New Umpire Rulings

Call yesterday a historic moment, because this will change baseball forever. Bud Selig said yesterday that Major League Baseball plans to expand its video review process next season, giving managers a chance that they’d never have before to dramatically reduce the number of incorrect calls made in games. According to sources, about 89% of the calls that were incorrectly made so far this season would never have happened with this method. 

So what is this? A manager that sees a call that he feels is incorrect can file a “challenge” with the crew chief or plate umpire. Coaches are allowed to challenge one play for the first six innings, then two from the 7^th inning on. If the coach does not use the first challenge, it does not carry over to the 7^th inning and on. Only reviewable plays can be challenged, and non-reviewable plays can still be argued by managers, who can request that the umpires discuss it to see if another umpire saw it differently. Reviewable plays cannot be argued by the manager. 

What the difference is between an arguable call and a non-arguable call is not set in stone yet. I assume it will be like football, where a coach can challenge the placement or the ball, whether a player was out of bounds or not, etc. What a football coach cannot do is challenge a flag (personal fouls, pass interference, etc).

I hope with these new rules, the “non-reviewable” calls will be calls like balls and strikes, foul balls, and even catches. For balls and strikes, that’s the umpires call. That “box” that you see after a pitch has been made sometimes isn’t always accurate, especially with breaking balls. A pitch is called when the ball crosses the plate, not when it hits the catcher’s mitt. The umpire has the best call there, not the coach that sits in the dugout with a bad view of the pitch anyways.

For foul balls and catches, if an umpire calls it foul when really it was fair, how are they going to determine what happens after? I’m not talking about whether it will be a home run or not, home run replay rules are grandfathered into the new system. If a liner is hit down the right field line and the bases are loaded, does that runner on first score? It matters on the right fielders arm, how hard the ball was hit, and how fast the fielder can get to the ball. With catches, the same thing applies. 

There have been some problems with umpires this year. The biggest one probably was when the Athletics hit a home run to tie the game in the ninth, but the umpires ruled it off the wall for a double. That would have tied the game for the athletics. The Red Sox were also robbed a call when Daniel Nava appeared safe at home. With a “challenge,” an MLB official, not the umpires, would review the play and determine the call. There have been other problems with plate umpires just getting mad at the pitcher, which shouldn’t happen at all. AJ Burnett and Justin Verlander have had their problems with the umps. 

http://wapc.mlb.com/det/play/?content_id=29621507&topic_id=8878994

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/31/aj-burnett-umpire-charge_n_3683041.html

If a player has a problem with an umpire, it makes sense, even though they are probably wrong anyways. An umpire mad at the player though? Come on, they need to keep their cool. Hopefully the rest of the year will be ok, as these new additions will be voted on in November. Why it was mentioned now, I don’t know, probably just for paparazzi. 

To be fair, baseball umpires still get about 95% of the calls correct, probably even more than that. Basketball referees are much worse. The replacement referees that football had last season were really bad. I’m an umpire myself, and it is a tough job. Parents, coaches, even players can get on your nerves. I can’t imagine what it’s like for the big leagues. 

I don’t know how I feel about this yet, but it will be quite a change, that’s for sure. Email me at statsbuddy42@gmail.com for your opinion on the rulings.

-Evan Boyd