Instant Replay October 30 2017, 0 Comments
As an umpire at the lower levels, high school and youth, I'm confronted with parent saying look at my video camera you can see an instant replay that he was safe, out, whatever their trying to convince you of. Course the rules do not allow it but parents are influenced by instant replay we see on TV and all the professional sports. It's never going to happen at a level below college at best because of the technology and manpower needed to create it accurately and efficiently. But with that said this is an opinion question I'd like to hear from you:
When we watch baseball on TV and a player slides into the base and is clearly safe but because of his slide he hits the base hard enough to cause him to pop up above the base by a fraction of an inch. Therefore he's ruled off the base when the tag is held there or applied at the precise moment he gets above the base by the physical force. This is not a case of sliding past or sliding over the base when you caused your own problem this is simply a matter of physics to create this instantaneous, and microscopic distance between the foot the base and because we can freeze-frame it players are getting called out when that's not the intent of the rule.. I believe were calling too much of the letter of the law and not the intent. Instant replay has been beneficial I don't deny that but it can't get down to the point being a detriment with all these Popoff plays.
I like to hear the opinion of other fans, players, umpires people that are involved how do you feel about players being called out when they really worked off the base as part of the action of being safer out.
question from umpire Arnald Swift