This should turn out to be a pretty good/heated debate. I not sure i’m ready to say yay or nay just yet but I will say this much. If it is used I would like the “guy in the booth” to have all the power. I just think there is an inherent flaw in giving the power to the umpire, who is possibly responsible for making the wrong call to begin with, to make the decision whether to go to the booth. I guess my point is, why would an umpire who thinks he made the right call ask for help?

Having said all that, I also think we should implement a rule that allows the affected manager the right to walk on the field and slap the umpire who blew the call in the face. {Hint: note the sarcasm} In the case of the MIN/NYY debacle, the “foul ball” down the line that hit the players glove and still landed fair by 8 inches or more, you can’t tell me that umpire didn’t need a good bitch slap???

YES – SOMEONE should be able to review replays. Two major blown calls that could have greatly changed the outcome of the game.

Well, realistically, the human element, especially when it comes to umpiring, sucks. More than anything, what annoys me is the umpires’ complete inability to call the proper strike zone. Bottom of the letters to the top of the knees, over the plate. How hard is that? It’s become below the belt to mid thigh, with whatever width the guy feels like that day.

So really, what baseball needs more than anything is more competent umpires. Maybe it’s time to fire a bunch of them again. A few years back when a bunch quit, thinking it would help their labor dispite, and MLB let them stay quit when things were resolved, the umpiring suddenly got a lot better.

As far as replay, I think it’s a good idea, and I think getting calls right is more important than hurting the umpires’ feelings. I don’t want it on every play, but certainly on things like whether or not a ball was fair or foul, if it was over the fence or not, and if a guy actually caught the ball.

Whenever there’s a questionable call, usually television production crews are quick enough for the analysts to analyze it on live television, and come to some sort of conclusion, usually before the next batter sees a first pitch. Like for example, last night, they had shown several replays showing that Utley was safe on the GIDP call before FOX could even cut to commercial.

There are just some calls made that seem so common knowledge or blatant, that the natural reactions give more than enough time for, what scstrato touches on, would be for a “man in the booth” to quickly review.

I for one am a proponent of trying to disrupt the flow of the game as little as possible, but I do agree that some tweaks need to be done in the name of fairness. I know the fragile-egos of the umpires globally won’t like the fact that they can be overruled, but in the event of some questionable outs, or foul-or-not-foul decisions, I think it would be beneficial to fairness if there was some quick reviewing that went on. Every game, every park has an official scorekeeper; why not sit someone next to that person, to be the official reviewer, in the event of a questionable call? In fact, why not have an umpire themselves up in the box, to make these calls, so that umps don’t get too butt-hurt?

Baseball games are generally three hours to begin with; what’s an extra minute going to change?

I think that a more simple solution would be to hold umpire accountable for blatant missed calls. Judgement calls are one thing, and should be excused for “human element”, but balls and strikes, obvious missed calls (like in the Angels/Yankees game a week ago) and other things like that should be reviewed.

Publicly punish the umps, demote them, fine them. No more secret punishments. Hold them accountable. I think this would also improve the perception that Umps are to arrogant and beyond reproach. You know an officiating crew is doing a great job when you don’t even realize that they are at the game. That is how it should be.

Going for an possible answer early here. As the subject says, more umps, and a video booth, manned by another ump. Here’s how it works:

Standard four – HP, 1B, 2B, 3B
Line judge umps – end of LF line, RF line
Replay ump – in press box, near official scorekeeper.

The game will be played as normal, and the three additional umpires will likely never come into play, unless the questionable calls are made. The line judge umps, act like line judges in tennis would – to make sure that balls land either foul or fair, and their position at the end of the line puts them in a better position to see whether a ball clears the yellow line. Being in the outfield also can help get a better perspective on diving/shoestring catches, to make sure nothing was trapped, bounced, or faked. Their calls are law when it comes to declaring homers, ground rule doubles, or not-homers.

An ump in the booth is fed video footage of the game, and is essentially watching on a monitor instead of the field. Anything questionable, and they can overrule the ruling on the field, or if the field crew can’t confer on a decision, can be consulted.

What I also envision with this scenario is the ushering in of new umpires; since they essentially work their way up through the minors like players, the line-umps can be the less-experienced umpires, who work the lines for a few seasons, before being promoted into one of the letter-designated groups of four. And the booth umpire, since they will have authority on all questionable calls, can be the older umps with tenure; this is beneficial since their tenure gives them natural authority, and it also gives older umps a safer, more secure working condition, being in a climate controlled booth.

Thoughts? Flaws I should be aware of?

Why is this sacrosanct? Just let K-Zone or QuesTec make the call. You can still have a human ump back there to say Ball or Strike.

I think it is time for instant replay. Why is it so bad if a manager argues 2 or 3 calls during a game, especially if they are game changing plays. As for baserunners advance them the number of bases that the slowest possible runner could get according to the batter who was up at the moment in question. Take game 2 of the WS for example. If they had gone to replay, they would’ve seen Howard never caught the ball, and since it didn’t make any logical sense for Damon to go past 1st, everyone moves up 1 base and Posada stays at second. Or you look at the ALDS with Mauer’s missed double. Had there been a man on first he moves to third because it is a double. Instant replay is needed now. There’s just way to many errors

I personally liked the movie “the human element” Bruce Willis did a good job, and the red headed chick was really hot