Instant Replay Talk Met With Skepticism

The Curse of the Bambino wasn’t enough for Boston Red Sox fans. Now, they have the Curse of the Umps. At least that’s what was written on the sign one woman carried into Fenway Park for Game 5 of the American League championship series Monday night.

Though most Red Sox players downplayed the umpiring in the series, which the New York Yankees won, 4-1, Boston fans felt robbed.

Umpire Rick Reed admitted blowing a 10th-inning call that hurt Boston in a 4-3 Game 1 loss, and umpire Tim Tschida admitted blowing an eighth-inning call in Game 4 that went against Boston when only one run separated the teams. The Yankees went on to win, 9-2.

The mistakes have stirred debate on a subject that makes baseball purists cringe: the possibility of using instant replay.

Sandy Alderson, executive vice president of major league baseball, said it’s possible instant replay will be discussed this winter, but he said the use of it, because of baseball’s “texture,” would be difficult.

When Yankee Manager Joe Torre was asked about instant replay after the Game 1 controversy, his concern was that it would cause even more delays in slow-moving games that usually surpass three hours and sometimes push four.

After the blown call in Game 4--and an eight-minute delay caused by Red Sox fans who littered the field with debris--Torre found another drawback to instant replay.

“The problem I would have with it is that in baseball, unlike any other sport, suppose you have an umpire at third base who misses a play and it’s reversed by the replay procedure,” Torre said.

“Now, you have that umpire standing there all night, and the people aren’t going to be pleased with the fact that he got it wrong; they’re going to be on him for missing it. It’s going to be total abuse.”

Boston Manager Jimy Williams is not an advocate of instant replay, but he would like to see umpires ask fellow umps for more help and be willing to have a call overturned.

“They’re a team, just like we are,” Williams said. “We work as a team. I still think they need to work as a team.”

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Torre made a sensitive decision Monday night, removing error-prone second baseman Chuck Knoblauch in the eighth inning of a close game for Luis Sojo.

The Yankee manager previously said he wouldn’t make such a move, knowing that it could shatter the struggling player’s already fragile psyche.

But with the stakes higher and Knoblauch, who made 26 errors this season, showing no signs of solving his throwing problems, Torre, who believes Knoblauch may not be admitting to a shoulder injury, decided to lift him. And he will continue to do so in the World Series.

Knoblauch, the Yankee leadoff batter, accepted Torre’s decision.

“Certainly, you have a lot of pride and you want to be out there,” Knoblauch said. “But Joe talked to me before [Monday’s] game. I had no problem with it. It’s no secret I’ve had a problem with my defense, so whatever it takes to win is fine.”

World Series

NEW YORK YANKEES

vs. ATLANTA BRAVES

Best-of-seven series;

all games on Channel 4

Game 1: Saturday at Atlanta, 5 p.m.

Game 2: Sunday at Atlanta, 5 p.m.

Game 3: Tuesday at New York, 5:15 p.m.

Game 4: Oct. 27 at New York, 5:15 p.m.

*Game 5: Oct. 28 at New York, 5:15 p.m.

*Game 6: Oct. 30 at Atlanta, 5 p.m.

*Game 7: Oct. 31 at Atlanta, 5 p.m.

* if necessary