Piniella confused by new replay system
Cubs manager believes coaches should be schooled before introduction
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PITTSBURGH - Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella sounds ready to throw in the towel on baseball’s new instant replay system before it starts. At least he’d like to toss out a red handkerchief, like his counterparts in the NFL do.
Piniella learned Tuesday from reporters that the Cubs’ home game Thursday night against the Phillies will be the first in which baseball’s new replay system will be used. Call him skeptical, with Piniella questioning why baseball is rushing to make the change without first educating managers and players about it.
Replays will be used only on “boundary calls,” such as determining whether fly balls went over the fence, whether potential home runs were fair or foul and or if there was fan interference on potential home runs.
Piniella wasn’t aware that only the umpires’ crew chief can request to see a replay. He was under the impression that managers could request a call be reviewed.
“Now what do you do, throw out a red handkerchief? What’s the format? What do you do? I’d love to be able to throw a red hankie or a green hankie,” Piniella said, referring to the NFL system in which a coach throws out a red flag to challenge a call. “Imagine being able to throw something on the field and not be ejected.”
Piniella has been known to throw a base or two while arguing.
While it’s possible some teams might go the rest of the season without having a replay delay a game, Piniella questions whether the new system might cause as many problems as it solves.
“Nobody’s told us anything. I think we should be schooled on it somehow,” he said. “This is not going to work. Come on. I shouldn’t say it not’s going to work, but this could turn into a little bit of a fiasco initially.”
Piniella, whose team owned the majors’ best record going into Tuesday night’s game against the Pirates, doesn’t like that a replay might slow down a game or cause a pitcher to get out of rhythm as umpires watch a replay.
If the crew chief at a game decides replay needs to be checked, umpires will leave the field, technicians at Major League Baseball Advanced Media will show umpires the video and the crew chief will make the call, overturning the original decision only if there is convincing evidence.
“All we get all spring is directive after directive about how to speed up the game. This certainly is not going to speed up the game,” Piniella said. “This is not like football. You’ve got a pitcher who’s standing out there.”
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