Umpires' Nightmare In First Use Of Replay

The idea is to get calls right when the games count.

In these five experimental uses of replays in spring training, the goal is to work out the bugs.

In that case it was successful, there is a bug to work out.

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Randy Marsh from Northern Kentucky is the umpire supervisor for Major League Baseball. He explained how the system is supposed to work. The system broke down on the first use by Reds' manager Bryan Price.

"It was an umpire's nightmare," Marsh said.

Hank Conger  of the Angels, singled off Sam LeCure with Erick Aybar on secondbase. Rightfielder Roger Bernadina threw home where there was no play.  Catcher Brayan Pena came out of his crouch and threw to second to prevent Conger from advancing.  Shortstop Ramon Santiago took the throw to attempt the tag. Secondbase umpire Jim Reynolds ruled Conger safe.

Price asked for a review that lasted 2:15.
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This spring they are sending feeds to a truck outside the stadium and rotating five umpires during the game to view the system.

The feeds in the truck were inconclusive from four cameras stationed around the ballpark.

During the season, feeds from 12 cameras will be sent to a video center in New York, where the call will be upheld or overturned.

The umpires could not zoom in on the play as they would during the season.

"One camera was behind home plate, long distance.  One was from centerfield.  One was thirdbase to second.  The other was thirdbase to first. Jim Reynolds didn't think there was a tag.  He told the replay official he didn't think there was a tag," Marsh said.  "The replay official kept looking and looking. That's why it took so long."

After the official, Gerry Davis, upheld the call, a fifth view came from Angels' TV.

"It was being shown in the stadium," Marsh said.  "From that view, they would have flipped the call."

It was all explained to Price, who found a positive in the process.

"It worked out pretty well actually," Price said.  "We didn't get the call overturned. I had a chance to have more dialogue with the umpires.  As far as the protocols go, and understanding the do's and don'ts, one thing that was terrific, the umpires converged first to make sure I didn't unnecessarily use a challenge.  If another umpire had a different angle, he could overturn the call before we used a challenge. That puts the onus on the other manager, if he wants to challenge to overturn that call."