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MLB replay system needs accountability

Managers have been asked repeatedly by Major League Baseball to be publicly supportive of the replay review system. In various ways, they've been told to keep their gripes to themselves.

But after the Angels' Mike Scioscia inexplicably lost a challenge on the back end of a double play Monday — inexplicably because the video evidence suggests he couldn't possibly lose — and then saw a subsequent decision go against him, he shook his head in the dugout and appeared to say "Oh my god."

The highly respected and normally understated Scioscia said more than that after the game, questioning both decisions. In the first one, Albert Pujols was called out as the Diamondbacks tried to complete the back end of a double play, and appeared to be safe (on the video, the best evidence appears at the 2:09 mark). Then, in the ninth, this decision went against the Angels as well.

From Katie Richcreek's story:

"I don't know how Pujols is called out, I really don't," Scioscia said. "After you look at it, it's obvious."

… "When we were in New York, we went over to the facility, and it seems like they have every camera angle, every super slow-motion you need," Scioscia said. "Yet we're seeing, in my estimation, too many calls that aren't reversed. Not only for us, but for the other team."

As for a solution, Scioscia thinks there is room for the process to eventually include an independent crew that would be responsible for the evaluation of plays.

"Some things need to evolve as far as how we determine these calls, because there's no standard for really what is going to overturn a call," he said. "It comes down to an individual umpire's interpretation and that's where I think some things will eventually be addressed."

Angels pitcher Jered Weaver, who started Monday, shared in Scioscia's disagreement.

"Everyone is kind of baffled at the way the replay system has gone this year," Weaver said. "There's been at least five through the course of the year that we thought could've gone the other way, but whoever is in the booth thinks the other way. It's a part of the game, but at the same time I think we need to figure out something to start getting some more stuff right."

More to the point: Major League Baseball needs to figure out why calls that are apparent to just about everybody watching are still being missed.

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