No Doubt: Replay Coming to Baseball

June 13, 2008 -- Replay is coming to Major League Baseball -- and supposedly sooner than previously thought.

Citing two high-ranking officials within the World Umpires Association, USA Today reported on its Web site Friday that MLB wants to equip itself with replay, for deciding disputed home run calls, by Aug. 1.

MLB presented the August date to umpires on Wednesday, for the purpose of using replay on "boundary calls" -- was a fence or wall cleared or was a ball fair or foul? -- for home runs.

The matter still must be bargained between MLB and WUA officials before replay's implementation.

"It's all premature," MLB spokesman Rich Levin told USA Today. "Nothing has been decided yet."

MLB has been making tentative plans to experiment with replay in the Arizona Fall League, a baseball official with knowledge of those discussions told ESPN.com recently. As recently as May 30, the time frame considered for launching replay at the major league level was next season.

The idea of replay has gained momentum after umpires botched several home run rulings on national TV in May.

At Yankee Stadium, umpires reversed their correct call and concluded a home run by the Mets' Carlos Delgado was foul.

The following night in Houston, umpires mistakenly ruled a ball off a center-field wall was in play, prompting a reconfiguration at Minute Maid Park the next day.

And, again at Yankee Stadium, a ball hit by Alex Rodriguez that struck a stairway beyond the outfield fence and bounced back into the outfield was ruled a double when it should have been a home run.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.