Hurdle said he's in favor of a system where challenges are limited to game-changing plays.

On Monday night at Yankee Stadium, the Seattle Mariners benefited from a missed call to beat New York 3-2. Pinch-runner Willie Bloomquist looked out on a steal attempt in the eighth inning, but was called safe by umpire Gerry Davis and wound up scoring the tying run.

"We'll take it," Bloomquist said. "It's just a good thing there's no instant replay in baseball."

After seeing a replay, Davis admitted he missed the call.

"We're all human," Yankees manager Joe Torre said Tuesday.

Torre, however, was not sure about adding replay.

"How much longer you want this game to go on?" he said. "There's a difference in getting your money's worth and being able to get up in the morning."

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said he couldn't tell whether Tulowitzki's drive cleared the fence.

"They had a meeting, nobody had a better view, the guy scored anyway, so what's the issue?" La Russa said.

La Russa is not in favor of instant replay.

"I think the umpires do a good job," he said. "They make fewer mistakes than managers do and pitchers hanging breaking balls and hitters popping up balls down the middle."

I think there should be a challenge system similar to the NFL. I think we all agree that balls and strikes shound nt be challengable, but tag plays, HR's, close force outs, and trapped/caught liners should all be reviewable.

The umps obviously aren't perfect. In the Seattle/NYY game the ump was in a pretty good position, however from where he was the players blocked his view of second base. He saw the tag was high on the body and assumed that his foot had reached the bag.

Anways, limited review ONLY in the playoffs is what I'd be in favor of.

I think there should be. If the umps in the 2004 ALCS missed those calls we would be still waiting on a WS.

There is a system in place already. The umpires on questionable calls can get together and see if anyone saw it differently. . Review the tape on the initial Bellhorn non-homerun call in game 6 of '04. That is exactly how it got reversed - correctly - to a home run. It used to be the call was never, ever reversed even if everyone on the crew knew the one guy blew it

Hurdle is just pissed because the call on the field went against him. I promise you the next time he benefits from a bad call he will be mum on instant replay.

baseball games are long enough as is without going to NFL-type instant replays.

I think a replay system would speed up the game if anything or could if done right anyway.

Sometime this summer, or maybe in the fall, some hitter, in some ballpark, will smash a long drive. Maybe down the line, toward the foul pole, or maybe into the gap, near the yellow line at the top of a wall. An umpire will move toward the spot where the ball is descending, watching closely to determine whether the ball is a home run, or not.

Within 60 seconds of when the ball lands, everybody watching the game on television will probably know what the right call is. But the umpire will not, sometimes. The question is: Why not?


I communicated with about a dozen executives over the last few of weeks, and almost all of them said that while they would not support a broad use of instant replay in their game, they do think it should be used to aid home run calls, which will often have a dramatic impact on games.

This kind of sentiment apparently has not manifested itself in the meetings of general managers. Two GMs say that when their brethren gather in the offseason to discuss possible changes, there is only lukewarm conversation about instant replay -- and there is an understanding that the folks in baseball's executive offices in Manhattan aren't really thrilled with the idea.


They should embrace the opportunity. Beyond the obvious benefit -- getting the call right -- the use of replay on home run calls makes complete sense for the exact reason that baseball officials have shied away from videotape review in the past: an efficient use of time.


Replay is a bad idea for safe/out calls on the bases, ball-strike calls, fair ball/foul ball baseline calls. "You'd have managers out there all the time complaining," said one GM, "if there was replay on those kinds of calls." But disputed home run calls are rare, the same GM said, and so there would not be a constant slowdown and intrusion of the flow of the game if replay was used in that specific situation.


And in fact, the use of replay on disputed home runs would -- in most cases -- actually speed up the game.


Imagine that Magglio Ordonez pulls a line drive down the left-field line, and the ball either hits the foul pole or doesn't. Say the call goes against the Tigers. Detroit manager Jim Leyland comes out and approaches the umpire who made the call, and there might be some discussion or argument. Then that umpire goes to the crew chief. And then there is often a meeting of all the umpires. And in the time they need to make a ruling, you might have negotiated a new global warming treaty. And while their call is usually correct, it sometimes is not.


Now imagine this same play in the instant-replay universe. Call is made; foul ball. Leyland trots out to the crew chief and requests a review. The umpire steps to the replay monitor in a dugout, and in almost all cases, he knows within seconds whether the ball was fair or foul -- just like everybody at home. The correct call is made, the game is impacted appropriately by Ordonez's line drive, all within two or three minutes.


"It makes complete sense for (home run) calls," said another executive. "Especially in the postseason. You'd have to put in some kind of limit on the number of challenges that managers can make, so that they don't use it as a tool to get their pitchers warmed up. But why not? It wouldn't be expensive."


The umpires say that their working mantra is to get the call right. Instant replay on disputed home run calls -- on home runs, and home runs only -- would help them accomplish that goal.

I don't think it's inconceivable that the homeplate umpire will eventually just be calling foul tips and safe/out at the plate. Any thoughts?

I can't imagine the umpires union ever agreeing to it.

I really wouldn't mind seeing something like Questec calling balls and strikes.

Does anyone know how Questec adjusts for the hitters height? Does it somehow do it automatically or does it have to be manually adjusted for each batter?