The National Football League started using it in 1986, the National Hockey League in 1991, and the National Basketball Association in 2002. Now in 2008, Major League Baseball has instituted the use of instant replay. With about eighteen disputed home run calls this season, instant replay for home runs debuted on August 28th when the Chicago Cubs played the Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers played the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and the Minnesota Twins played the Oakland Athletics. Although available, replay was not required for the home runs hit out of Chicago’s own Wrigley Field and Angel Stadium in Anaheim. The following day, all of the remaining major league parks ushered in the new technology.
Although instant replay was designed to help with controversial calls, many people feel strongly against using it. Junior Margaret Schneider said, “I feel like instant replay takes away the authenticity of a classic baseball game. It seems like baseball is turning into every other sport.” In contrast, Junior Kelsey Hammersmark says instant replay is needed because “it is more accurate and will prevent umpires from being harassed for messing up a really big play.”
For the remainder of the 2008 regular season and postseason, instant replay will only be used for home runs when deciding fair or foul, whether the ball lands in or out of the ballpark, and to decide if a fan interfered with the flight of the ball. Most ballparks now have a metal box either in the clubhouse or umpire’s room which contains a flat screen television located next to a telephone. If there is a home run that is being reviewed, one or two umpires will go into the room and use the phone to call a video room located in New York which is run by MLB Advanced Media. The crew chief will watch the footage, provided from New York, and make a final decision. Although the video room in New York controls the video footage, they do not factor into the final decision made by the umpires. Umpiring supervisor, Larry Young, hopes the whole process will not take more than two and a half minutes in order to keep the game running smoothly.
Alex Rodriguez made history on September 3, 2008 when his home run in Tampa Bay, Florida became the first ever to be reviewed under instant replay. His home run was crushed to left field and appeared to stay fair as it flew over the foul pole in fair territory. However, Tampa Bay Rays’ manager, Joe Maddon, felt the ball had gone foul. The umpires came together and decided to look at replay. After looking at the video footage, they came to the conclusion that the correct call was made, and the home run remained. The whole process took only two minutes and fifteen seconds, just as Young had hoped. Because its first use was successful, it looks like replay will help the umpires make the right call, continuously and instantly.
By Elizabeth Maluto, Echo staff writer
