This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
With the expansion of instant replay in Major League Baseball, the game that has come to be our national pastime has evolved into football. This is the first year of widespread instant replay in baseball, where managers can challenge a play to try to get it overturned. When the play is challenged, the umpires get on a headset and phone an umpire in New York City who watches every game. He tells them whether to overturn it or not. If the manager loses the challenge, he is out of challenges until the seventh inning, when he can challenge again.
There is a lot of gray area in some reviewed plays, such as plays at the plate. Many calls were still being botched after going to instant replay. Additionally, it takes too long. In the Yankees/Astros game April 4, the umpires had to check what the count was.
I miss the old game where managers would simply argue a call and get tossed out of the game. You could say that was my and Lou Pinella's favorite part of the game.
Jack Boomer
Ogden