MLB Instant Replay Expansion a 'Possibility,' Says Bud Selig; International Games Considered
During Major League Baseball's quarterly Owners Meetings on Thursday, Commissioner Bud Selig announced the possible expansion of instant replay and scheduling.
Following the scrutiny of two empires that made an incorrect call last week, Selig suggested that his opinion on the issued had changed. His previous plan included adding trap plays and fair/foul calls down the lines for 2013, but the new plan could be more extreme.
"My opinion has evolved," Selig said Thursday according to the Associated Press.
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Officials last week failed to award Oakland's Adam Rosales a tying home run in the ninth inning at Cleveland on May 8 even though review of the video showed the ball going over the fence. The next day Houston manager Bo Porter was allowed to improperly switch relievers in the middle of an inning. As a result, the crew chief was suspended for two games.
Selig was unclear on whether extended replay would be a reality, according to MLB.com, noting that there could be additional complications before any official moves could be put in place.
"There's been a lot of work done. But I think it's fair to see there's a lot of work to be done. The more issues they raise, the more thoughtful [their report] is," he said referring to a presentation made by Joe Torre, Tony La Russa and John Schuerholz during the meeting. "So my opinion has evolved because of all the work they have done. Time will tell. I'm not going to make any time prediction. The more issues they raise, the more complex it becomes."
Other issues raised during the meeting touched on scheduling issues and the potential of international games. While dismissing schedule changes, Selig was more hopeful about international play, calling it a "possibility."
"We're working on a series of things. Absolutely. International growth is very big and we're going to push that very aggressively. We'll do some exciting things," he noted.
