MLB to Institute Replay Aug. 1

I found it interesting that after all of the hissy fits commissioner Bud Selig threw after being told instant replay was instantly necessary in MLB, it is now looking like we will miraculously have it working and instituted by Aug. 1.

Two months too late but good progress nonetheless for a league that historically takes the longest to make the least. As I have already written in these four posts, if the NHL could make a brand new rule and institute it during their playoffs, why couldn't baseball get this done as quickly or at least in, you know, a month? Especially considering the league's owners had already agreed to look into instant reply nine months earlier.

USA Today reported Friday on its Web site that MLB had approached the World Umpires Association about implementing replay on Aug. 1. However, it appears that's merely a tentative target date. While it's possible a system could be in place that soon, some baseball officials merely want to get some form of replay system up and running before this year's postseason. -ESPN

All's well that ends well, I suppose. Except, that is, for the outcomes of those ten games that were already affected this year by botched home run calls and the ten more that will occur over the next six weeks.

Daily News Update

Outside of my individual posts, I thought it would be a good idea to provide a "Daily News Update" with other interesting stories to which I'm not necessarily going to devote a full post.

* Update: Noah's punishment? Six months probation and a $200 fine.

* SI.com's Tom Verducci realizes he's a week behind on the MLB instant replay argument.

* China has stopped airing NBA playoff games because they are too entertaining. Obviously they didn't watch the Pistons/Magic series.

* Our own Brian McBride returns home from Fulham after five years in the EPL. He cited the desire to play against better competition as his reasoning.

* Former Memphis forward Joey Dorsey "knows" the Chicago Bulls are NOT picking Derrick Rose.

* Former New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing is upset new GM Donnie Walsh did not interview him for the open head coaching position.

Home Run Mistake No. 5

For the fifth time this week, a questionable home run call was made in a MLB game that would have been changed with instant replay. Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Luis Rivas hit a long fly ball to left field that bounced off the top of the wall and dropped back into play. The ball was called a home run although, by rule, the ball was in play.

Dear Commissioner Bud Selig, we're waiting...

Saturday News and Notes

Where is Instant Replay?! Referring back to my post from yesterday, yet another home run was incorrectly called when Cleveland Indians OF Ben Francisco hit a four-bagger off of a railing above the outfield wall. Is this starting to add up or what? Stop stalling, MLB!

Back from Cancer: Arizona Diamondbacks P Doug Davis returned from thyroid cancer surgery on April 10 to pitch seven innings of five-hit ball with only one earned run. Nice story, but let’s hope he can do better than a 13-12 record this season.

Mr. Two-Face: San Diego Padres P Chris Young was struck in the face with a returned line drive and is suffering facial bruising and a small fracture. He’ll be out of action for two weeks. Houston Astros P Jose Valverde met the same fate during his save opportunity on Friday, however the pitcher was able to deflect the ball enough with his glove to prevent damage—he stayed in and got the save.

Bye Bye Grant: Chelsea FC fired manager Avram Grant on Saturday, three days after the Blues lost the Champions League final to Manchester United. Grant took the Blues to a 2^nd place finish in both the Premier and Champions Leagues; however the team’s “boring style and key loss to Tottingham” were blamed. I personally didn’t find Chelsea’s play at all boring, especially because Grant didn’t have the squad for a full year. A little premature in this case.

Zito Wins! Congratulations. It looks like that seven-year, $126 million contract is paying off.

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.)