“A Little Help?”

As Major League Baseball prepares to unveil instant replay for home run calls, you have to wonder, what are the boundaries? No, not the boundaries for the home runs, that should be clear now, but what I mean is, what are the boundaries for usage of replays?

Also, what's the rush? Why start the replays now, in the stretch run of a season?

Commissioner Bud Selig promises that the replay will not expand beyond;

1. Did the ball go over the fence?

2. Was the home run fair or foul?

3. Was there fan interference on the home run?

"Not as long as I'm commissioner" was Selig's promise on the possibility of further usage of replays beyond home runs.
But are they starting something that could get out of control?

You gotta love Cubs manager Lou Pinella's take on the issue;

He said, “I’d love to be able to throw a red hankie or a green hankie. Imagine being able to throw something on the field and not be ejected. I shouldn’t say it’s not going to work, but this could turn into a little bit of a fiasco initially.”

Lou has always been a visionary in this game. It's too bad he wasn't there for the All-Star "Tie" game!

So put your umpire hat on and get ready for the fun!

Perhaps a far-fetched ruling as demonstrated below is really not that far-fetched...

"After further review, it has been determined that clear and convincing evidence exists that the play, originally called a home run, was actually a live ball that was in play. So the ball will be put back in play and play will resume from that point. The outfielder will be allowed to drop the ball over his shoulder and prepare to field it. The runner will go back to three giant steps from first base towards second base, where he was when the ball struck the wall, and when I count to three, the play will resume."
(Actually, the rule states that the crew chief is responsible for the placement of baserunners where they should have ended up had the correct call been made but it is more fun to imagine the possibilities.)

What's next, the winner of the hot dog race between innings will become a determining factor in the outcome of games?


"Mustard wins by a squirt and therefore, the American League will have home field advantage for the World Series!"


...Shoulda left well enough alone!