questionable calls

691 Words2 Pages

It’s the bottom of the ninth. There are two outs and one out to go to get the perfect game. The batter hits a grounder to third and the second baseman fields it cleanly. The throw bounces and the first baseman catches it, but the umpire says he came off of the bag. The first baseman did not come off of the bag. The coach goes and argues with the umpire, but he cannot do anything about it. That is why the MLB should use instant replay during games for questionable calls.
Why is instant replay needed in the MLB? One sports reporter said “Often, it’s hard - or impossible - to determine the naked truth with the naked eye” (heller). Instant replay can help with the close plays that some umpires make questionable calls on. In one game last season, Jim Joyce ruined Armando Galarraga’s perfect game by messing up the call. There were already two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and the batter hit a grounder to first base. The first baseman throws the ball to the pitcher at first and Jim Joyce called him safe. It was a close play, but the replays make Jim Joyce's call look despicable. There have been numerous bad calls in the MLB that caused an outrage by baseball fans because instant replay was not available. If this situation happens this year, the umpires can challenge the play and make the right call.
Without instant replay, the umpires look disastrous when the play is reviewed the next day on a sports show. One sports reporter commented “The technology that exposes umpires could also eradicate the scrutiny they fall under” (Kilgore). On the field umpires only have one view of the play and they might be in a bad position to decide what the call is. The cameras show different angles of the field making umpiring seem easy, but ...

... middle of paper ...

...eople more satisfied, but also it will make baseball a better game. Instant replay will have a positive outcome in the MLB.

Works Cited
Bryant, Howard. "Better Safe Than sorry." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 02 Nov. 2012. Web. 06 May 2014.
Farrell, Duncan. "Instant Replay or not Instant Replay." Survey. 12 Apr. 2014.
Flanagan, Jefferey. "Best Part of Baseball's Expanded Instant Replay? Controversial Calls Now Will Be Shown at The K." FOX Sports on MSN. N.p., 26 Feb. 2014. Web. 06 May 2014.
Heller, Dick. "Instant Replay Rights Wrongs." Washington Times (2008): n. pag. 15 June 2008. Web. 21 Oct. 2013.
Kilgore, Adam. "Instant Replays Could Instantly Fix Baseball’s Umpire Problem." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 13 July 2012. Web. 06 May 2014.
"Major League Baseball Rule 2.00: Infield Fly Rule." Major League Baseball. N.p., 05 Oct. 2012. Web. 06 May 2014.

More about questionable calls

Open Document