Teams will be given three challenges starting in 2014

[Heyward]

Can challenge anything except balls and strikes.

Three per game is a bit much but glad there will be some kind of reviews.

[gilesfan]

This is so dumb.

[Russ2dollas]

Personally I'd like 1 challenge. And if you a right then you get your challenge back. If you are wrong, then you are done with challenges.

[Bdawg2309]

good.

[NYCBrave]

Baseball purists will hate this, but I don't see how it's not the right move for the game. Too many times there are inexcusable bad calls made. It shouldn't have to come down to human error.

3 challenges might be a bit excessive though

[sturg33]

About time. I would've done 2, but I'll never complain about meassures making sure the game is called correctly.

[DaneHill]

I challenge you to a duel!

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg319/dane323/simpsons-homer-duel-o_zps18c8cd16.gif

[Heyward]

This is so dumb.

Yes and No.

I think 3 is too much but glad there will be replays, so many awful calls across baseball.

Would of done 1-2 at most but more the better.

[Garmel]

I would give two challenges but home runs are looked at automatically as they are now.

[BremanFan88]

Just imagine 6 challenges being used a game. And why wouldn't you? You can't take them with you to the next game so use them all and hope to get lucky.

[Russ2dollas]

no more managers on the filed to argue?

[NinersSBChamps]

3 is too many. And I am going to miss arguements from managers.

[PawPawMaxwell]

IMO MLB would have been better served by doing something about the current umpires.

[SeeSick]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2013/08/15/mlb-instant-replay-manager-challenges-on-hold/2659555/

I think the real question here is how the challenge is going to be called.

Is Fredi going to have a yellow hankie hanging from his belt? Maybe throw his hat on the field? My vote is for a golden baseball that he has to hurl towards the mound.

[wheresmykayak]

I don't understand why they can't simply utilize the idea that so many have mentioned before: just add a fifth umpire to every crew that sits in a film room, and reviews any play that seems sketchy.

The idea of challenges might sort of work for football, but baseball is obviously not football. Some games, three challenges are way too many... other games, way too few. Not to mention, is there a penalty for losing one?

[mfree80]

IMO MLB would have been better served by doing something about the current umpires.

I wonder if this might actually be a way of addressing the problems with the current umpires. If you know there is recourse for players and managers without the risk of being thrown out, then there has been some accountability introduced into the system. Umpires will be more accountable because getting overturned on a regular basis would likely be seen as a problem.

[PawPawMaxwell]

I wonder if this might actually be a way of addressing the problems with the current umpires. If you know there is recourse for players and managers without the risk of being thrown out, then there has been some accountability introduced into the system. Umpires will be more accountable because getting overturned on a regular basis would likely be seen as a problem.
Maybe, but it is still to easy for umpires to say inconclusive in too many cases.

[The Chosen One]

I don't understand why they can't simply utilize the idea that so many have mentioned before: just add a fifth umpire to every crew that sits in a film room, and reviews any play that seems sketchy.

The idea of challenges might sort of work for football, but baseball is obviously not football. Some games, three challenges are way too many... other games, way too few. Not to mention, is there a penalty for losing one?

Because that's potentially 15 more umpires they would have to hire.

[wheresmykayak]

Because that's potentially 15 more umpires they would have to hire.

Well, yeah. But those hires would make it more palatable to the Umpires Union, and of course everyone else would appreciate the drastic drop in obviously blown calls. It really shouldn't be as big of an issue, since everyone in baseball just loves to say how the game is more profitable than it has ever been. If that's so, why not invest a small slice of that into improving the quality of the play?

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't shed a tear if they just got rid of every ump and replaced them with robots like Super Baseball 2020 on Neo Geo back in the day. But this just seems like an uninspired solution to a problem that just keeps getting worse and worse every year.

[DaneHill]

Actually, potentially unlimited challenges after the 6th inning:

"If the manager wins his appeal, he retains the challenge. The challenge from the first six innings does not carry over." :panic:

And just a few years ago, they were so worried about the shortening the time of a game. There goes that!

[cajunrevenge]

Just because they have 3 challenges doesn't mean they will use them every game.

[Dalyn]

This is a step in the right direction. I would rather see them get one that only goes away if they lose the challenge. +1 in extra innings and playoffs.

[The Chosen One]

Just because they have 3 challenges doesn't mean they will use them every game.

You know how many coaches in the nfl waste challenges just because they can?

Even knowing a bad challenge results in a lossed timeout. Nothing to loose by challenging so why not? Me thinks umpires will review and still botch calls.

[Dalyn]

Me thinks umpires will review and still botch calls.

It will happen (already has), but not as often. That's a good thing.

[The Chosen One]

If only Tony LaRussa were still managing... he'd use all 3 late in the game just to throw the opposing pitcher off.

[BremanFan88]

You know how many coaches in the nfl waste challenges just because they can?

And if a manger isn't using his challenges then fans will ***** about it. We are going to see 6 challenges a game no doubt.

[bravesnumberone]

So what are they going to do to get rid of these horrible strike zones? Ball/strike calls have just as big of an impact as many other plays.

[weso1]

I really like it. The perfect cost effective move. The league should be able to figure out all the minor complaints about it. It's not like the commisioner's office isn't going to tell managers to not take advantage of the 3 challenges.

[zitothebrave]

BTW can't wait for Fredi's first WTF challenge.

[The Chosen One]

When Laird is pinch run for, and Fredi comes to make a pitching change mid-inning, the other team will challenge the fact Laird cannot come back on the field.

[Carp]

So dumb on so many levels.

[Runnin]

3 is two many. 1 challenge a game is plenty.

[cajunrevenge]

Football is different. There are a lot more close calls than in a baseball game. I think the challenges are going to be more limited than what they said because umps are not going to reverse plays like the infield fly no matter hoe wrong they are at the time.

[DjGrizz]

Bout damn time. Selig sucks!!!!

And yeah, threes a bit much

[Garmel]

If all six challenges are used you know that's going to add at least 15 more minutes to the game. Maybe more.

[The Chosen One]

If all six challenges are used you know that's going to add at least 15 more minutes to the game. Maybe more.

Doesn't even include the inevitable times Angel Hernandez will get yelled at by the manager for looking at the replay and definitely seeing his judgement was wrong, and then still not reversing the call and then eject the manager.

[The Chosen One]

Also interesting, will they be able to challenge a check swing? Balls and strikes are more difficult to do, which is why I understand they didn't include it, but a check swing is a check swing.

With the side camera angles they have now completely parallel to the batter, one woudl wonder if they could actually see the bat go past the plate in a check swing.

[mossy]

Would this have helped us vs. Sam Holbrook?

[Heyward]

Would this have helped us vs. Sam Holbrook?

Yes.

[The Chosen One]

Yes.

Probably not.

That was a judgement call, and since the rule is not specific enough, Holbrooke could've called it at the warning track if he felt fit. I think the rule states it can go anywhere even beyond the infield dirt.

So a call like this or balls and strikes that are too subjective, won't be allowed. A close play at first might get a look, or a foul-fair ball.

[bravesnumberone]

Can we challenge Joe Buck and Tim McCarver calling the World Series? If we make it, I'm going to have the entire thing on mute.

[cajunrevenge]

Would this have helped us vs. Sam Holbrook?

No because umpires won't overturn judgement calls no matter how wrong the are. Ideally Holbrooke would review the play and realize that the runners did not need the infield fly rule to prevent a double play. Somehow he still thinks that he made the right call.