Hate the new Umpire Challenges

[harvey16]

Call me a purist, but I hate this new umpire challenge system. Slows down the game way too much. Baseball is already a slow enough sport without adding this extra wrinkle. What makes it even slower is now on any remotely close play managers are coming out of the dugout to chat with the ump so their replay team can take a look at the play and relay whether or not to challenge back to the managers. They need to do something about this. Managers shouldn't be able to come out of the dugout at will like that. I can see this getting really out of hand and turning a lot of people off.

 

What's wrong with having a bit of human element involved. I can see maybe having reviews on scoring plays only, but to be able to review any close call is ridiculous. There are so many close plays every game, games are gonna end up lasting 4 hours+. Red Sox-Yankees games are gonna take so long there gonna need an intermission.

[John_Havok]

That, or have a challenge clock, after the play if there's no challenge within 30 seconds, or maybe 45, it can't be challenged. Simple

[Brenner]

I like the fact that the right call will be made and there is a way to hold the Umps accountable during the game. Obviously need to do something to keep the managers in the dug out i.e the third time a manager leaves dugout without either challenging the play or changing the pitcher its an auto ejection.

[John_Havok]

Ejecting the manager is hardly a punishment.

[Grant77]

I think that the challenge could be revoked if not used by the third trip to argue a play.

[Brenner]

They should let pitch tracker call the game also.

[Boxcar]

Call me a purist, but I hate this new umpire challenge system. Slows down the game way too much. Baseball is already a slow enough sport without adding this extra wrinkle. What makes it even slower is now on any remotely close play managers are coming out of the dugout to chat with the ump so their replay team can take a look at the play and relay whether or not to challenge back to the managers. They need to do something about this. Managers shouldn't be able to come out of the dugout at will like that. I can see this getting really out of hand and turning a lot of people off.

 

What's wrong with having a bit of human element involved. I can see maybe having reviews on scoring plays only, but to be able to review any close call is ridiculous. There are so many close plays every game, games are gonna end up lasting 4 hours+. Red Sox-Yankees games are gonna take so long there gonna need an intermission.

 

I hate it that they want to make the right calls more often!

[fatcowxlive]

Just make it so the manager can't come out unless he commits to his challenge first. You have to throw a flag in or something like football. Obviously teams will only challenge when they know the umpires got the call wrong. If the system remains as is.

 

Exactly. The dugout should have a flag, and they throw one before the next pitch is thrown and that's the challange

[Jim_Ackers_balls]

It's really slowing things down.

 

I don't know why they didn't try it out in AAA first before implementing it in the Bigs. Oh, I know. Bud Selig is a tool.

[fatcowxlive]

It's really slowing things down.

 

I don't know why they didn't try it out in AAA first before implementing it in the Bigs. Oh, I know. Bud Selig is a tool.

 

I actually have a conspiracy theory that Selig isn't going to push for a change of rules and is going to make us hate replays within the first year and request it to be removed

[The_DH]

Great concept bad reality.

[Grant77]

Does anyone agree that forfeiture of the challenge after 2 or 3 trips would discourage the unnecessary ones? Seems like a simple way to deal with it.

[fatcowxlive]

Does anyone agree that forfeiture of the challenge after 2 or 3 trips would discourage the unnecessary ones? Seems like a simple way to deal with it.

 

I think even simpler than that is throwing the flag. What's the point of reviewing each small play internally (while the manager delays the game talking to the ump) and then challenging it? Might as well take away the only 1 challenge rule, either way it's slowing things down. Use it for the really important ones, throw the flag before the next pitch. That's fast enough to quickly check 2 angles of a replay anyways

[fatcowxlive]

I'd just ban them from leaving the dugout unless it's a challenge. You don't see coaches discussing close calls with officials in hockey or basketball. It's ridiculous that these guys are going out there 5-10 times a game with pitching changes.

 

Yup. If a flag being thrown is not suffice, we can revert to the manager getting asked by the Ump "Challenge..... or nah?". The next word must be a yes or no answer and must be within 5 seconds.

[Convo]

I love getting calls right so I don't care if it extends the game by X amount of time. Obviously they didn't totally think it through, worst-case is we deal with it this year and they improve upon it next year.

[jayswin11]

Call me a purist, but I hate this new umpire challenge system. Slows down the game way too much. Baseball is already a slow enough sport without adding this extra wrinkle. What makes it even slower is now on any remotely close play managers are coming out of the dugout to chat with the ump so their replay team can take a look at the play and relay whether or not to challenge back to the managers. They need to do something about this. Managers shouldn't be able to come out of the dugout at will like that. I can see this getting really out of hand and turning a lot of people off.

 

What's wrong with having a bit of human element involved. I can see maybe having reviews on scoring plays only, but to be able to review any close call is ridiculous. There are so many close plays every game, games are gonna end up lasting 4 hours+. Red Sox-Yankees games are gonna take so long there gonna need an intermission.

