MLB Confident of Expanded Instant Replay for 2014

Baseball is "close" to an agreement to expand the use of instant replay for the 2014 season. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig appeared with Executive Vice President for Baseball Development Joe Torre at Tuesday's annual Baseball Writers Association of America (BWAA) meeting, with Torre adding: "I'm pretty confident it will be in place for 2014," later stating, "we're still in the tweaking stages."

Super Baseball 2020 (SNES 1991) featured robot
players in a game officiated by robot umpires.

Added Selig at his Town Hall, "[Torre], Tony La Russa and [Braves president] John Scheurholz...have spent an enormous amount of time on this project."

Selig described his confidence level of adding expanded replay in 2014 as "hopeful," stating Opening Day 2014 is the goal.

Major League Baseball has failed to expand replay prior to the 2012 and 2013 seasons, despite previous attempts to incorporate the technology.

Selig was also asked a pointed question about baseball officials: "What specific steps are being taken to improve and ensure the accuracy of the calls made by umpires?"

The Commissioner responded, "I think the umpires for the most part have done well. And I used to be a guy that bitched about umpires all the time...If a call went against me, I was mad...I feel they do a great job. We have electronic devices that grade umpires on every call behind home plate and they remarkably well, I want to tell you, really, they do very well."

Very well... For instance, HP Umpire Mark Wegner called Tim Lincecum's no-hitter at a 96.8% accuracy rate.

News: Transcript of Commissioner Selig's Town Hall Chat (MLB)