Rule Allows for Expanded Video Replay in Baseball

Well, baseball fans, the time is finally here. Opening Day. A truly American day, filled with hot dogs, cracker jacks and the sweet, sweet sound of a wood bat making solid contact with the ball.The game remains almost the same, except for one intriguing change to the rulebook: expanded video replay. It seems like many of the athletic organizations across the world are implementing technology for the good of the game. Last year, FIFA began to use goal-line technology, which sends a signal to the referee’s watch making the watch beep, which means that a good goal was scored. The International Tennis Federation uses technology to determine whether a ball was in or out. Other leagues like the NHL, the NBA and the NFL also use video replay to make sure the rules are implemented in a proper manner, but I would never have thought to see the technology used in baseball.Video replay was only used in the MLB to determine whether a home run had occurred or not. Here is what the expanded video replay allows managers to do now: if there is a close play anywhere on the field, then the manager is allowed to challenge the play. Should he win the challenge, then he can earn one more challenge, but if it’s lost, then the manager can’t challenge any other questionable plays.But what happened to good old controversy? When talking with some people, if the subject of baseball ever comes up, they immediately scowl and say, “Baseball is so boring. Why would anyone ever like it?” Is the MLB trying to turn viewers away? Being a baseball player myself, I know the true beauty of the sport. However, no matter how much I wish they did, many people just don’t share my point of view. Some people aren’t satisfied with spectacular diving catches and moonshots over the Green Monster. When it comes to controversy, people tend to drone on and on about a close play at the plate before talking about the actual highlights of the game.However, this can turn out to be an opportunity for people to get off of that controversial mindset and to understand the deeper beauty of the game. Even though people may lose interest in the sport, for many baseball fans, video replay is the salvation they have been waiting for. We don’t have to complain any longer over calls that caused our team to lose ever-important games! And for those who may never understand the beauty of the game, don’t worry! There is still some controversy that can happen in the game.The new video replay rule doesn’t cover calls like balls and strikes, the infield fly rule and tagging-up. So, no matter who you are and how much you actually know about baseball, this new rule can be considered the compromise of the century: giving baseball fans the sanity of finally being able to handle watching umpires at work without tearing their hair out, and giving others some controversy that they can still talk about.