MLB's instant replay system, however limited, will only work if the same people who made the mistakes are willing to admit them.
They may not be.
During an appearance on The Dan Patrick Radio Show this week, awarding-winning baseball writer and current MLB Network analyst Peter Gammons suggested that umpire Angel Hernandez refused to change a clearly incorrect call after video review because he is opposed to instant replay.
In the ninth inning of a game between the A's and Indians on Wednesday night, Hernandez incorrectly ruled that a game-tying home run hit by Oakland's Adam Rosales was a double. At the request of A's manager Bob Melvin, Hernandez and the umpires left the field for a video review. Although television replays showed the ball clearing the wall and bouncing back onto field after striking a railing, the umpires surprisingly didn't overturn the initial call. The curious decision sent Melvin storming out onto the field, leading to his ejection. It also left Gammons skeptical of the umpire's motivation.
Believing that the replay provided indisputable evidence of a home run, Gammons suggested Hernandez' decision was motivated by stubbornness rather than the desire to get the call right.
"Well, that was certainly the impression many of us had. You couldn't rationalize seeing what he was able to see, and then saying, 'It's a double,'" Gammons said. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing wrong with saying, 'I'm wrong.'"
MLB executive vice president Joe Torre admitted the umpires got it wrong in a statement on Thursday, calling the ruling an "improper call."
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