MLB Robs Indians in Video Replay vs. The Yankees

All right. Let's get this straight. MLB agrees to institute video replay to possibly get better looks at controversial plays which because of the intricacy of baseball may actually prove to be useful someday. After all baseball is called "the game of inches," and when pinch hitter Jorge Posada lifted Jensen Lewis's pitch deep to right field in the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium, those inches became reviewable on video. If you are going to allow video replay in Major League Baseball, then you had better be willing to reverse close plays when evidence points to it being conclusive even if it is the new Yankee Stadium in front of a hometown crowd that had to sit through a 22-4 lambasting at the hands of the Indians the evening prior. Whatever the circumstances, video review is in place to correct human error of split second plays on the field.

In this case Indians right fielder Trevor Crowe leaped up at the wall with glove extended to try and haul in Posada's deep fly ball. However, Crowes glove met resistance from two outstretched Yankee fans with gloves as well. You can't really blame the Yankee fans as they were just trying to grab a foul ball. You can however blame the MLB for not using replay properly to overturn questionable calls. The fans' gloves did cross over onto the field of play and interfere with Crowe's attempt to haul it in. The correct call should have been fan interference resulting in an out and the game resume play with the Indians leading 3-2.

Instead the umpires and replay officials mulled over the video and concluded that their call on the field was correct even though various network replays show the interference. Maybe the umpires and Yankee gods were upset that Crowe interfered with the two fan's attempt to catch a foul ball. How dear the Indians right fielder try to make an awesome defensive play in the critical point in the game.

And what's with Jerry Crawford and the other umpires huddling up with both managers to explain the verdict. Maybe the MLB should take a page from the NFL and have the crew chief announce the replay review over the intercom and not further alienate the fans from the game. We're all still waiting for the day when two opposing managers duke it out mano y mano in the heat of the moment. Pay per view could license these fights and sell them as cage matches. Fans could then expect fights between opposing managers and Las Vegas odds makers could expand their repertoire.

Baseball fans went from watching one hell of game, to one mired in controversy. This must be Major League Baseball dismal attempt to enter the 21^st century.