Baseball, Replays & Apologies

There is a part of me that wants to apologize for a lack of recent posting despite some crazy things that are going on in our sports world.  But there are just times that the real world gives us more than we can handle and we can't serve you -- our loyal readers.  Heck, our memory is so shot, we forgot Oliver Perez went to Pittsburgh with Jason Bay.  (Our minds are fried.)

So, until everything is straightened out across the board, posts will be sporadic.

However, I did want to knock out a quickie about baseball's instant replay ... or lack of it.

There has been widespread outrage and plenty of head shaking going on since the recent announcement that Bud Selig was going to turn a blind eye to common sense and ignore the request of players, umps and fans and stick with the archaic method of officiating.

Is Selig foolish for doing this?  Yes.  Will this continue to be an issue as time goes on?  Yes.  Will change come soon?  No.

Let's be real folks.  Bud Selig isn't going to change anything until Major League Baseball starts hemorrhaging money.  Then Bud will begrudgingly tweak the replay rules to make it seem as if he did something.  I can almost guarantee the next thing Selig does with instant replay will be too little, too late.

You want to see replay in the MLB sooner rather than later?  Then you better pray to your little hearts content for one (or all three) of these scenarios:
  1. Lack of replay screws Yankees.
  2. Lack of replay screws Red Sox
  3. Lack of replay screws Cardinals.
If Joe Mauer had his double called foul while wearing Yankee pinstripes, there would have been instant replay in place for the next game of the series.  Had it been Boston having to play a four out defensive frame because of a third-base umpire's inability to see a play that is unfolding within arm's reach in front of him, there would have been a Congressional hearing.  And don't even dare fathom what would happen if a call went against The Best Fans In Baseball, your head might start to spin.

That's just how it is.  And it's not just baseball -- so get that thought out of your head.

Defenders getting too physical with M. Jeff?  Here comes the "hand-check" rule.  Tom Brady gets a boo-boo, now you can't tackle him.  Major changes happen when major money-makers are involved.

As for other things on our docket:
  • We won't be overly mad if the Cubs can't find a taker for Crazy Uncle Milton right away.  Jim Hendry screwed himself once by signing him, twice by signing him to a three-year deal and thrice by going public with a suspension that killed what remaining tradeability he had entering the offseason
  • We also won't get too caught up in Hot Stove stuff.  Is the idea of Roy Halladay headlining the Cubs rotation?  Yes.  Is it worth writing two dozen posts on?  No.  I refuse to treat this situation like the Jake Peavy Saga or the Brian Roberts Hostage Crisis.  (So, how long until reports break about some fan seeing Roy Halladay singing "Go Cubs Go" at a Toronto bar?)
  • Brad Miller got hosed, and I'm not saying that because I'm a Bulls fan.  I'm saying that because there was not inconclusive evidence to overturn the call.  Isn't that what you need as an official?  Had they called it no good in the first place, then upheld the decision upon further review, I would have been fine with it.  And for the NBA to say its officials were right.  Ha.  Did you think they were going to side against them?  (No, our officials sucked on that one.  Our bad.  We'll try to find better ones when they're out of prison available.)

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