League Baseball

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. Heinie Manush Jersey . -- Ever since the game was invented, before television or even radio existed, baseball counted on the eyes and ears of umpires on the field. Starting this season, many key decisions will be made in a studio far away. Major League Baseball vaulted into the 21st century of technology on Thursday, approving a huge expansion of instant replay in hopes of eliminating blown calls that riled up players, managers and fans. "I think its great," San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "Its about getting it right." Acknowledging the human element had been overtaken in an era when everyone except the umps could see several views over and over in slow-motion, owners and players and umpires OKed the new system. Now each manager will be allowed to challenge at least one call per game. If hes right, he gets another challenge. After the seventh inning, a crew chief can request a review on his own if the manager has used his challenges. "I tell you the fans will love it," baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said after owners met and voted their unanimous approval. "Its another in a long list of changes that will make this sport better than it already is." Baseball was the last major pro sport in North America to institute replay when it began late in the 2008 season. Even then, it was only used for close calls on home runs. The NFL, NBA, NHL, some NCAA sports and major tennis tournaments all use a form of replay, and even FIFA and the English Premier League have adopted goal-line technology for soccer. Not that managers wont still occasionally bolt from the dugout, their veins bulging. The so-called "neighbourhood play" at second base on double plays cannot be challenged. Many had safety concerns for middle infielders being wiped out by hard-charging runners if the phantom force was subject to review. Ball-and-strike calls cant be contested. Neither can check-swings and foul tips. Nor can obstruction and interference rulings -- those are up to the umpires judgment, like the one at third base in St. Louis that ended Bostons loss in Game 3 of the World Series last October. All reviews will be done by current MLB umpires at a replay centre in MLB.coms New York office. To create a large enough staff, MLB agreed to hire six new big league umpires and call up two minor league umps for the entire season. A seventh major league umpire will be added to replace the late Wally Bell. The umpires on the field will be able to talk to the command centre. The replay umpire will make the final decision -- that could include where to place runners if, say, a call is reversed from out to safe on a trapped ball in outfield. In addition, managers and others in the dugout will be allowed to communicate by phone with someone in the clubhouse who can watch the videos and advise whether to challenge a call. "Im excited to see how it works out. I am interested to see how the flow of the game is affected," Oakland catcher Stephen Vogt said. "Its a good use of the technology that we have, the fact that we will be able to get more calls corrected and fixed." Joe Torre, MLBs executive vice-president of baseball operations, said work continues on a proposed rule that would ban home-plate collisions between runners and the catcher. The rule has not been written and talks on its content are ongoing between MLB representatives and the players union, he said. Even since William McLean became the first professional umpire when he worked a Boston-Philadelphia National League game on April 22, 1876, baseball has celebrated its old-fashioned traditions. Having umpires make the calls on the field was one of them. So were arguments between managers and umpires, often to the delight of fans. Worries that replays would slow the pace even more were offset by this: Replay decisions cannot be argued. Replay umpires will make their final rulings in no more than a minute to 90 seconds, MLB Executive Vice-President of Baseball Operations Joe Torre estimated. "With our technology today we can do that in a way I dont think we will interrupt the flow of the game," Bochy said. To make reviews uniform, cameras will transit 12 angles from each ballpark. MLB Chief Operating Officer Rob Manfred said it was uncertain whether the replay system will be in place in Australia for the season-opening series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers. "For some, the discussions regarding expanded replay appeared to move too slowly, too deliberately," said Brian Lam, the lawyer for the World Umpires Association. "But there were technical and operational challenges that needed to be addressed, and that took time. With so many competing interests and opinions, it is unlikely that all will be completely pleased at the end of the day, but thats often the nature of things." MLB had talked for a few years about expanding replay to include fair-or-foul calls and traps. Several missed calls in the post-season ratcheted up the debate. The players