Baseball and the Digital Age

What will the 2008 baseball season be remembered for? Josh Hamilton's triumph over narcotics and the baseball world? The surprising decline in power numbers in baseball's Mitchell Report hangover? Roger Clemens's...err...transgressions?

Of course, we still have four months left to play, but the answer is a revolutionary and abnormal one for a sport that relies on an old-time feel. Major League Baseball is discussing the introduction of instant replay on boundary calls - fair/foul home run calls and balls that are/are not in play.

It seems simple enough; no tall task. That is until we remember that baseball has always been grumpy in the transition to technological introductions to the game. Actually, grumpy doesn't quite describe it...it's more like baseball has been dragged, kicking in screaming to the alter of technology.

When Questec was introduced - technology designed specifically to do...well, nothing really - umpires cried home to momma and technology in baseball was the subject of controversy.

Last November, 25 of 30 general managers voted in favor of exploring the possibility of maybe, kinda-sorta using instant replay at some point that may or may not exist in the future or in another dimension. I jest, but the process was slow going. It seemed that we'd need a rash of questionable calls and ambiguity to gather enough interest in making instant replay a reality.

What happened instead, in 2008, was an outbreak of massive proportions, I'm talking zombie-disease-spreading-around-the-world-and-everybody-dies type of outbreak of iffy home runs, most of which have been called incorrectly. Carlos Delgado, who's been hitting like a member of the undead, was the most notable victim at Yankee Stadium on a nationally televised game, but many more have occurred this season.

It seems we baseball's ready to make the big jump - ready to give in to the fact that maybe human error can be committed by those wearing blue. While it may fly in the face of baseball's attempts to speed up the game, it's a smart decision that seems to be built with controls in place.

Still, doesn't it seem like a slice of baseball is dying? Don't get me wrong, instant replay in baseball is the correct decision, but when you're told for your baseball-watching life that umpires are the ultimate authority, it seems something gets turned on its ear with instant replay.

Here's to hoping instant replay and 2008 are remember as positives down the road.
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BTW, it's great to have this blog up and running. I've had my own blog going for sometime that I've tried to keep updating, just so I can keep writing. That being said, I will probably shift over to here and try to update here more often, as difficult as that is given my lack of patience, free time, and coherent thoughts. Since, hopefully, this will be my business in the future (there aren't enough bolds and italics in the world to fully emphasize the "hopefully") I appreciate, welcome, and encourage any and all comments regarding my writing, whatever the hell I'm writing about, or anything else you guys may feel like knocking me down a peg on. Thanks guys.

~Dave