According to a press release from Major League Baseball, limited replay review begins Aug. 28 in three series: Minnesota at Oakland, Texas at Los Angeles and Phillies at Chicago. The rest of the teams will begin on Friday.
The statement announces that
Instant replay will apply only to home run calls — whether they are fair or foul, whether they have left the playing field, or whether they have been subject to fan interference. The decision to use instant replay will be made by the umpire crew chief, who also will make the determination as to whether or not a call should be reversed.
How it works
A television monitor and a secure telephone link to MLB.com, placed next to the monitor, have been installed at every Major League ballpark. If the crew chief determines that instant replay review is appropriate, then he will call the MLB.com technician, who will transmit the most appropriate video footage to the crew chief and the umpire crew on site. The umpire supervisor or former umpire will not have direct communication with any of the umpires on site.
The decision to reverse a call will be at the sole discretion of the crew chief. The standard used by the crew chief when reviewing a play will be whether there is clear and convincing evidence that the umpire’s decision on the field was incorrect and should be reversed.
Once instant replay review is invoked, whether or not the call has been reversed, neither club will be permitted to further argue the decision. A player, manager or coach who continues to argue will be treated in the same manner as one who argues balls and strikes.
Any decision regarding the placement of runners, should a home run call be reversed, will be made by the crew chief. As is done in cases of fan interference, the crew chief will place the baserunners where he believes they would have been had the call been made properly.
Yeah, good luck with that. I’m still upset over what’s happened to the uniforms in the last few years.
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