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| Super Baseball 2020 (SNES 1991) featured robot players in a game officiated by robot umpires. |
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)
Can we call this the ESPN effect? ESPN has been not just highlighting blown calls but fabricating issues where they can and then constantly following those replays with "when will they expand replay?"
ReplyDeleteThe the idiots that really don't know better (read the unknowing people that thought the baseline call a few days ago was a blown call or that the interference on the 1st base running lane was a blown call the next day), aka most fans, think that the umpires are out of control and have been joining ESPN in putting pressure on MLB to expand replay.
I just hope that the whining about the length of games gets doused now.
Fans and the media (The two biggest proponents of more IR), don't know their asses from a hole in the ground when it comes to rules and how the game is played and umpired.
ReplyDeleteAs an umpire we have a general saying amongst ourselves about players and managers. It goes like this: those that argue the most are usually the ones that know the least about the rules. Of course, I only work varsity games so you can't compare it to the major leagues, but it holds true for the fans of baseball because they get their panties in bunch when a call goes against their team even if it was correct, then they want replay. Is replay going to fix fans that don't know rules? No, it will not.
ReplyDeleteI want reply just for the simple fact that it will show the umpires are right more than people think. Especially when it comes to something with the rules.
ReplyDeleteThe results of the ESPN rules test demonstrated that completely!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kicker here. Yes, give us expanded replay. See how right we are.
ReplyDelete"Fans and media", what would happen to baseball if nobody went to a game that was not on tv? The umpires don't pay player salaries do they?
ReplyDeleteHmmm... Lots of us versus them regarding fans and umpires. That never turns out well.
Calls are typically correct (but not always correct), and now those that are incorrect will be corrected (for the most part, I recall a blown HR replay call recently).
Win, win in my opinion.
Let the players make the mistakes, might help the umpires feel more welcomed/appreciated by the fans and tv talking heads if bad calls become less of an issue and correct calls are reinforced...
Again.
Win, win.
Fabricating issues, like the link below?
ReplyDeletehttp://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?c_id=mlb&content_id=10727590&fext=.jsp&ymd=20100602&vkey=recap
If things like this don't happen with the addition of replay, the game will be better for it. Everyone makes mistakes, it takes a real man to admit them and do what needs to be done to correct the error.
I am not saying that people don't make mistakes.
ReplyDeleteHowever, ESPN will take good calls quite often and blast them as bad ones. See SD vs SF "baseline" play or the MIN "out of the baseline" call, both from last week, just to see examples of good plays. ESPN paraded those as bad calls and proof that replay is needed.
THAT is fabrication.
And while drudging up old missed calls to make your point, let me ask you this: would that be reviewable in your panacea?
I fully understand that ESPN tilts things to get it's viewership numbers up.
ReplyDeleteIn any case they don't need to make up missed calls, there are plenty to be had, it's inevitable due to the sheer number of plays/games and overall difficulty of the job.
Taking steps to correct the issue is better then pretending the issue doesn't exist, which until recently was MLB's stance.
OK, this now goes tangential, but I think ESPN tilts things to make the changes that they want in sports, not for viewership. I submit to the court of public opinion the following topics to consider:
ReplyDelete1. NCAAF playoffs
2. MLB instant replay
3. NFL QB rating ditched
4. MLB instant replay expansion
5. NFL OT rule change
Each of those are in different phases but each of them have had ESPN's anchors give frequent commentary about how those changes are necessary, frequent graphics and replays or segments to demonstrate why the changes were nearly mandatory, and years of campaigning through the broadcasts.
With each of those items the anchors' commentary was nearly unanimously saying the same thing. And with most of those they either fabricated instances (e.g. good calls in MLB being used as 'blown calls') or overhyped the issue (e.g. NFL QB rating is incomprehensible).
If an ESPN anchor is speaking then beware, there may be a long-term agenda attached.
This speaks voulmes zac But my issue with some of these mlb umpires is they stick with there rulining and not ask for help. I know that there choice but sometimes you should just do it for a laugh
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that needs to be said is 99%+ accuracy rate. Why add something that is going to make the game even longer when umpires are correct in excess of 99% of the time.
ReplyDelete