union gave its approval for the 2014 season. "The players look forward to the expanded use of replay this season, and they will monitor closely its effects on the game before negotiating over its use in future seasons," union Executive Director Tony Clark said in a statement. Selig said the replay expansion ranks "very, very high" when compared with other moves made during his time on the job. The new rule allows ballparks to show fans the same replays on stadium video screens. But only plays under review can be shown on the screen in slow motion. "Its the first time in the history of the game that a manager has the opportunity to change the call of a play that may have adversarily affected their team," said Atlanta Braves President John Schuerholz, who chaired the committee that came up with the replay plan, "that may have cost them the game, that may have cost them the division, that may have cost them a World Series." The existing rule on umpires calling for a review of whether a hit was a home run or not will remain, although the review will be done by the umpire in New York. Torre said the number of manager challenges were limited to a maximum of two to maintain "the rhythm of the game." "Were going to start this way and if we feel something has to be adjusted were certainly going to be aware of that," he said. Torre and MLB executive Tony La Russa, both ex-managers, joined Schuerholz on the replay committee. "Were really going for the dramatic miss, not all misses," La Russa said. "...This is a challenge for a game-changing play that goes against you, and now you can correct it." Goose Goslin Jersey . Louis, MO (SportsNetwork. David McKay Jersey . Hall joined Bengals teammates for a voluntary workout on Monday. Hes got his mobility back and is on schedule to be ready for the season. CINCINNATI - Bengals cornerback Leon Hall is happy with his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon and expects to be ready for the start of training camp in July.(Sports Network) - The American League wild card race is heating up and the Baltimore Orioles are right in the mix. The New York Yankees are not far off either and will try to move closer to one of two wild card spots Tuesday in the second portion of a four-game series at Camden Yards. Baltimore took the opener of this series, 4-2, on Monday and used a strong outing from Chris Tillman. Tillman held the Yankees to two runs and four hits in seven innings, striking out nine batters and walking none. Tillman aided the Orioles in their fourth win in five tries and the club is tied with Cleveland at 1 1/2 games behind in the wild card race. "Its big, this time of year its real big," said Tillman on the importance of these games down the stretch. "Every game I pitch is big. I only get to go out there every fifth day, so for me theyre all big." Jim Johnson picked up his 43rd save in the ninth and Nick Markakis led the Orioles offensively with three hits, an RBI and a run scored. Things got a bit heated between Orioles manager Buck Showalter and Yankees skipper Joe Girardi after the first inning, when the Orioles were accused of sign stealing. Girardi complained to Orioles third-base coach Bobby Dickerson and Showalter took offense, shouting at New Yorks manager near home plate while being restrained by the umpires. "The one thing that Ive done, the whole time that Im here, and everywhere Ive been, is Im going to protect our players at all lengths," Girardi said. "Thats what Im going to do, and there was something that II saw, and Im just going to leave it at that. Bucky Harris Jersey. quot; Much to the chagrin of Girardi, his club lost for the fourth time in five tries and now sits three games off the pace for a wild card spot. CC Sabathias success against Baltimore didnt come through, as he allowed four runs, three earned, and seven hits in 7 1/3 innings. "We didnt score runs. If we had been scoring runs like weve been the last week he gets a win tonight," Girardi said. The Yankees, who got home runs from Alex Rodriguez and Lyle Overbay, averaged seven runs per game over a seven-game span entering this series. They opened a 10-game road trip Monday and will also visit Boston and Toronto. Ivan Nova will start for the Yankees Tuesday and he is 8-4 with a 3.02 earned run average in 19 games (16 starts). Nova has won his last four decisions and has faced the Orioles 11 times (10 starts) in his career, going 5-2 with a 4.33 ERA. The right-handed Nova recently tossed a three-hit shutout in a 2-0 win against Baltimore on Aug. 31. Countering for the Orioles in the second matchup with New York will be Miguel Gonzalez, who is 9-7 with a 3.98 ERA in 26 games (24 starts). Gonzalez was 0-4 in his previous eight appearances until tossing seven innings of one-run ball in a 3-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. Gonzalez faced the Yankees on Aug. 30 in an 8-5 setback and was reached for seven runs across four innings. The righty is 2-2 with a 3.93 ERA in six career starts against the Yanks. The Orioles are 9-7 against the Yankees this season. ' ' '