Baseball umpires may soon explain replay rulings
Adrian Gonzalez dives headfirst into home, seems to beat the tag by Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, but is called out. Safe, shout fans at Dodger Stadium who see replays on the board.
Umpires go to their headsets for a video review, and nearly three minutes later, the signal comes: Out!
Want to hear exactly how disputed calls get decided, like that one in last year’s Major League Baseball National League championship series? Soon, we might. While nothing is set, Major League Baseball and umps are expected to discuss a plan — most prominently used in the National Football League — for crew chiefs to wear a microphone and explain replay rulings.
Under one possible scenario, they would start at the all-star game July 11 in Miami, tweak the process over the season’s second half and then go forward with the experiment in the playoffs.
Last year, MLB asked for the plate ump to wear a mic at the all-star game, but there wasn’t enough time to do it.
The umpires are in the middle of their five-year labour deal and any change would involve negotiations, plus a comfort level on both sides that the system would be efficient, accurate and easy.
So no way to say for sure if fans at Camden Yards, Coors Field and ballparks across the majors will become familiar with the voices of veteran crew chiefs — be it country singer Joe West, ordained minister Ted Barrett or Dale Scott, once a Top 40 AM radio disc jockey.
“It probably would be nice to get a little more explanation,” Marlins reliever Brad Ziegler said.
“They’re supposed to say the call stands or the call’s confirmed. ‘The call stands’ means you can’t tell. A lot of times we don’t get that ... they just signal out or safe. That’s all we get on the field.
“They may announce it on the PA, but it doesn’t seem like that is consistent in all parks. And the acoustics in the stadium here — we have a hard time hearing what’s on the PA in the bullpen,” he said.
In the NFL, hearing refs announce “upon further review” has long been part of the lexicon. The lore includes what Ben Dreith said in a 1986 game, when Jets lineman Marty Lyons tangled with Buffalo quarterback Jim Kelly and was penalized for “giving him the business down there.”
The National Hockey League for some time has mic’ed up officials to explain coach’s challenges, based on what the central replay booth tells them.
National Basketball Association crew chiefs put on headsets to watch reviews and talk with the replay centre. Decisions are explained to the official scorer’s table and the benches, and the public address announcers inform the crowd.