 

I agree. I find it annoying that the managers are coming out, delaying the game while someone looks at the replay anyways. I like that the call is correct in an important instance but the replay as it is right now has to change.

[wilko]

I'd just ban them from leaving the dugout unless it's a challenge. You don't see coaches discussing close calls with officials in hockey or basketball. It's ridiculous that these guys are going out there 5-10 times a game with pitching changes.

 

Agreed. It's a great concept but there should be more rules applied.

[NorthOf49]

The manager's allowed to visit the mound to talk with the pitcher, so I don't know how you'd disallow him coming out. Maybe you can't challenge a call after a mound visit?

 

Anyway, they should just institute an UmpireFX system or something. Have cameras make the calls on the bases and deploy a smaller # of umps to keep the game flowing and respond to the system's signalling. I'm sure the technology exists.

[G-Snarls]

Oh boy, haters gonna hate this comment...

 

[IBTrini]

Just make it so the manager can't come out unless he commits to his challenge first. You have to throw a flag in or something like football. Obviously teams will only challenge when they know the umpires got the call wrong. If the system remains as is.

Somebody please tell this to Bochy - http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/the-d-backs-scored-a-run-after-a-call-at-first-was-upheld-after-a-giants-challenge?ymd=20140401&content_id=70668478&vkey=news_mlb

 

I agree that managers should only be allowed to come out if they are going to issue a challenge. I believe they current system will be tweaked going forward cuz this is definitely going to impact the length of games and it is not the essence of what the challenge system was supposed to be about. Currently it is equivalent to challenging every close call without the penalty factor.

[G-Snarls]

Useful Twitter feed of all MLB replays ICYMI

 

[G-Snarls]

Looks like there were 4 challenges last night

 

1 of the 4 calls was overturned after Ron Washington challenged

 

Will be interesting to see how the numbers look as the season goes on

[TheHurl]

Call me a purist,

 

You are a purist! I like it. I don't like that in the 8th and 9th we've seen managers use a challenge just to use a challenge (Jays game and happened again in the M's game last night) but overall I love the feel of it. I also like that now you get the replays when attending the game.

[G-Snarls]

You are a purist! I like it. I don't like that in the 8th and 9th we've seen managers use a challenge just to use a challenge (Jays game and happened again in the M's game last night) but overall I love the feel of it. I also like that now you get the replays when attending the game.

 

I am enormously in favour of replay in general. Getting the calls right is more important than anything else. Obviously, tweaks are needed due to the time/flow of game issues we're seeing.

[IBTrini]

The only thing I hate is managers going out every time a play is close and stalling until someone tells him whether or not to challenge.

I am not sure if this can be changed right away but going forward this will most probably not be allowed to take place. This will certainly seen as a stalling play and at the same time a cause of longer game times. Managers should not be allowed to come on the field unless they are going to challenge the play or carry out other normal duties like substitutions, player injury/conference or something legal.

[G-Snarls]

And already there's been a problem

 

Two calls possibly wrong in one inning and Boachy couldn't challenge the second (run scoring) one

 

Video and commentary:

 

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/post?id=5542?ex_cid=InsiderTwitter_OlneyReplay

[z3r0s]

Everyone knows what a close call is, they should just have someone in the box of each game checking EVERY close call. There is generally plenty time between the end of one play and the start of the next AB to figure out if a call is correct (things like the Melky play at 1B that was CLEARLY an out).

 

Give the head ump an earpiece to hold the next AB if there is a call that requires additional review (like Colby's HR).

 

Keep the managers out of it. They are the problem, not the system.

[G-Snarls]

Everyone knows what a close call is, they should just have someone in the box of each game checking EVERY close call. There is generally plenty time between the end of one play and the start of the next AB to figure out if a call is correct (things like the Melky play at 1B that was CLEARLY an out).

 

Give the head ump an earpiece to hold the next AB if there is a call that requires additional review (like Colby's HR).

 

Keep the managers out of it. They are the problem, not the system.

 

Yeah that's a good suggestion. Overall that might work better.

 

Would have avoided the problem in Arizona last night too

[Grant77]

I'd just ban them from leaving the dugout unless it's a challenge. You don't see coaches discussing close calls with officials in hockey or basketball. It's ridiculous that these guys are going out there 5-10 times a game with pitching changes.

 

Yes you do, several times for every coach and every game. They just have the officials come to the sidelines. I think there are situations where it is appropriate for the manager to come out and ask for clarification without issuing a challenge.

[KingKat]

Yes you do, several times for every coach and every game. They just have the officials come to the sidelines. I think there are situations where it is appropriate for the manager to come out and ask for clarification without issuing a challenge.

 

Am I wrong in thinking that there's already a rule limiting the amount of times a manager can come on to the field without making a pitching change?