I can't blame Major League Baseball umpires for not welcoming instant replay with open arms. It must feel like one of their jobs has been outsources overseas. However, considering all the mistakes made this season alone on home runs, they should recognize the need to use available technology to improve the game of baseball.Showing their displeasure with the current state of the instant replay process, umpires voted to boycott today's conference call to discuss league-wide implementation.
"A lot of the procedural issues necessary for instant replay to be implemented need to be worked out," World Umpires Association spokesman Lamell McMorris said. "Major League Baseball needs to step up to the plate and iron out these issues."
"I'm not going to go through these one by one. I will tell you that on a number of them, the comments are simply not accurate," said Rob Manfred, MLB's executive vice president for labor relations. "For example, we've had an understanding with the WUA for some time that the crew chief and the crew chief only would be the one responsible for reviewing the video and making the decision on instant replay.
While I firmly believe MLB needs to add instant replay, they may be rushing the process. Implementing replay shouldn't be a difficult process, but I'd rather they get it right on the first try than to force the use of video during this season. "I'm not going to go through these one by one. I will tell you that on a number of them, the comments are simply not accurate," said Rob Manfred, MLB's executive vice president for labor relations. "For example, we've had an understanding with the WUA for some time that the crew chief and the crew chief only would be the one responsible for reviewing the video and making the decision on instant replay.
Let's just iron out all the issues this offseason and use replay on Day 1 of the 2009 season.
Umps currently cool on replay, boycott conference call with MLB [ESPN]
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