Report: 7th ump added to crews

[APG]

Major League Baseball to add seventh umpire to crews for LCS, World Series - ESPN

NEW YORK -- A person familiar with the plan tells The Associated Press that Major League Baseball will tweak its postseason tradition and add a seventh umpire to rotate between the replay booth and field for the World Series and league championship series.

[DG]

Had not heard, interesting. So the guy who starts in the booth works the plate for the 7th game, or what? Does he have a role in the booth, maybe to enlighten the announcers?

[scrounge]

With replay and a replay ump in place, why are the outfield umps even necessary?

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by scrounge

With replay and a replay ump in place, why are the outfield umps even necessary?

To make calls in the outfield and near the lines.

[scrounge]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

To make calls in the outfield and near the lines.

Superfluous in my opinion....they're usually not that far from the 1st or 3rd base umps and rarely are needed anyway. It gets more guys playoff opportunities, which is cool, but I don't think they're needed at all.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by scrounge

Superfluous in my opinion....they're usually not that far from the 1st or 3rd base umps and rarely are needed anyway. It gets more guys playoff opportunities, which is cool, but I don't think they're needed at all.

A fair opinion... but replay has nothing to do with that.

[scrounge]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

A fair opinion... but replay has nothing to do with that.

I think it does. In the rare event that an outfield ump is actually necessary, there's now a system in place which for many calls - fair/foul down the line, HR or not, catch/trap - may be equal or better. There are some downsides of course - placement of runners, etc - but since replay is here and not going away, I think it makes a marginal addition of extra umpires even that more marginal. No big deal either way.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by scrounge

there's now a system in place which for many calls - fair/foul down the line, HR or not, catch/trap - may be equal or better.

As long as the team has a challenge left, right?