04/25/24
September 04, 2008
A-Rod's homer in ninth passes instant replay test: It almost seems fitting. The first use of instant replay in Major League Baseball was to confirm a long home run hit by Alex Rodriguez - the man who one day could hold the all-time home run record and who knows a thing or two about being surrounded by controversy.
The home run came after a strike on the inside corner that was called a ball. During the replay of the home run and discussion about fair or foul the Rays' announcer wouldn't shut up about 'where we really need this replay is on the pitch before the home run'.
That's what scares me. A slippery slop indeed.
posted by justgary at 12:50 PM on September 04, 2008
Yeah, change can be scary.
posted by DudeDykstra at 07:23 PM on September 04, 2008
Change doesn't scare me. Bad changes do.
posted by justgary at 07:47 PM on September 04, 2008
Took 2:15 to sort out. How long would two manager arguments have taken? Though I admit to concern over slippery slop.
posted by yerfatma at 02:50 PM on September 05, 2008
That's what scares me. A slippery slop indeed.
It scares me too, since it describes my wife's cooking to a T.
Truly, what I tried to bring out in a comment to another post on replay has been borne out here. The blame for needing replay does not rest with the umpires. Rather, it is stadiums like that in Tampa that are to blame. Someone recently described the nightmare scenario of a simple pop up hitting a catwalk and falling for a decisive two-base hit in a post-season game. In a stadium like this, the game being played is not baseball. If you have to have a dome, make it something like Safeco Field in Seattle. At least there you have real grass and no pinball bumpers intruding into the field of play. As for the rest of the cases this season that have brought on the cries for replay, some paint and a little thought into the structures at the top of the outfield walls will go a long way toward improving the situation.
posted by Howard_T at 05:06 PM on September 05, 2008
Aw, Howard, I can see what you mean, but one could make the same argument about Fenway or The Polo Grounds or any stadium with a quirky design.
posted by yerfatma at 03:45 PM on September 06, 2008
Another dark day for baseball.