For the first time since it was implemented on August 28, instant replay was used in Major League Baseball to overturn a call. Replay was first actually used on September 3, and confirmed a home run by Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez at Tropicana Park against the Rays.Instant replay was once again required on Friday night at Tropicana, as the umpires called a Carlos Pena hit a 2-run ground rule double in the 5th inning of a game between the Twins and Rays. However, replays showed that it was a home run, and the call was overturned. The reversal turned a 2-run double into a 3-run HR, and gave the Rays a 9-0 lead.
It looks like replay is here to stay, and who knows how it will progress. We already see Questec, which monitors umpires' calls on balls and strikes, and now instant replay has officially arrived. Baseball is slowly becoming more dependent on technology, and Friday night's reversed call was a rather significant event in baseball history.
Instant replay has now righted one wrong, but it was a game which was basically already decided. We'll see how people react when it decides the outcome of a game.
Baseball's Instant Replay Produces First Reversal [Sports Illustrated]
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