Baseball to move ahead with instant replay

ORLANDO, Fla. – Another baseball tradition is about to largely disappear: a manager, with a crazed look in his eyes, charging the field and getting into a face-to-face shouting match with an umpire.

Instead, most calls on the field next season will be subject to video review by umpires in New York,

Major League Baseball took the first vote in a two-step process Thursday, unanimously approving funding for expanded instant replay in 2014. They plan to approve the new rules when they meet Jan. 16 in Paradise Valley, Ariz., after agreements with the unions for umpires and players.

“We made a gigantic move today,” Commissioner Bud Selig said. “This is quite historic.”

Selig long opposed replay and watched from afar as it was first used by the NFL in 1986, the NHL in 1991, the NBA in 2002 and Wimbledon in 2006. Even the Little League World Series put replay in place for 2008.

MLB allowed it starting August 2008 but in a limited manner: to determine whether potential home runs were fair or cleared fences.

Now, virtually every decision likely will be subject to review, except balls and strikes, checked swings and some foul tips.

“Tag plays, out/safe at first, fair/foul past the bags, those are all going to be included,” said Rob Manfred, MLB’s chief operating officer.

So no more blown calls, like Don Denkinger’s at first base that turned Game 6 of the 1985 World Series or Jim Joyce’s bad decision at first base that cost Detroit’s Armando Galarraga a perfect game in 2010.

Manfred said when a manager wants to challenge a call, he will notify an umpire, triggering a review in New York by what are likely to be present or retired big league umps. A headset would be brought to the crew chief, who would be notified of the decision.

There will be a maximum of two challenges per manager in each game – “it could be less,” Manfred said – and if the challenge is upheld it would not be counted against the manager’s limit. If a manager is out of challenges, umpires probably will be allowed to request a review on their own.

Manfred appeared to indicate that the video being reviewed in New York could be shown to fans in stadiums or possibly on television broadcasts.

Selig has emphasized that he doesn’t want replay to slow games. As a result, a manager will not be allowed to challenge a play once he comes out and argues.