Baseball Rules Corner.

Replay camera would help umps in making correct `distance' calls

ON SUNDAY, APRIL 22, THREE plays involving spectator interference between fans and outfielders raised controversy in major league games.

Two nights later, the Yankees-Mariners contest followed up with another interesting scenario. Here is what happened.

In the top of the seventh inning, Seattle catcher Tom Lampkin was awarded a two-run homer on a ball that hit Yankee left fielder Chuck Knoblauch's glove and bounced off the top of the fence before falling back onto the field. Third base umpire Lance Barksdale hustled down the line and called the play a home run. Barksdale told Yankee manager Joe Torre that the ball hit a fan before returning to play, although replays suggested that the fan never touched the ball.

Although Torre did challenge the call, he admitted it had to be a tough call for the ump. And he was correct.

This leads me to my point that the instant replay camera should be utilized for distance calls. Specifically calls that are questionable home runs (fair or foul) or spectator interference calls between the foul poles that might result in a home run or putout. These are situations in which replay cameras would benefit major league baseball. I'm not talking about routine out or safe calls or balls and strikes. Only calls where an umpire is put at a disadvantage because of his lack of proximity to the play.

Baseball is the only sport in which an official (umpire) must make a call sometimes 150 feet or more away. Is it fair to the umpire? Is it fair to the game?