MILWAUKEE — Baseball’s instant-replay procedure might undergo adjustments over the coming months, but Fredi Gonzalez is pleased with the way the expanded system is working so far.
The Atlanta Braves manager made history Monday when he became the first skipper to successfully challenge an umpire’s ruling under the new format.
Brewers right fielder Ryan Braun led off the sixth inning with a sharp grounder to third. After a moment of hesitation, first base umpire Greg Gibson ruled that Braun narrowly beat the throw from third baseman Chris Johnson and was safe.
Gonzalez came out of the dugout and argued for a moment before calling for the play to be reviewed. Following a delay of 58 seconds, crew chief Ted Barrett, in consultation with Major League Baseball’s replay center in New York, overturned Gibson’s call and ruled Braun out.
“You know what? They got the play right,” Gonzalez said. “That’s the bottom line. It’s a process that they’re looking at two to three years of working through the kinks. Today, at the end of the day, they got the play right.”
Under the new system, managers may challenge plays including safe and out, fair or foul in the outfield, catch or trap in the outfield, tag plays and several other incidents. If the challenge is successful, the manager receives an additional challenge, giving him a maximum of two challenges per game.
From the seventh inning on, if a manager is out of challenges, the umpiring crew chief may initiate a replay review at his discretion.