Kill the Instant Replay
I’ll make this simple and brief. Major League Baseball needs to kill the instant replay along with the challenges (and stalling) that ensues. Don’t fix it. Don’t tweak it. Just kill it.
First of all, it kills any momentum. And people who think baseball is boring are only going to be turned off even more.
Second, it produces a mindset of continual second-guessing of what I believe are top-rate umpires. It used to be that if you second-guessed a judgment call by an umpire, you were automatically ejected. Managers don’t fear that anymore. They should. And the only way to do it is to get rid of it completely.
Third, judgment calls need to be just that. An umpire is best positioned and best suited to call it fair and square. His position on the field is usually spot-on. He is the only one looking objectively. And while it’s true that high-definition cameras and multi-angle super slow motion can evaluate every play, this should be left to the talking heads on SportsCenter.
Yes, a call or two will get blown once in a while. Stuff happens. Deal with it. This is a game played by humans, managed by humans, watched by humans, and officiated by humans. Keep the human element in the game.
I could go on, but you get the point. After all, I said I’d be brief. Disagree all you want (Twitter @ACHefty). Instant replay belongs in the NFL, not in baseball.
