ORLANDO, Fla. -- For the first time Tuesday, baseball general managers recommended instant replay be used to help umpires make close calls.

 

The recommendation, by a 25-5 vote, was limited to boundary calls -- whether potential home runs are fair or foul, whether balls go over fences or hit the top and bounce back, and whether fans have interfered with a possible homer.

 

Five general managers -- Dan O'Dowd (Rockies), Josh Byrnes (Diamondbacks), Jim Bowden (Nationals), John Mozeliak (Cardinals) and Billy Beane (A's) -- were in charge of the recommendation.

 

"We have a very technologically savvy group of GMs," Solomon said. "I was surprised that we had five teams that said no."

 

 

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig opposes the use of replays but said last month he was willing to let GMs examine the issue. "I don't like instant replay because I don't like all the delays. I think it sometimes creates as many problems or more than it solves," Selig said then.

 

But Jimmie Lee Solomon, an executive vice president in the commissioner's office, thinks Selig's stance has changed a bit recently.

 

"He seemed to be softer, at least on the consideration of the subject," Solomon said Tuesday.

 

He added it was unclear how the proposal will proceed and acknowledged there is "glacier-like movement in baseball" when it comes to innovation. Solomon said if Selig is willing, the commissioner probably would run the idea by owners. The plan needs approval from the players' association and umpires.

 

Solomon said GMs favored having a Major League Baseball official in a central place with access to all camera angles. If there is a disputed call, that official would be contacted and would view the television replay to make a decision.

 

A baseball executive told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney that instant replay is not likely to be implemented in 2008.

 

Solomon also said that to speed up games, baseball was considering limiting the number of times a hitter could step out of the batter's box during an at-bat and the number of times any player could visit the mound.

 

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report

 

 

 

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I want to know which 5 said no, could be semi-interesting.

I'm indifferent towards this. I can see its benefits but I'd rather see the umpires make judgment calls. It's just part of the game.

I'm indifferent towards this. I can see its benefits but I'd rather see the umpires make judgment calls. It's just part of the game.

 

agreed

I am against instant replay in baseball !

I think once you start using it for certain things it is just going to piss people off when other situations present themselves where replay wouldve changed a game

I think once you start using it for certain things it is just going to piss people off when other situations present themselves where replay wouldve changed a game

it should be never be used for ball/ strike safe/ out calls

I think once you start using it for certain things it is just going to piss people off when other situations present themselves where replay wouldve changed a game

it should be never be used for ball/ strike safe/ out calls

 

And everyone has their opinion on this subject and I think its a bit of slippery slope. Some people wont be so happy when the opposing team has a homerun that was originally called foul overturned and ruled correctly to be a homerun but later in the game the team that gave up the homerun has runners on the corners in a one run game with 2 outs and on a ground ball in the hole the runner is called out at first on a close play but replay shows it wasnt all that close and the tying run shouldve scored instead of the inning ending. Run on sentence yes, just saying.

Instant replay and baseball shouldnt be used in the same sentence.

 

 

See, I just did it and my stomach hurts already.

I think once you start using it for certain things it is just going to piss people off when other situations present themselves where replay wouldve changed a game

Look at the restriction on instant replay in football. Only certain calls can be challenged, and there's a limit on challenges.

 

There will always be some that complain about it. I for one don't mind this as a start. Especially after some of the ludacrous home run non-calls this year.,

If the founders of the game had the technology, this would have been adopted in the 1800s. No reason to keep holding it back now.

 

What's beginning huh?

 

What's beginning?

 

I don't know what's beginning tell me?!

 

OMGWHAT'SBEGINNING!!!!!!

 

 

:lol

I'm okay with it. It's a tough call for the umps anyway, not like they're near the play.

 

 

 

So how long 'til plays at the plate are reviewed?

So how long 'til plays at the plate are reviewed?

Hopefully never...

"And he is....SAFE!!! THIS CROWD IS GOING CRAZY...wait, there is a little red flag coming out of the opposing dugout..."

Zero problems with this and I think there's a couple of areas where they can make more changes. But it's definitely a well needed start.

 

I think one thing they should do, slightly off topic, is show replays on the titatron. This has always bothered me.

Yeah, I think this is a good start as well. The "tradition" argument has never held water with me. Also, I love how Selig thinks REPLAY is going to slow the game down... Heaven forbid they check a questionable call for 2 or 3 minutes out of a 3 or 4 hour game once a week rather than not granting a TO between every pitch. The umpires need to move the games along and that's all there is to it.

Instant replay and baseball shouldnt be used in the same sentence.

 

 

See, I just did it and my stomach hurts already.

Ditto

Great move. If they have the visual aides then why not use them? I also wouldn't mind them

using it to determine if a ball is fair or foul but that's as far as it should go.

I don't think we should have replays, the umpires are usually accurate. I just think it will slow down the game.

I just think it will slow down the game.

Seriously? You think an extra 2-5 minutes *IF* they need a replay is going to slow down a 3 1/2 hour game?

I'll take the extra 10 minutes a game if it means getting important calls right any day of the week. Enough with the "speed up the game" crap anyways. Do you see a clock on the scoreboard?

I missed ball/stirke call by the home plate umpire can change the dynamic of a game in a close and late situation.

 

 

Why not have instant replay for that as well?

I missed ball/stirke call by the home plate umpire can change the dynamic of a game in a close and late situation.

 

 

Why not have instant replay for that as well?

 

The strike zone is a judgement call. It has no physical boundaries and is subject to different interpretations. It is not black and white like a home run or a fairball.

What Festa said.

 

Part of the allure of baseball is the strike zone differing from game to game - adds to the flavor. There is no flavor in a foul ball being ruled a home run or a runner being called out when he was clearly safe.

There's a difference between subjective imperfections and objective ones.