MLB Needs Instant Replay

Baseball has a major issue and needs fixing, which is instant replay on controversial home run calls.  Baseball should have instant replays for all controversial calls on the field whether someone is out or not.

            Instant replay is used in football when a team needs to challenge a controversial call, which began in 1999.  It is used in hockey for controversial calls whether the puck crossed the line to count as a goal due to interference with the puck.  In basketball, the replay must be watched to see if the ball was released in time at the end of the game.  Even in tennis, a player will call for a replay to see of the ball was in or out of bounds.

            Baseball has a replay system for “line of boundaries,” meaning where the ball lands; foul or home run.  If a ball is hit out of the park and in bounds, it is a home run.  Some umpires may not see that, and will call a foul ball if the ball was “too close to call.”  For example, if the ball goes over the foul post the call it could be called a home run or a foul ball, depending on what side of post the ball was hit.  There were a lot of bad calls a few years ago, which is why the replay is in effect for determining home runs.

            However, the rule also puts fan interference into account in determining a home run.  If a fan interferes with the ball, the fan is kicked out of the stadium, and the ball is not called a home run, but a double.  Baseball needs to have this same system for other close calls.  Umpires made bad calls calling someone safe when they were out by two steps, or calling them out when they were passed the first base, and were safe.

            If you think about it, your favorite teams like the Rays or the Cardinals could end up losing a game because an umpire called a bad call, then you would be upset and wish they had instant replay to get the call right.  What if your favorite team lost the World Series because of calls like that?

            How the instant replay system should work is if there is a controversial call, then the manager has the option to challenge the play, giving the manager two challenges per game, like in football.  However, there will still be a review by the umpires on controversial home run calls, but does not count toward the number of challenges the manager can have, like the current system.  It may slow the game down, but the game will be fair, and it keeps the umpires in check of benefitting one team or another. 

If there is instant replay in football, basketball, tennis, hockey, etc., then there should be instant replay in all sports, which includes baseball.  They should try this instant replay system for one year in baseball, and see how the system works.  If the system does not work, then get rid of it, and think of a new plan or system.  A new instant replay system in baseball will make the game more interesting to watch, and would make the game fun to watch if your team wins when normally they would lose due to bad calls.