Skip to content

Baker irked by replay system: 'I just hope they correct this'

Tommy Gilligan / USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

All three times the umpires converged for a replay review Wednesday night at Camden Yards, the Baltimore Orioles got the call.

First, in the top half of the opening frame, Washington Nationals center fielder Trea Turner was called out on his attempted steal of second base following a replay review despite being called safe on the field.

Two innings later, it was deja vu all over again, with Turner ostensibly swiping second base in real time only to have the call overturned following a replay review.

Then, in the home half of the inning, Orioles manager Buck Showalter called for his third replay review in as many innings after Adam Jones was called out on a bang-bang play at first, and, sure enough, the call was overturned.

So, understandably, after his club's video-assisted 8-1 loss to their Beltway rivals, Nationals manager Dusty Baker wasn't about to extol the virtues of Major League Baseball's replay system.

"The thing about it, is that it sort of makes a point of why do we need umpires, if you’re going to dispute everything that they say?” Baker said, according to Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post.

"I don't know. I’m kind of new this year to replay, but it’s tough to lose three of them. I don’t think anybody's ever lost three of them. To me, it doesn’t make the umpires look very good. I just hope they correct this."

Baker's sentiment was echoed by Turner, whose stolen-base percentage dropped 10 percentage points thanks to a pair of replays Wednesday - the first time he's been caught stealing multiple times in a game since making his MLB debut last year.

"Don't care for it too much," Turner said. "I don't think I or we or anybody on this side has really benefit from it, so for that reason I don't really care for it."

On this night, Baker's contempt for the replay system was likely borne of frustration, but the 67-year-old - who, despite boasting more than two decades of managerial experience, is in the midst of the first season with expanded replay - did offer some legitimate criticisms, too.

"Number one, I just think it takes too long," Baker said. "It takes too long and they've gotta do something to correct the length of time. Maybe after 30 seconds if they’re inconclusive, then come up with whatever the umpire said."

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox