From the Desk of the GM - October 27, 2009

“World Series 2009 and Instant Replay”

The 2009 World Series will feature the Phillies and the Yankees. So, my prognostication wasn’t bang on, only 50% right. The Phillies were just too much for the Dodgers both on the mound and at the plate. The Yankees seem to be firing on all cylinders as well. A-Rod is doing what a guy paid $50 million per year should be doing, and the two huge off-season acquisitions in Sabathia and Burnett are, thus far, making Brian Cashman look like a genius. Andy Pettite hasn’t looked too bad either for an “old” guy.

It should be a great series played out in two places that will have similar weather to Winnipeg in late October/early November. It’s going to be cold and windy so it will be interesting which team is most affected. The Phillies didn’t seem to have any issues with the cold last year and will be looking to be the first team to repeat as champions since the Yankees did it back in 1999 & 2000.

One common theme to this year’s post-season has been incredibly bad umpiring. There haven’t just been a few bang-bang plays missed, there have been more than a few blatant terrible calls, right in front of the ump making the call. In this writer’s humble opinion, it is time for instant replay to be used in major league baseball, and for more than just home run calls. The technology is there, why not use it? Why not get the call right? The NFL uses it, as does the NHL. Mr. Selig needs to embrace technology instead of continuing to stick his head in the sand and pretend it isn’t there, or that it doesn’t belong in the game.

While listening to a sports talk show on the drive home this week, a sports writer was discussing instant replay and his thoughts on what should happen. His idea was to have each team be allowed one challenge per game. One challenge per game by each team is not going to dramatically increase the length of the games. If each team has one challenge, they aren’t going to use it to challenge a close play at first, or whether a guy was tagged out trying to steal second. They will use them on plays similar to the play in the Yankees/Angels game where Nick Swisher was called out on appeal for tagging up too soon on a fly ball. If that play was challenged it would have taken about four seconds for replay to show that he did not tag too early and the run would have stood. That game ended up being a blow out, but what if the Yankees had lost that game by one run?

If you agree with me on instant replay, or not, or if you want to give me your prediction on the outcome of the World Series, send me a note to andrew@goldeyes.com. Also, let me know in your email if I can use it in an upcoming blog.

I’m sticking with my earlier prediction of the Yankees winning it all in 6.

Go Yankees!

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Until next time…