Armando Galarraga and the City of Detroit were quick to make nice with Jim Joyce and the umpiring crew when Joyce’s error cost the Tigers pitcher his perfect game only a few weeks ago. The warm gesture by all parties involved made the move easy for Bud Selig to claim no involvement and praise the human element of the game. With technology advancing at a far faster pace than the sporting events, it has become time for athletics to embrace the technologies that have increased fan exposure and revenue.
If you’re a German soccer fan you might know a few things about the benefits (and disadvantages) of replay in reviewing goals. Hockey at most levels has adopted instant replay for a tool in reviewing goals. When it comes to FIFA and soccer/football, Germany has lost a World Cup (1966 v. England), and won two matches (2002 v. United States, 2010 v. England) because of officials making adaptions of the rules on the fly. For Tigers fans, a similar event took place on Saturday evening.
Umpires have long not been the best of pals with baseball players, but for the second time in a month an umpire has admitted openly that they blew a significant play in the ballgame against the Tigers. This time, Gary Cederstrom used a quick strike call to send Johnny Damon and the Tigers to the clubhouse on a ball that was roughly a foot outside the strike zone.
Arguing strikes/balls has long been a battle of frustation between umpires, players and fans, and hopefully one day a technological strike zone will end this annoyance for everyone. Like a pinsetter in bowling, baseball could create a system where strikes that go a certain height, and over the plate, are called strikes. Combined with a replay system, baseball would have a situation in place where the athletes on the field could find something else to argue over.
