With instant replay now in baseball, maybe MLB Commissioner Bud Selig after further review will reverse the fly ball Moises Alou couldn't catch in Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series against the Florida Marlins and rule there was fan interference by Steve Bartman.
Bartman, who was listening to the game with radio headphones on, reached over while in foul territory to catch a souvenir. He got to the ball first and appeared to knock it away from Alou.
The play dubbed the Bartman ball didn't solely cost the Cubs their chance at a first World Series title since 1908. If Major League Baseball had instant replay at the time, it would have been interesting to see if scrambling umpires would have overturned the call with a trip to the World Series at stake.
Just imagine the fiasco instant replay can cause? Would the dramatic down time still lead to Mark Prior's meltdown? Following the incident the Marlins scored eight runs, six of them unearned. The Cubs and Kerry Wood blew a 5-3 lead in Game 7 and the Marlins went on to win the World Series, beating the New York Yankees four games to two.
Instant replay has no place in baseball. With instant replay being instituted for disputed home run calls in late August, where does baseball draw a line in the future?
Adding instant replay will undoubtedly open the floodgates to a push to review debated called third strikes on check swings, close plays on the bases and whether a base hit down the line is fair or foul.
Part of the beauty of baseball is the human element. Adding instant replay makes umpires on the field less powerful and more of a figurehead. Changing the rules of a game midseason is a disgrace.
For now, video will be used only on so-called "boundary calls," such as determining whether home runs were fair or foul and whether there was fan interference on potential home runs.
Baseball officials for decades balked at instituting instant replay.
The NFL first used replay to aid officials in 1986, the NHL in 1991 and the NBA in 2002. Baseball general managers voted 25-5 last November to recommend use of the technology.
Fan interference calls for some have intensified the call for instant replay. With baseball fans closer to the field in many new ballparks, fan interference concerns have grown.
Baseball officials may want to avoid a situation in the postseason where fans with access to TV at home knew what the correct call was but the umpires didn't.
The decision to use instant replay will be made by the umpire crew chief, who also makes the determination as to whether or not a call should be reversed. A call is only reversed with "clear and convincing evidence."
Video from available broadcasts will be collected at the office of Major League Baseball Advanced Media in New York, where it will be monitored by a technician and either an umpire supervisor or a retired umpire. Leaving the dugout to argue a call following a replay will result in an automatic ejection.
Grant DePorter purchased the Bartman ball for $113,824.16 on behalf of Harry Caray's Restaurant Group and had it publicly exploded. That is exactly what baseball should do to instant replay.
- Mark Nesbitt is a sports reporter for The Monroe Times. He can be reached at mnesbitt@themonroetimes.com
Bartman, who was listening to the game with radio headphones on, reached over while in foul territory to catch a souvenir. He got to the ball first and appeared to knock it away from Alou.
The play dubbed the Bartman ball didn't solely cost the Cubs their chance at a first World Series title since 1908. If Major League Baseball had instant replay at the time, it would have been interesting to see if scrambling umpires would have overturned the call with a trip to the World Series at stake.
Just imagine the fiasco instant replay can cause? Would the dramatic down time still lead to Mark Prior's meltdown? Following the incident the Marlins scored eight runs, six of them unearned. The Cubs and Kerry Wood blew a 5-3 lead in Game 7 and the Marlins went on to win the World Series, beating the New York Yankees four games to two.
Instant replay has no place in baseball. With instant replay being instituted for disputed home run calls in late August, where does baseball draw a line in the future?
Adding instant replay will undoubtedly open the floodgates to a push to review debated called third strikes on check swings, close plays on the bases and whether a base hit down the line is fair or foul.
Part of the beauty of baseball is the human element. Adding instant replay makes umpires on the field less powerful and more of a figurehead. Changing the rules of a game midseason is a disgrace.
For now, video will be used only on so-called "boundary calls," such as determining whether home runs were fair or foul and whether there was fan interference on potential home runs.
Baseball officials for decades balked at instituting instant replay.
The NFL first used replay to aid officials in 1986, the NHL in 1991 and the NBA in 2002. Baseball general managers voted 25-5 last November to recommend use of the technology.
Fan interference calls for some have intensified the call for instant replay. With baseball fans closer to the field in many new ballparks, fan interference concerns have grown.
Baseball officials may want to avoid a situation in the postseason where fans with access to TV at home knew what the correct call was but the umpires didn't.
The decision to use instant replay will be made by the umpire crew chief, who also makes the determination as to whether or not a call should be reversed. A call is only reversed with "clear and convincing evidence."
Video from available broadcasts will be collected at the office of Major League Baseball Advanced Media in New York, where it will be monitored by a technician and either an umpire supervisor or a retired umpire. Leaving the dugout to argue a call following a replay will result in an automatic ejection.
Grant DePorter purchased the Bartman ball for $113,824.16 on behalf of Harry Caray's Restaurant Group and had it publicly exploded. That is exactly what baseball should do to instant replay.
- Mark Nesbitt is a sports reporter for The Monroe Times. He can be reached at mnesbitt@themonroetimes.com
