So, major league baseball just went nuts and did something I’ve been hoping for for a long time. Almost everything is challengeable now.
Here are four of the main bullet points, as the AP writes:
—Each manager will have a maximum two challenges per game.
—If a challenge is upheld, it won’t count against a manager’s limit.
..
—Video will be reviewed in New York, likely by current or former major league umpires.
..
—Ball/strike calls, checked swings and some foul tip calls may not be reviewed.
So, apparently infield fly balls are reviewable now.
I think this is generally a good thing, but there are some edge cases that might need some thought.
1. There’s a lot of situations where you’ll have a long/complicated play interrupted by a bad call, and then a bunch of other stuff follows, and then the call gets overturned. What about all that other stuff that happened after the bad call? How do they “unwind” it?
What happens when there are runners on and the replay system turns an out into an extra base hit? Judgement call by the umps for how the batter and all the runners should advance?
What about the opposite scenario…outfielder makes diving catch, umpires rule a trap, but replay overturns. Outfielder throws to base to double off runner who was advancing because of the safe call on the field. Is this a double play?
2. Are we gonna see the “neighborhood play” at second base challenged all the time now?
3. Will challenges be used as “time outs” so that a bullpen arm can get ready?
I tried to think through some of that after the Pirates-Braves game when the umpire incorrectly declared that Julio Lugo wasn’t out at the plate.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/ump-admits-lugo-was-out-give-us-replay-selig/
1. Yes, umpire’s discretion on advancement, just like every other question of advancement by runners (i.e. obstruction, etc.)
2. No, managers will not use a challenge on run of the mill neighborhood plays, but you may see some challenges there in big games or playoff impact scenarios.
3. There’s no change to how managers and catchers can delay to warm up arms today, so I don’t see why managers would use a limited challenge to do that when they can just have the catcher trot out, call in the infielders to the mound, discuss “strategy” until the ump breaks it up, then have the pitching coach go out for a visit before going out with the hook.
But then again, the game might still be going to this very day if Meals had been able to consult replay and call Lugo out at the plate. That’s how futile both offenses were in the late innings. If the umpires gave the players and themselves eight hours per day to sleep, I estimate that the game would be in the 40,468th inning right now.
I would be enthusiastic about this if the umpires in New York had no relationship with those on the field.
Most of the time you can tell the correct call after watching a single replay…should take like 10 seconds at most. The other times where you have to watch multiple angles again and again should still only take a couple of minutes. Please tell me they won’t be doing that stupid shat where all the umpires saunter off the field to go spend 10 minutes in some back room behind home plate, only to come back with the wrong answer.
sine qua non…
that the crowd gets to see what they see in NYC
It’ll work like the NHL, in that every goal is reviewed in a Toronto studio. It’s a system that’s worked very well so far.
http://m.ajc.com/news/news/plans-for-braves-complex-begin-to-take-shape/nbtWg/
So, the Braves are moving to Cobb County. Anyone have an opinion on that, or of the politics of Cobb/Fulton, the potential costs to the taxpayers or if the suburbs or the city is a nicer place in which to live?
Let it die, Dan! Let it die!
@11
Ywaq maq oou; ywaq maq ssaggh. Ywaq ma shg’fhn.
I doubt that THE infield fly would have in fact been overturned.
http://tomahawktake.com/2013/11/16/atlanta-braves-price-david-price/
What do you guys think? Would you do either trade proposal? It’d be hard to trade Cory Rasmus as we’d have to ask the Angels permission first.
@14, I would do that second proposal in a heartbeat. I doubt the Rays would though.
New post.