What can the MLB do to make better calls in the outfield?

Question

Twice in the last 3 games the Rockies have hit homeruns that bounced outside the park and got called doubles. Baseball really needs to at least put an ump out there to get the right call. It almost cost the Rockies the game the other night, and now they should have had the lead going to the bottom of the 9th and will not. I am so sick of the dang umps missing calls, and screwing teams over.

Ok so it did not cost the Rockies the game in either instance, but that does not mean that the problem does not exist, and that we can leave things as they are.

Answer 1

What needs to be done, rather than institute replay, is make it a bit easier to tell if a ball leaves the park. For instance, in Milwaukee, there are a few places in the outfield where it is difficult to tell whether a ball goes over the fence or not, especially in a ground rule double situation. The way alot of these new stadiums are designed it is getting more and more difficult to tell if a ball goes out or not, too many "decorations" in the outfield. I remember the good old days of if it is into the bleachers, home run. Now you have to determine if it bounced off the railing of the margarita bar in the outfield or glanced off the facing of the "picnic area" in left field. Ridiculous.

Answer 2

There is an umpire in the outfield. When nobody is on base, the second-base umpire has everything from the left fielder to the right fielder and the first- and third-base umpires have the foul lines.

Whenever the second-base umpire is in the infield, the first- and third-base umpires split outfield coverage.

And yes, these guys run.

The actual problem is the fact that so many of these newer stadiums have ridiculous home run lines and back walls and stands that are too close to the outfield walls.

Replay is not the answer when it comes to when an umpire rules a hit a home run when the replay shows it was not. Where are you going to place the runners?

Answer 3

What MLB needs to do is get umps that can actually run into the outfield when the ball is hit there, and see what happened. Too many of these guys run like fat old women. (Maybe because they look like that, too.) I'd also like to see some of these oafs go back to minors, like non-producing players do--straighten out your game, then come back.
Still, a game played by humans has to be officiated by humans, and instant replay is NOT the answer. The people that started that crap were gamblers, and catering to them is always bad, no matter what. It's made football (and now hockey) about as much fun as a kick in the groin. Just make the current guys improve, and penalize those who don't.

Answer 4

We expect umpires to start from a point of perfection and to improve on it throughout a game. They're human.

A good team, any good team, will shake of a call that they feel has been missed, and keep playing hard. A good team will still compete in that game, and give themselves a chance to win it. A bad team will simply blame the umpire and give up.

Then there's this little fact. Even though MLB does not use instant replay (and should never do so), television cameras capture multiple angles of every play, and the replays that we see at home prove the umpire to be right well over 99% of the time.

In the meantime, you should treat yourself to a trip to your local gourmet cheese store. It goes very well with whine.

Answer 5

Replay -- not even an option.

A four man crew with that play the second base umpire was about 100 feet from the play (start position to when ball rebounded). It takes a fly ball about 4 seconds to clear a fence. The umpire has to react, move for angle then clearly see the ball hit above the line. If it has a funny carom (like that ball did) It leaves a doubt if the ball hit the top of the fence or the railing three inchess above it.

If you do not like the umpires go to umpire school and learn to do it yourself. Good luck.

Answer 6

I'm willing to advocate instant replay -- yes, the ultimate heresy -- for calls at the wall, for three reasons.

1. The technology exists and is not particularly difficult to implement.

2. The wall is the part of the field furthest from the standard four-man umpiring crew (remember, even with the two additional line umps in the postseason, mistakes can happen -- yeah, I'm looking at you, Jeff Maier).

3. Plays at the wall (or over it) can have enormous impact on the game. They are very much worth getting right.

For this one part of the officiating duties, I could live with IR. We'll never see it happen during Seligula's reign, though.

Answer 7

I agree with the person that said to adopt a Instant Replay thing in the game. Something like they do in football when they look through a video. If they would adopt instant replay it might make the umpires make better calls.

Answer 8

I was just watching that one and even though I'm a Cards fan the Rockies got jobbed on that call. I think they should use instant replay on those types of calls and those type only. If we added it to too much the games would be way too long.

Answer 9

MLB umps should be required to carry a Twix bar as seen in the commercial.

Answer 10

Dont pay another of these tards 283,000 dollars. they miss calls looking right at it it isnt just far away. The answer is freeeeeeee its called the technology of INSTANT REPLAY!!!!!