Rumors about Major League Baseball (MLB) extending its use of video replay during games has been confirmed.On Friday, MLB announced that baseball managers will have the right to challenge umpires’ calls starting in the 2014 season. The club owners voted unanimously on the change and umpires will now be under more pressure than ever.
Video reviews will be used by the league for various types of plays such as players being hit by a pitch and tags at the bases, which are often missed or wrongly called during games. Each manager will be allowed to challenge one call per game. However, if the manager’s challenge is proven to be correct then he will be allowed another one.
The league also said that the chief umpire may ask for a play to be reviewed after the seventh inning of a game. Currently, boundary calls and home runs are eligible for review and these plays will remain as reviewable by video replay.
Bud Selig, the commissioner of MLB, said that the new video system will allow managers to challenge potentially game-changing calls and it’s important that the right calls are made as often as possible.
According to the MLB’s agreement between the World Umpires Association and the baseball players’ union, all ball clubs will also be allowed to show any and all plays during a game on their stadium’s scoreboard or giant screen. These plays can be shown to the fans even if the play isn’t being reviewed on video technology.
Selig said he believes the fans at the ball parks deserve to see as many replays as possible since the league isn’t trying to hide anything from them.
The specific plays that are eligible for review starting this summer are: fan interference, ground-rule doubles, home runs, stadium boundary calls, tag plays, pickoffs at the bases, stolen bases, batters being hit by a pitch, fair and foul balls and trap plays in the outfield, and force plays at the bases except the fielder touching second base during a double play.
Also, video umpires will be able to take a look at whether a runner crosses home plate before the third out of an inning is made and if a base runner touches all bases when he his running them. They will also be able to review passing runners, substitutions and umpires’ records, such as making sure the ball and strike count is accurate.
There will be a video replay center located in New York, which will be known as the MLB Advanced Media Headquarters. The replay officials at the center will be Major-league umpires and they will review the plays and have the power to overturn any call they feel was made in error.
The replay officials have the final word on all calls and they will be able to communicate with the umpire crews working at the various stadiums around the nation.
