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MLB closer to adopting instant replay

Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Published November 6, 2007 at midnight

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ORLANDO – The Rockies may well be the poster boys for Major League Baseball’s adoption of instant replay.

General managers, during their annual fall meetings, voted Tuesday to develop a proposal for use of instant replay for determining whether a ball is a home run, and in cases of potential fan interference, according to Jimmie Lee Solomon, vice-president of baseball operations for Major League Baseball.

Solomon said he will inform Commissioner Bud Selig of the ''sentiment’’ of general managers, who voted 25-5 in favor of the limited replay, and ''see what type of feedback we get.’’ Selig has long opposed instant replay, but during the postseason he said he was softening his stance in regards to home run calls.

''Baseball is a traditional sport, which likes to have a human element involved, and it comes along slower,’’ said Solomon, ''but with technology we have available, we are talking about more angles (of replays), freeze frames (on pictures).’’

Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd is chairman of the Technology Committee, which made the initial recommendation to adopt a limited replay format, and in light of what happened with the Rockies during the season he had spoken in favor of replays. O’Dowd, however, said the decision was made among general managers to have Solomon be the lone spokesman on the issue.

Rockies manager Clint Hurdle, however, endorsed the idea.

''I am respectful of the game and its tradition, but if you can enhance the game you need to explore that possibility,’’ Hurdle said by phone from his home in the Denver area. ''We were a team that it happened to four times this year, and I’m sure if you looked you would fine another team fell victim the year before. Being respectful of the game is not a reason to stand in the way of progress.’’

The most visible home run question raised by the Rockies was on a ball that Garrett Atkins hit in the seventh inning of their 9-8, 13-inning NL wild-card tiebreaker win against the Padres on Oct. 2. They also had two plays ruled doubles on what they felt were home runs within a three-day period during a May road trip – Atkins at Cincinnati on May 5 and Troy Tulowitzki at St. Louis on May 7. Yorvit Torrealba had a possible grand slam ruled a double at Philadelphia on Sept. 10.

''With the replay you would see the game move quicker because there would be no argument,’’ Hurdle said. ''Anytime I went on the field I stayed way longer than it would take to review it.’’

Solomon said the reviews would be limited to determine fair or foul, whether a fan reached over the edge of the stands to try and catch a ball, and whether the ball hit over the line that denotes a home run. He said while there is no firm plan, the idea was discussed of having the replays reviewed by individuals in a central location, such as New York, with access to replays of all games being played.

The NHL has a similar plan with its replay, the replay officials stationed at the NHL office in Toronto.

The use of replay would have to be approved by the Major League Baseball Players Association and World Umpires Association, in addition to Major League owners.

Solomon said he did not feel there is enough time to have replay adopted for the 2008 season, but admitted there could be some experimentation and it is possible it could be used in the 2008 postseason.

''We have glacier-like movement (in baseball),’’ Solomon said. ''Hopefully this is the start of a meaningful discussion.

ROCKS TALK: The Rockies have two-year offers on the table to catcher Yorvit Torrealba and second baseman Kazuo Matsui. Indications are the Rockies want to know by Tuesday, Nov. 13, the day they can start negotiating with free agents from other teams, whether they will be able to re-sign Torrealba and Matsui.

That day the Rockies will begin looking at other options. Matsui, most likely, would be replaced from within by the organization by Clint Barmes, Omar Quintanilla, Jamey Carroll, Jayson Nix, Ian Stewart or Jeff Baker. With Torrealba, the replacement would most likely come externally, with the Rockies expected to pursue Jason Kendall and Michael Barrett. Paul LoDuca is believed to be on the verge of re-signing with the Mets.