Basebally "May Try" Replay in Fall Leagues

I never thought that I would find something, anything to commend the NHL on, until I heard the MLB's possibly planned plans for maybe, possibly trying out instant replay in their fall leagues--after the season has ended.

In a time with betting scandals in the NBA and blatant cheating (and cover-ups) going on in the NFL, why can't a league--or, more importantly, its commissioner--take care of an obviously prevalent flaw in the way its games are run and rules are constructed?

This is what the NHL did when Sean Avery found a loophole in the rules in the current Playoffs and blocked Martin Brodeur with his back to him in the crease while waving his arms in the air obstructing the view of the goaltender:

Incident occured Sunday night, April 13, 2008.
Response below occured Monday afternoon, April 14, 2008.

National Hockey League Senior Executive Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell issued a statement Monday to make the league's position clear going forward. The statement said:

"An unsportsmanlike conduct minor penalty (Rule 75) will be interpreted and applied, effective immediately, to a situation when an offensive player positions himself facing the opposition goaltender and engages in actions such as waving his arms or stick in front of the goaltender's face, for the purpose of improperly interfering with and/or distracting the goaltender as opposed to positioning himself to try to make a play."

It took the NHL less than 24 hours to change/add the rule and please fans, players and the media. At a time when the NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA sports and Pro Tennis all use some form of instant reply, the MLB is letting the FOUR incorrect home run decisions in the last week begin a trend rather than help find an immediate solution to one. This is 2008 not 1908--it is the standard in professional sports in this country.

How about the fact that seven months ago in November, the MLB's own collective general managers voted 25-5 to at least explore the possibility of using a form of instant replay to help decide disputed home run calls such as fair or foul (ONCE this week) and in or out of the ballpark (THREE times this week).

The NHL's problem popped up overnight. The MLB has seen theirs coming and, after seven months, should have done enough research to fix it and be able to do so immediately.

But, they won't. Nah, they'll just wait until one of these ill-fated calls occurs during Game 7 of the ALCS during the bottom of the 9th with a team down by one. And then they'll finally decide to test instant replay in their fall leagues and the World Baseball Classic and institute it on Opening Day next year with some dumb restrictions or decisions the umpires can't overturn--but should be able to. And then we'll have to wait another year until those are corrected and the system is ironed-out.

When it all could be done in a day.

(It is just now being reported by the Chicago Tribune that the system MAY be in place by the upcoming postseason but probably will not. The point is made regardless as the postseason is in six months.)