Major League Baseball has begun a trial run of its new replay challenge system in this year’s Arizona Fall League and MLB.com beat writer Tom Singer is on the scene …
#MLB history: 1st call overturned by replay: Salt River’s Ryan Brett called safe on steal of second — Scottsdale challenge results in out.
— Tom Singer (@Tom_Singer) November 7, 2013
Another reversed call, and still in top of 1st: Safe call at 1st after 3B Kubitza bobbles grounder is overturned – saving Kubitza from E
— Tom Singer (@Tom_Singer) November 7, 2013
So #Pirates Phil Irwin pitches a shutout top of first — with 2 of 3 outs coming on replay-reversed calls. #RaiseIT
— Tom Singer (@Tom_Singer) November 7, 2013
OK, we’ve got our 1st DOUBLE-challenge. On Kubitza triple, Rafters challenge safe call at 3d. Upheld. Then that he missed 2nd. Also upheld.
— Tom Singer (@Tom_Singer) November 7, 2013
Because, you can only challenge 1 phase of a play at a time. But once a decision rendered, you can challenge another phase of same play.
— Tom Singer (@Tom_Singer) November 7, 2013
Keep in mind that AFL managers have been encouraged to use their replay challenges liberally. But this system — with challenges rather than a booth umpire — really seems like it’s going to be a mess.
Singer wrote Tuesday — the first night of the trial run — that Salt River Rafters and Mesa Solar Sox players “were loudly and emphatically urging for replays from their respective dugouts after every even remotely close play on the field.” Now amplify that to the major league level, where the games matter much, much more and the stadiums are filled with thousands of fans. AFL games rarely draw more than a couple-hundred people.
