"IT'S OUT OF HERE"

Sometimes "it's out of here." Sometimes "it's out of here, but not really out of here". Sometimes "it's not out of here, but it really is out of here." Sometimes "it's fan interference," or no, but it looked like "fan interference". Other times it's either "fair" or "foul," take your choice. It's all up to the men in blue and it's politically correct to say the umpires are right 99% of the time. (Or 85%, or 77%, or maybe it's a 50-50 proposition.)

Recently the four umpires working all Major League Games are having serious trouble with the home run. Does it hit the yellow line on top of the fence, does it hit below the yellow line, or does it clear the fence?Sometimes, your guess is as good as theirs. But, the replay doesn't have that problem. TV time after time makes the right call. But the umpires can't use the television replay.

Baseball is "the grand old game", because it is "grand" and it is "old". With few, very few, exceptions baseball has not changed since the turn of the century. Not the more recent century, the one 108 years ago. So don't hold your breath.

Think back, way back when the NFL finally decided to allow just a few calls on the field to be overturned be the replay. Then each year they modified it, added to it, took away, until they have almost got it right. The officials are now a part of the process and if their call is overturned it doesn't effect them. They pride themselves on making sure it's the right call.

Major League Baseball can start with the replay of the Home Run. Then next spring check out calls at home plate. Hey that works. On to first base. Why not include the fans at home. What replay do they want to see?

Onward, and upward, "It's out of here." It just might work.

Comments welcomed...Please click on the "Comment" link just below and let us know what you think - CJ.