As I watched my beloved Philadelphia Phillies struggle on their most recent home-stand this past weekend, something came to my attention. Even though Cole Hamels was pitching a gem (striking out ten batters and allowing just two runs) against the Baltimore Orioles, the Phils were down 2-1 going into the bottom of the eighth.  Chris Coste pinch-hit for Hamels to lead things off and grounded out – no surprise there – and then Jimmy Rollins grounded out to first…but not really.

Rollins hit a slow-roller to first and appeared to have beaten the first basemen, Ty Wigginton, to the bag.  Wigginton made a desperation swipe at Jimmy with his glove, but Jimmy stopped on a dime, clearly avoided the tag, and then dove into the inside of the first-base line to get to first safely…only to be called out.  Apparently the one angle that first-base ump Larry Vanover had, showed Rollins being tug out – contrary to every angle at the stadium and on TV.  After Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel came out to argue, he was tossed, and the call stood.  Then Shane Victorino doubled to deep left-center.  So that got me thinking: if Rollins is called safe, we are tied 2-2, and we don’t get swept by the Orioles.  Which got me thinking even more, why doesn’t baseball review plays like that?

Every true baseball fan will say “that’s part of the game,” and that is understandable, I get that.  Baseball games would take forever if a manager could review every disputable call, so I am not arguing that.  What I am proposing is that they can review everything but balls and strikes – like homeruns AND base-running calls.  How many times has there been a high-light on TV that is called incorrectly in baseball?  A base-runner called out when he was clearly safe, or visa versa…or a stolen base that shouldn’t have been.  The worst part is, nine out of ten times these plays go on to decide the game.

I realize there is a tradition, and baseball is game of judgment calls, but isn’t the point of having rules and officials to get the calls right? Or at least as close to right as often as possible?  These umps make horrific calls all the time – and their job is hard, I know – so why not support them with a small, but significant, replay system to make sure these calls are correct?  Just because it’s the way baseball has been played for years, and its part of the game, we should just leave it that way? So if I go to eat food everyday by flinging it directly at my chest before it gets to my mouth, do people just say “Oh that’s just how Dave eats, its part of his lifestyle.” No. They would say I have something wrong with me and I would be placed in a mental institution.

I am not saying change baseball – I love the sport – but we can make it that much better by just extended the already “successful” replay system, and giving managers the ability to review base-running calls.  The people that say “No” to this, are the same people that prefer to play sports video games with injuries on, because “its part of the game.”  Let me tell you something people, if players like Ken Griffey Jr. and Jamal Anderson could turn injuries off, they would have.  Do you really think if a pro-athlete had that option, he or she would say “Nah, it’s been part of the game for years, I’ll leave ‘em on.”  If they did, they’d be in the room next to me in that mental hospital, as I rifled flank steak with a side of jello right at the heart of my white jump-suit.