Welcome back loyal readers. I apologize for depriving so many(I mean both) of you of my rants and raves for a few weeks. With a busy work schedule and some travel mixed in, I had to put aside the soap box for a bit... But I'm back with a vengeance.
First topic of note: not the election, GW's former press secretary ripping him a new one (although I will get to that one sometime soon), or stupid stories about our needy population demanding more of my paycheck to buy cell phones and tv's. No, this post is about the new push in the sports media to bring in the dreaded, bring-the-game-to-a-snail's-pace instant replay in Major League Baseball. The all-american pasttime, the grand ole game, whatever you like to call it, has long been the bastion of tradition and americana. Aside from a few bogus updates to the game (the DH, for example), baseball has remained much the same as it was back in the late 1890's when it became part of our national culture. Players have gotten bigger, bats have got more pop, and the stadiums are now multimedia events for a family, but the rules of the game have not changed much.
We are now being bombarded with stories about the need for instant replay in the game. SI.com has a feature article right now about its imminent need to ensure the accuracy of the calls made. Sounds all swell, but that goes against the fabric of the game to me. Calls are going to be missed, as they have been for years. Calling a strike when a pitcher is throwing 99 mph is probably the most difficult task in all of sports officiating. Seeing whether or not a ball hit the chalk or just missed is right behind it. But 99.9 percent of the time, the call is correct. And when it is not, the players/teams deal with it.
The call now is for instant replays on fair/foul calls, home runs that hit/don't hit the foul pole, not necessarily for a computerized strike zone. But guess what: the New Deal in the 1930's was seen as a temporary fix to address the problems with the Great Depression, not send this nation into a feeding frenzy for billions of dollars every year in handouts, even almost 80 years later. My point being that it doesn't stop once the ball gets rolling. Replays for review will turn into replays for balls and strikes, which will turn into a digital strike zone. Heck, why don't we just get rid of umpires all together and call the whole game electronically?
Most of you probably think I am an idiot and should get with the times, much like the NFL, NBA, and other pro leagues have done. Have you watched one of these games though when the replay goes into effect? 15 minutes later, the ref in an NFL game comes back to say that the ruling on the field stands. Great. I just wasted 15 minutes of my life. Baseball is a slow enough game as it is, especially for the casual fan. And how much fun is it to watch Bobby Cox waddle out of the dugout to argue a call and get tossed? One of the great joys of life that is. What will he do now? Rip off a red stirrup from his leg and chunk it onto the field before the next pitch?
Keep the game the way it is. Missed calls have broken my heart, made me breathe a sigh of relief, and been a part of this game since day one. Let's not change that people. Just because we have the technology to be perfect doesn't mean its in the best interest to do so.
First topic of note: not the election, GW's former press secretary ripping him a new one (although I will get to that one sometime soon), or stupid stories about our needy population demanding more of my paycheck to buy cell phones and tv's. No, this post is about the new push in the sports media to bring in the dreaded, bring-the-game-to-a-snail's-pace instant replay in Major League Baseball. The all-american pasttime, the grand ole game, whatever you like to call it, has long been the bastion of tradition and americana. Aside from a few bogus updates to the game (the DH, for example), baseball has remained much the same as it was back in the late 1890's when it became part of our national culture. Players have gotten bigger, bats have got more pop, and the stadiums are now multimedia events for a family, but the rules of the game have not changed much.
We are now being bombarded with stories about the need for instant replay in the game. SI.com has a feature article right now about its imminent need to ensure the accuracy of the calls made. Sounds all swell, but that goes against the fabric of the game to me. Calls are going to be missed, as they have been for years. Calling a strike when a pitcher is throwing 99 mph is probably the most difficult task in all of sports officiating. Seeing whether or not a ball hit the chalk or just missed is right behind it. But 99.9 percent of the time, the call is correct. And when it is not, the players/teams deal with it.
The call now is for instant replays on fair/foul calls, home runs that hit/don't hit the foul pole, not necessarily for a computerized strike zone. But guess what: the New Deal in the 1930's was seen as a temporary fix to address the problems with the Great Depression, not send this nation into a feeding frenzy for billions of dollars every year in handouts, even almost 80 years later. My point being that it doesn't stop once the ball gets rolling. Replays for review will turn into replays for balls and strikes, which will turn into a digital strike zone. Heck, why don't we just get rid of umpires all together and call the whole game electronically?
Most of you probably think I am an idiot and should get with the times, much like the NFL, NBA, and other pro leagues have done. Have you watched one of these games though when the replay goes into effect? 15 minutes later, the ref in an NFL game comes back to say that the ruling on the field stands. Great. I just wasted 15 minutes of my life. Baseball is a slow enough game as it is, especially for the casual fan. And how much fun is it to watch Bobby Cox waddle out of the dugout to argue a call and get tossed? One of the great joys of life that is. What will he do now? Rip off a red stirrup from his leg and chunk it onto the field before the next pitch?
Keep the game the way it is. Missed calls have broken my heart, made me breathe a sigh of relief, and been a part of this game since day one. Let's not change that people. Just because we have the technology to be perfect doesn't mean its in the best interest to do so.
4 comments:
Glad you are back Josh. We missed your rants and raves.
This perfect opportunity for baseball to shake their “soft” image and get a one up on football. Screw the red hanky! The manager disagrees; he throws a red baseball right at the back of the umpire’s head (lot less padding back there). I would pay to see that. If they do any instant reply stuff they will need to go to five inning games to avoid ten hour nights. I can see the “replay” for home run calls but balls and strikes would be ridiculous and ruin one of the entertaining parts of the game.
I just want a rant and rave about the braves on the road. How frustrating.
So glad you're back brother :) It's always a pleasure to read your rants!
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