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On This Date in Sports September 3, 2008

In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com

Instant Replay makes its debut, as a home run by Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees is reviewed in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. MLB had only announced limited approval of Instant Replay on August 28th. The only plays that could be reviewed at the time were home runs. The call was upheld as the Yankees beat the Rays 8-4.

The human element had long been part of baseball, as calls throughout the history of the game were missed changing who would win key games even the World Series. Plays like the 1985 World Series when Jorge Orta was clearly out but ruled safe by Don Deckinger, allowing the Kansas City Royals to rally to beat the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 6 as they won the series in seven games. The 1996 ALCS featured a controversial play when a 12-year-old fan named Jeffrey Maier reached over the wall and helped Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees get game-tying home run against the Baltimore Orioles.

Replay was not necessarily available during those calls, but by 2008 with high definition cameras, the technology caught up to the sport. MLB was the last of the four major leagues to embrace replay, with the NFL first introducing replay in 1986. Replay in the NFL was canceled after the 1991 season but was back to stay in 1999 after a pair of game-altering calls in 1998 made headline news. NHL began using replay on goals in 1992, while the NBA used replay on last-second shots since 2002.

On August 28, 2008, at a meeting of General Managers, Commissioner Bud Selig announced that Major League Baseball would begin a limited use of Instant Replay on home run calls only. The first chance to use replay came six days later as the Tampa Bay Rays were hosting the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field. With the Yankees leading 6-3 in the ninth inning, facing Troy Percival, with Bobby Abreau on base, Alex Rodriguez hit a high fly ball down the leftfield line which went over the foul pole and hit one of the many catwalks at Tropicana Field. The umpires ruled the ball was a home run. Though Joe Maddon of the Rays asked for them to reconsider since the ground rules were confusing on balls of a catwalk. The umpires led by crew chief Charlie Reliford went down with his crew to umpire’s room. After a two-minute check with central command at MLB headquarters, the home run was allowed to stand as the Yankees won the game 8-4. The first call to be overturned also occurred at Tropicana Field, when a call of fan interference was reversed allowing a home run by Carlos Pena of the Rays to count against the Minnesota Twins.

Replay remained limited over the next few seasons, of course, an expanded replay would have helped when Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Gallaraga’s perfect game was lost by a blown call at first base in 2010. Eventually, replay would be expanded to full use, with managerial challenges in 2014.