October 23rd, 2013, a day
that many baseball fans will remember for a long time. On this day was Game 1
of the 2013 MLB World Series in Boston, Massachusetts. This game had everything
that makes us as fans love playoff baseball, but also something that no one
likes, a missed call. Before the game even started, the air in Fenway Park was
electric. Attendants roared with excitement, players got pumped up, and
everyone in Boston cheered to the point of shaking the 101-year-old stadium. It
only took one inning for a controversial play to ignite the rage of thousands
of fans. With runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the
first inning, David Ortiz, the Red Sox 1st Baseman, hit a weak
grounder to Cardinals 2nd Baseman Matt Carpenter. After scooping up
the ball and flipping it to Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma for the potential
double play, the ball slipped out of Kozma’s hand before he had complete
control therefore ending the double play. On this play however, Dustin Pedroia,
the Red Sox 2nd Baseman, was called out on the throw to Pete Kozma.
The real question is, did Kozma have control when he caught the ball? To most
people on TV with instant replay it was easy to see that Kozma flat out missed
the ball, but unfortunately the umpire on the field saw something totally
different. After the umpire clearly missed the call, fans everywhere furiously
screamed in a tidal wave of various verbiage. Just after the play, Red Sox
manager John Farrell ran onto the field to argue the call. Flushed with red on
his face he yelled at the umpire questioning how he could have missed such a
simple call. But little do many know, arguments like these can only be solved
with Instant Replay.
NYDailyNews.com
Next year, Major League Baseball
(MLB) will introduce a new Instant Replay rule into all Regular season and
playoff games. For those who don’t know, the new rule will allow each coach to
be able to throw a challenge flag onto the field, allowing the umpires to take
a second look in the replay booth and potentially overturn the original call on
the field. My belief is that this new Instant replay rule is a good change for
baseball in hope that it will revolutionize the game, end on-field debates, and
always get the call right. Many will argue that it will take away from the
history of the game, but if other sports in the U.S. have successfully
implemented modern technology into the game than so can America’s original
pastime.
Every on-field debate that occurs in
the game of Baseball ends up being a waste of time, energy, and money. For the
last century baseball has been a game run by the human eye, and has always been
a game of inches. But as athletes get faster, stronger, and more agile, making
certain calls on the spot has been harder than ever. The human eye can only see
something to a certain point and after that it is basically a judgment call.
Umpires that are hired by the MLB have one job, that is to make the call they
see that is most fitting and end it there. They aren’t paid to debate with coaches
and deal with curse words and slander being thrown at them carelessly like
trash. Along with that The TV station has to televise the argument, not only
wasting time for the game, but wasting money as well for various advertisements
and shows that have a schedule set beforehand. It is also a complete waste of
energy for the coaches to run out there and scream at an umpire when calls rarely
get overturned anyway. Implementing this new rule will end not only these
useless on-field debates just like the one in Game 1 of the 2013 World Series,
but will also end the poor treatment and in some cases death threats that
umpires have received in the past for missing big calls. Although it is a big
step for such an old game, the MLB is not alone in its journey for
technological advancement.
In today’s society the access to
information is easier than ever. It seems that at the click of a button you can
find out about any topic, anywhere, anytime. One can watch any sporting event
from their Television, iPhone, iPod, Tablet, Desktop, Laptop, and in some cases
even their wristwatch. Although technology has led us to this point, we still
find it hard to implement these advancements into the highest grossing sport in
the U.S. Football, Basketball, Tennis, and every other major sport that
Americans watch has some form of instant replay to help make decisions that we
as humans can’t. Some people are too quick to jump on the Excuse bus and
conclude that we use technology as a lack of humans effort, but just look at
what Instant Replay has done for the other sports that have implemented the
rule, especially football. The National Football League’s ratings have been
soaring ever since Instant Replay, mostly due to the fact that everyone wants
the right call. What is the Excuse bus going to say next, Robot takeover?
Putting the new Instant Replay rule in the game of Baseball won’t change the
way the game is played; it will just change the results. It doesn’t matter
whether it effects your team winning or losing because that is just life. What really
matters is making sure that the call was correct and seeing what should’ve
happened.
One of the best parts about the game
of baseball is the rich history that goes along with the game. Although the MLB
hasn’t been around since the dawn of time, baseball still goes way back to the
formation of the National League and the American League in 1876 and 1901.
There is no doubt this long history has molded the game into what it is today,
but controversy occurs when people try and stick with the same format forever.
Lots of viewers have argued their part against instant replay, but where is
this opposition coming from? Studies show that more than half the people who
argue for no Instant Replay are of an older generation and have been around the
game for quite some time. his comes to show that the younger generations have
no problem with revolutionizing the game, so why should the older MLB fans?
Arguing that baseball’s history is too precious to be messed with is a faulty argument
within itself. Wouldn’t you rather be apart of the games history and be able to
tell your grandkids one day, “Oh I remember when they finally implemented
Instant Replay.” Change is inevitable in the society we live in today, and if
you aren’t ready to move on, time will eventually catch up to you.
Baseball is and will always be America’s
pastime, but as time will tell everything always has room for improvement. As
technology advances everyday, more and more people are debating on whether or
not this new Instant Replay rule should be implemented into Major League
Baseball. Before taking sides on this topic you need to ask yourself three
things. First, do you want save time, money, and lives by ending on-field
debates? Next, would you rather get the call right or live by knowing you
virtually cheated? Lastly, would you rather keep the same plain thing or
revolutionize and be apart of history? All signs point towards the positive
outlook of Instant Replay and hopefully that is where the rest of the United
States looks too.
By, Shea Harman
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