I think one of the relatively new technological innovations that major TV networks have invented - the K-Zone - can be used formally by MLB to accurately call balls and strikes during live games (and act as a replay mechanism). K-Zone is a computer graphic that charts the movement of the baseball as it leaves the pitcher's hand and travels across the plate. It can be programmed to depict the movement and speed of the ball, and also where it hits on the 2-D plane that represents the strike zone of a batter (its dimensions can also be manipulated to change as the height and batting stance of each subsequent hitter changes).
Umpires will still need to exist because there will be a small percentage of error associated with the graphic. They will still call the games, but if there is a major error, the MLB official manning the K-Zone viewing center in the media box above the field will be able to relay that information through a headset to the home plate umpire. Managers and coaches will also be able to call for instant replay on their own a certain amount of times per game, per pitcher. Obviously, the pace of the game can be affected grossly if managers call for a replay too much, so MLB should determine how many times a game a large error is made per game by an umpire and adjust the number of challenges allowed by a manager to fit that number. But umpires will still call the games as they have been for years and all of these replays should not add more than a few extra minutes to each game, even if each manager exhausts all of its instant replay opportunities.
If the league truly cares about protecting the integrity of the game, then it will find a common resolution between caring for the fans' calls for accuracy and the umpiring crews' votes for preserving their own integrity. Not to say that we do not need the human element in MLB, but it should not come at the expense of getting calls right.
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