Now You See It, Now You Don't

"America's favorite pastime" always seems to revitalize itself each year as the MLB playoffs come around. The sensation of "October magic" draws in the attention of sports fanatics around the globe, and even more impressively perhaps, those who haven't even thought about the game of baseball for nearly a year. Seemingly, baseball is a simple game, and does its best to preserve an outlet for competition at a level upholding purity in its standards. Although there have been amendments to the game's official rules and standards since its origins as a professional sport, some argue that the rules of the game are behind the times.

If the general American populous was polled about what the most controversial issue relating to baseball, performance-enhancing drugs would likely be the clear-cut most popular due to the amount of media coverage this topic has generated since the turn of the century. Though this issue is controversial and important in maintaining purity in the world of sports, there is a perhaps more important and relevant topic which can be debated concerning MLB. Within the arena of professional team sports, baseball has been one of the very few to continue its reluctance of the adoption and integration of available technology. This relates particularly to the standards of rules and regulations involving the use of technology alloted for use by the MLB officiating staffs. The continuation of not allowing video replay to aid in the determination of officiating decisions places baseball in a 'league of it's own' in comparison to other modern day professional sports.

In general, changing the rules of any game generally creates controversy. These types of debates involving sports normally center around whether or not the changes made are necessary, fair, and what it will do to the sport itself. The debate of whether or not video replay should be allowed in MLB is most certainly centered around this set of criteria.

Those who oppose the incorporation or allowance of technology into the officiation of MLB most likely align themselves as being in favor of preserving the traditional spirit of baseball. During the era of baseball's origination, even as at a professional level, the technology that existed was minimal or, in reality, nonexistent in comparison to today. Based on this, the need for rules involving technology in officiation were never established in the games original set of rules. Because baseball is a game that relies so heavily on the calls made by officials, adding rules that allowed for video replay in the determination of officiating judgments can be argued as taking away from the game's overall excitement and sport. The argument can be made that the rules currently in place allow equal and ample chances for both teams offensively and defensively even if error in judgement occurs in officiation. Allowing a change in video replay use by officials would also make comparisons to the past unfair taking into consideration that the use of replay was not available. Based on the fact that the game has been played for well over a century, the need to continue prohibiting video replay into baseball's officiation options can be defended by the previously established successes of the game.

Although the efforts to incorporate the use of video replay for aiding the officials judging the game have so far been successfully defended currently, there is no doubt that their opposition has been relentless. Those in favor of the incorporation of technology continue to generate examples and evidence that are relevant and more conclusive to their argument and definitely have the opposition on their heels at this point in time. What, when, and how changes in the status quo of this rule will occur will be interesting to see in the future.

Here is a link to a recent example fueling this debate:

2009 World Series Questionable Officiation

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