baseball purist.
