Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365

What in the heck is going on? Instant replay? OK, I get it. Lets take a game that is already too long (3-3.5 hrs) and make it longer and drive more fans away. I am really convinced (no really) that Selig is intentionally trying to destroy baseball. Why else would he be doing this? Joe Torre and Tony LaRussa are involved in this also. Are they smoking dope? Why aren't the umpires oppossed to this? We know why the players union is not oppossed. But of course the umpires gave up they're manhood 35 years ago or so when the home plate umpires started asking the base umps if players went around or not. Any home plate ump that can't tell if the batter went around is not competent. For the first 110 years of baseball that call was always the home plate umpire's call and in the mid to late 70s they abdicated that responsibility. Now they will let go of of their last shred of manhood an dignity. They might as well start wearing skirts to call the game. Oh that's right they aren't calling the game a machine is.

Big salaries need more commercials. So the 1 HR 50 minute game is long gone. Back in the 60's you mostly had radio coverage, so they ran 2 commercials between innings. Now what are they up to, 6 or 7 ads. That adds 36 to 48 minutes a game.
To many players fiddle around between pitches. I say MLB needs a rule just like most local softball leagues. Once you establish yourself in the batters box, the pitcher can keep pitching. If you want to move back 3 steps and readjust your batting gloves, to bad, the pitcher can still throw a pitch.
Too many pitching changes. It drives me nuts when a RP retires 4 straight batters and then gets pulled because the next hitter is the opposite hand. And after that batter finally hits, then we need to change pitchers again.
And lastly, there are not as many aggressive batters.

And football does it too. If a team goes on an 8 play TD drive, I know I have 7 or 8 minutes to kill. PAT which is always good, 7 commercials, a kickoff which will either be a touchback or an illegal block, and 7 more commercials.

While I hate Selig and think he's an absolute ass...

The game of baseball needs to venture into the world of technology. The game/players have gotten faster. There's all this technology out there that helps other sports in making calls. Why shouldn't baseball step out of the 60's and join the technology age?

The ICONS!!!

Featuring Hal --->
Also Bernie -------->

ANNNDDD Evil Management--->

"Hey Bernie, did you know that Bud Selig is discussing 'Instant Replay' for MLB?'

"Yeah, Don't we already have a feature for that? It's called 'Game Replay' with Beta which nobody uses anymore!"

"NO, NO, NO, Bernie!! That's not the same thing! It's used to review questionable umpiring calls which might affect the game's outcome!"

"But baseball already has that! How many times does a manager come out to argue a play which is probably already up on the scoreboard being played over and over again, and all the umpire has to do is look at it and he never DOES!"

"What's THIS!??!! I thought I dismissed the Complaint Department a few weeks ago!!"

"Hal and I were discussing 'Instant Replay' for MLB and how it can improve the game."

"Umpires make occasional mistakes. It's part of the game! Pretty soon, we'll have to make improvements just to keep up! I hate the concept of keeping up with the Joneses! I prefer to just mow them over with lawsuits. Back to work you two and instant replay yourselves back at your desks!!"

I think with technology today showing the umpires are clueless, it is hard to argue that it is ok the wrong team wins a game just cause it's from New York:
http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=7079583&topic_id=7221926

And of course awarding the championship to the wrong team is very bad as well, there can be no arguement the game is better for this:
http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=13062921

And of course taking a perfect game away from a pitcher. As Joyce said it wasn't just a bad call this is a history bad call. Of course first thing ump did after game was to look at the replay on what he called "the most important call of his career"
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1171608-power-ranking-the-10-blindest-umpire-calls-in-baseball-history#/articles/1171608-power-ranking-the-10-blindest-umpire-calls-in-baseball-history/page/9

Of course this year we saw an ump call someone out that wasn't even within 10 feet of first base
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1-OajC10Og

and of course this to end a game this year when there are computers that could easily call every ball and strike, the same as net and line calls are done in tennis. How does blowing a call to end a game improve the umpires "manhood?"
http://www.complex.com/sports/2013/04/is-this-the-worst-call-youve-ever-seen-an-mlb-umpire-make-video

"The game of baseball needs to venture into the world of technology. The game/players have gotten faster. There's all this technology out there that helps other sports in making calls. Why shouldn't baseball step out of the 60's and join the technology age?"

Absolutely agree, it's way past time for baseball to enter the 21st century...

I am 100% in favor of instant replay but do not like the challenge system.

I do not understand why they cannot post a single replay ump in a booth with multiple monitors. He watches the game and has the tools at his disposal to quickly replay any play from all angles available from the ballpark cameras. He does this on any close play and anything obviously missed. Then the replay ump calls down and tells the umpire chief on field what the correct call is. He then corrects whatever needs corrected.

On the previous 'ICONS'!..

"But baseball already has that! How many times does a manager come out to argue a play which is probably already up on the scoreboard being played over and over again, and all the umpire has to do is look at it and he never DOES!"


There's probably a lot of truth to that...

Sincerely,
Delivery Boy...