Bud Selig sets a team to work:
Managers Tony La Russa, Jim Leyland, Joe Torre and Mike Scioscia have been selected for a committee that could recommend expanded instant replay and playoff format changes.
The group was selected by commissioner Bud Selig and also will examine scheduling, umpiring and pace of game. No players or umpires are included.
The group also includes GMs and owner representatives. Selig did a better job picking the latter groups. I have nothing against the four managers tabbed, but they’re all from about the same era of the game. It would have been nice have one from a younger generation like Manny Acta or Fredi Gonzalez, just so that there might be a different view of the game.
Tony LaRussa?! He’s one of the reasons length of games have been stretched out to infinity and beyond with his uber-over managing. I digress. What’s so hard about keeping the pitcher on the mound and ready for the next pitch and the batter staying in the box/one foot out for the signs. How about just having an “eye in the sky” umpire who monitors all plays for two reasons…ONE he/she will grade overall performance for that game’s crew and at the end of the season the best ratings get to officiate the playoffs. My second reason which goes back to saving time is if there is a call to review, the crew chief simply makes one call to the guy upstairs who already has the answer and that call rules the moment. Simple, one call for established circumstances only. All else, umpires hudling together to get a call right is OK with me. It’s impossible to get advertisers to buy less time, but some real time needs to be taken from in between the inning. Batter up! Little peices of time need to be chipped away from everything. You don’t need a managerial mind meld for that. But why not include umpires? They’re charged with time enforcement on mound visits and time between pitches and batters wandering away from the plate for batting glove adjustments. Right? Why not include a TV producer and a Corp.Exec to see what’s feasable from their end? Oh yea…! How about better umpiring huh? Better calls means less arguements (see my “eye in the sky” ump). Whatever they come up with, just don’t compromise the endearing quirks of the game.