I'm with you on this Mark, but the "need" to get every pitch, every play 100% correct has grown exponentially because of the ease sports betting has become.
We were taught about the dangers of gambling from day 1 of umpire school. Once more taboo than drugs or anything else, gambling now consists of real time apps whose companies have partnered with MLB and other professional sports because of the revenue they generate.
What once was a bettors meltdown in a casino's sports book over a real or perceived missed pitch or play, is now a nationwide implosion in real time on couches, in bars, and on iPhones everywhere, as each pitch is a money winner or loser.
I'm all for video replay, I know what it's like having to decide what exactly happened.
It never made sense that the four guys on the field who have to make a decision on a home run vs. spectator interference that's 250+ feet away, seeing it once in real time with whatever background, shadows, or sun reflection that may be happening, all while both teams, fans in the stadium, and everyone watching on TV have already viewed it from multiple angles in super slow motion.
Trust me, I embraced the help!
But now fans more than ever demand perfection, and with technology seemingly getting better every day, it has become part of how the game is viewed and officiated. And that's a shame in my opinion.
Yes it's needed for those Denkinger or Joyce misses, but is a review needed for every close and not so close play?
Or for the obviously safe double that is called out after review? Why you ask?
Because the fielder kept his glove on the runner who, bouncing up from his slide, comes off the bag by an eighth of an inch.
That's a cheap out and not why replay was expanded.
Couldn't this all be solved by the billion dollar organizations paying a review official every game that watches only the that game and every replay when needed. The call would be overturned in a minute.
Perhaps it's just because I'm 43 now with two kids but each year I watch less and less sports. A good part of it is time but even when I have time I seldom put on my favorite team or any other one. These "innovations" are part of it. The demeaning of every sports regular season is another. Everything adds up to I just don't really care much anymore and there's better things to occupy my time with.
Great column. My mother, a lifelong sports fan, told me last year she didn't like the pitch clock. I asked why, and she said it just didn't look right. But what she thought was the clock was actually the electronic strike zone projected on the screen. I showed her the timer in the corner. FWIW, I like both those innovations. I just hate gambling promos and betting odds and fantasy teams and all references in all places.
Great column, Mark!
I'm with you on this Mark, but the "need" to get every pitch, every play 100% correct has grown exponentially because of the ease sports betting has become.
We were taught about the dangers of gambling from day 1 of umpire school. Once more taboo than drugs or anything else, gambling now consists of real time apps whose companies have partnered with MLB and other professional sports because of the revenue they generate.
What once was a bettors meltdown in a casino's sports book over a real or perceived missed pitch or play, is now a nationwide implosion in real time on couches, in bars, and on iPhones everywhere, as each pitch is a money winner or loser.
I'm all for video replay, I know what it's like having to decide what exactly happened.
It never made sense that the four guys on the field who have to make a decision on a home run vs. spectator interference that's 250+ feet away, seeing it once in real time with whatever background, shadows, or sun reflection that may be happening, all while both teams, fans in the stadium, and everyone watching on TV have already viewed it from multiple angles in super slow motion.
Trust me, I embraced the help!
But now fans more than ever demand perfection, and with technology seemingly getting better every day, it has become part of how the game is viewed and officiated. And that's a shame in my opinion.
Yes it's needed for those Denkinger or Joyce misses, but is a review needed for every close and not so close play?
Or for the obviously safe double that is called out after review? Why you ask?
Because the fielder kept his glove on the runner who, bouncing up from his slide, comes off the bag by an eighth of an inch.
That's a cheap out and not why replay was expanded.
Couldn't this all be solved by the billion dollar organizations paying a review official every game that watches only the that game and every replay when needed. The call would be overturned in a minute.
Perhaps it's just because I'm 43 now with two kids but each year I watch less and less sports. A good part of it is time but even when I have time I seldom put on my favorite team or any other one. These "innovations" are part of it. The demeaning of every sports regular season is another. Everything adds up to I just don't really care much anymore and there's better things to occupy my time with.
Great column. My mother, a lifelong sports fan, told me last year she didn't like the pitch clock. I asked why, and she said it just didn't look right. But what she thought was the clock was actually the electronic strike zone projected on the screen. I showed her the timer in the corner. FWIW, I like both those innovations. I just hate gambling promos and betting odds and fantasy teams and all references in all places.
As usual, you are spot-on. The loss of Galarrage's perfect game, I think, was the catalyst for
some sort of replay to eliminate the egregiously bad decision, not every split-second/bang-bang
play that now cause totally unnecessary delays at any point in any game.
Amen!