Fixing Baseball, Part II: Introduce Instant Replay

Perhaps this young man looks familiar. His name is Jeffrey Maier, and he was actually a baseball prospect at one point. In college, he hit .373.

But he is far more famous for this a catch he made as a fan. Better put, he committed fan interference, as the picture clearly shows.

Wikipedia has the broadcast calls:

In right field, Tarasco, going back to the track, to the wall...(Maier steals ball, Bob Uecker: "Oh!") AND WHAT HAPPENS HERE? HE CONTENDS THAT A FAN REACHES UP AND TOUCHES IT! BUT RICHIE GARCIA SAYS NO...It's a home run! Here comes Davey Johnson, out to argue as Jeter comes across to tie the game.

—Bob Costas on NBC television, calling the controversial Jeter home run in Game 1.

There's a high fly ball to right, deep...Going back is Tarasco, to the warning track, to the wall, he's under it now...AND IT'S TAKEN AWAY FROM HIM BY A FAN, AND THEY'RE GONNA CALL IT...A HOME RUN! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! Richie Garcia is calling it a home run, and Tarasco is out to argue! A terrible call by Richie Garcia! IT'S ALL TIED UP!

—Jon Miller, calling the same play on Orioles radio.

That was 1996, now remembered as the first year of the Yankee dynasty.


Just last year, on a blown call (photo at link), Armando Galarraga was robbed of a perfect game. There have been 20 perfect games in the entire history of baseball, and no pitcher has more than one. The umpire later admitted he blew the call. But Commissioner Bud Selig, no doubt secure he was acting in the grand tradition of "Done is done," declined to reverse it.

It never should have happened. There were immediate doubts, and a quick review could have gotten history correct. Sure, the near miss will be remembered, but not as well.

Jeffrey Maier is lucky that his team won, or he might have ended up like Steve Bartman. Wiki again:

Right field umpire Rich Garcia immediately ruled the play a home run, tying the game at 4–4, despite the protest of Tarasco and Orioles manager Davey Johnson (the latter was ejected in the ensuing argument). The Yankees won the game in the eleventh inning on Bernie Williams' walk-off home run. The Orioles maintained their protest of the Maier play after the conclusion of the game, but their protest was denied by American League President Gene Budig because judgment calls cannot be protested. After viewing the replay, Garcia admitted that there was spectator interference, though he maintained the ball was not catchable.[4] Garcia's contention that the ball was not catchable has been disputed.[5] Had Garcia ruled it spectator interference, he would have then used his own judgment to determine what the most likely outcome of the play would be—either an out or awarding Jeter a given number of bases.

Um ... what? Instant replay could eliminate some of this madness. Not all of it, and mistakes could still be made. (Don't say "tuck rule" outside New England -- just don't.)

MLB could even leave it at the umpires' discretion. Any play that prompts a conference could also prompt a replay, and (if I ran the world) it could be kept away from balls and strikes.

The purists would howl. But the purest purists are probably still mad about night games. We have the technology, and we ought to use it.