Fair or Foul? Replay a smart move by Bud Selig.

After years of kicking the idea around, Bud Selig has finally decided to add instant replay to the game of baseball. As the old adage goes, it is better late than never. Should Selig have implemented replay earlier? You betcha. Ultimately, though, the man deserves credit for eventually making the right decision. The decision to use instant replay only on disputed home run calls is especially smart, as it solves a fundamental problem the game has faced for many years while also maintaining the value of human error.

Nobody likes it when an umpire makes a terrible call. This goes without saying. Nothing is more frustrating in baseball than when an umpire misses an easy call at first, or when the strike zone is wider than a sumo wrestler's waistline. With this being said, I do not believe that Major League Baseball should use replay in all aspects of the game. I'm no close-minded purist, but I do value the human element of baseball. However, one area in baseball has been in desperate need of instant replay for a long, long time: home runs.

Baseball has a long list of infamous and controversial home run calls, including the infamous Jeffrey Maier incident in 1996 at Yankee Stadium during the Yankees-Orioles ALCS, which was incorrectly ruled a home run for Derek Jeter. There are countless "was that a home run or not?" moments every single season, moments that always end with one side dissatisfied, moments that always end with a group of umpires making their best guess on whether or not the ball actually left the yard. With instant replay, the umpires can make the right call with no controversy. Everybody will be happy knowing that the correct call was made.

Critics of instant replay will say that this will further slow the pace of the game. Actually, the opposite is true. Without instant replay, umpires must go through the laborious process of having a meeting on the field to discuss whether or not it was a home run. This often takes a painfully long time. A swift decision will now be made. Quickly view the replay, and tah-dah!, the game is continued in no time.

Of the commish trio of Selig, Roger Goodell, and David Stern, Selig is the least competent. But I can't complain today. It may have taken a while, but instant replay is now a part of Major League Baseball. We can thank Bud Selig for that.