The umpires have been heavily scrutinized in this year’s MLB playoffs, and Game 2 of the World Series was no exception, with each team benefiting from a blown double-play call. Whether or not the Philadelphia Phillies’ blown call was more harmful to the outcome of the game or not is irrelevant at this point, but the debate on whether wider use of instant replay in baseball is needed. Some argue that it’s more important to get the “right” calls; some argue that baseball needs a “human” element. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig argues that more instant replay would slow down the already sluggish-pace of the game.

Major League Baseball should appoint a “review umpire” who sits with the rest of the play review team. Somebody who could review close plays regardless of the on-field call. If the call was correct, the play stands. If the play is challenged, the review umpire would have the correct ruling virtually ready to go instantaneously. If the call was incorrect, the umpire will have some way to quickly inform the on-field umpires to reverse the play. