Umpires, MLB agree on replay

NEW YORK -- Baseball umpires and management signed an agreement Wednesday that will allow the sport to start using instant replay to help determine calls on the field.

Major League Baseball officials have said they hoped to start using replay in August. Installation of equipment has been going on at ballparks.

Replays will be limited to boundary calls, such as determining whether fly balls were fair or foul, or whether they went over fences.

The deal was signed by management lawyer Dan Halem and World Umpires Assn. attorney Dan Lam one day after a WUA spokesman went public with complaints over negotiations.

“We reached an agreement. Final decision with respect to moving ahead has not been made yet, but we have an agreement with the umpires,” said Rob Manfred, baseball’s executive vice president of labor relations.

Umpire crew chiefs will determine when replay will be used and will make the final decisions on calls. Up to three umpires will be able to look at the replays, which will be provided from a “war room” in New York.