MLB Expanded Replay Could Be Coming In 2014

MLB expanded replay could be arriving by the start of the regular season in 2014. Joe Torre, who is an MLB executive vice president and is the manager of the USA”s WBC team, says that the league will be using the WBC to start looking at just how the expansion can be carried out.

Torre says that officials from the league office will be coming to Florida during the WBC to look at camera angles and other factors that will help them come up with the plan according to USA Today.

The league officials will also be looking at various spring training games. The investigation will spill over into the regular season as well. Torre was unequivocal when he said:

“We’re going to increase replay next year. We just don’t know how we’re going to go about it yet. I know we’re using a number of venues to see what make sense, and it’s really making sense with the rhythm of the game as a priority.”

MLB expanded replay has been an ongoing discussion for several years now. Commission Bud Selig has been a proponent of the idea but has moved slowly to increase what would be reviewable.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Selig’s latest interest is to include replay when it comes to trapped balls and fair or foul calls. The league is actively looking at whether or not it should be expanded further.

Baseball fans have long been calling for replay to apply to close plays on the bases, but so far MLB has been resistent to that. Torre seemed to hint that technological advances would play an important part in how the league moves forward.

MLB will also be looking at just how they would implement the replay system. Officials are trying to decide what would be automatically reviewed and whether any would have to be requested. Torre signaled they don’t want to do a challenge system like the NFL has.

“I don’t think it would be a pure challenge system,” Torre said. “We’ve stayed away from that being part of the game. The manager already makes so many decisions, and to drop another rock or two in his pocket, I think it’s a little bit much.”

Will MLB expanded replay be a reality in 2014, and will they get it right?