MLB will conduct expanded instant replay testing at the Arizona Fall League during five games to be televised on MLB Network, starting Tuesday November 5. According to the terms of the test, plays during these games may be challenged pursuant to a
modified version of
MLB's 2014 plan: unlike the MLB plan, which includes a total of three challenges per game, per team, broken out into one for innings 1-6 and two for innings 7 and later, AFL managers will have an unlimited number of challenges at their disposal and MLB will encourage them to use the appeal system in order to provide MLB with a glimpse at the procedure.
When the AFL plays these games, plays other balls and strikes will be eligible for challenge and instant replay review; the challenges will not be decided in MLB headquarters in New York and relayed to the crew chief, as in the proposed MLB deal. Instead, challenges will be relayed to replay officials in-house, who will decide the calls at the Stadium. Statistics indicate of challenged calls, approximately one in five (20%) will be overturned, give or take several percentage points. For this reason, four of the five televised games next week will be played at the same facility.
Successful challenges do not count against the challenge limit, but unsuccessful challenges will result in the loss of one challenge. Furthermore, reviewable plays may not be argued while ineligible plays (pitches) may still be argued (albeit, by rule, such argument is an automatic ejection...). Because the AFL stadiums do not possess the grandfathered instant replay technology used by MLB stadiums for home run boundary calls, HRs will fall under the purview of eligible challenge plays.
MLB umpiring officials and select umpires themselves will be in attendance to observe the system at work.
Umpires assigned to the 2013 Arizona Fall League include (listed in alphabetical order):
Sean Barber, Seth Buckminster*, Jon Byrne, Tripp Gibson*, Jeff Gosney, Pat Hoberg, AJ Johnson, Gabe Morales, Jeff Morrow, Marcus Pattillo, Stu Scheurwater, Tom Woodring.
*Indicates 2013 MLB call-up umpire.
In a related story, umpires assigned to the
2013 Arizona Fall League All-Star Game (Fall Stars) include HP Umpire Sean Barber, 1B Umpire Tripp Gibson, 2B Umpire Pat Hoberg & 3B Umpire Tom Woodring.
Tune into MLB Network for the following games next week to see the real-world testing at work:
TUE 11/5, 6pm Pacific Time: Mesa Solar Sox vs. Salt River Rafters (Talking Stick);
WED 11/6, 6pm Pacific Time: Salt River Rafters vs. Scottsdale Scorpions (Scottsdale);
THU 11/7, 6pm Pacific Time: Scottsdale Scorpions vs. Salt River Rafters (Talking Stick);
FRI 11/8, 6pm Pacific Time: Glendale Desert Dogs vs. Salt River Rafters (Talking Stick);
SAT 11/9, 5pm Pacific Time: Peoria Javelinas vs. Salt River Rafters (Talking Stick).
News:
Instant replays testing to be conducted at Arizona Fall League (
MLB Press Release)
