Yahoo’s Jeff Passan wrote a 1,500-word epic article Friday on the need for replay review, featuring various blown calls and blowups involving umpires Laz Diaz and Mark Wegner this week.
Passan: Why Replay Review Is Needed Now More Than Ever
There was also this nugget which could go a long way toward explaining why Bud Selig has dragged his feet so long on this issue:
Much of Selig’s reticence has to do with his romantic attachment to old-time baseball – which, you know, didn’t have one wild card (or two), an All-Star game that “counted” and interleague play. There’s the financial factor, too. A football source said the NFL spends about $4 million a year on instant replay. With almost 10 times as many games, new equipment and a fifth umpire with each crew to monitor the replay booth, MLB’s annual costs could go well into eight figures.
Of course, a fifth umpire with each crew isn’t what the latest proposals call for; it’s review at a central location, possibly even using equipment already in place at MLB Network. TV channels already pay for covering the games — that wouldn’t cost MLB anything.
In a $3-billion industry, Selig’s worried about $4 million, or even $10 million? The first figure barely buys a middle reliever these days.
See More:
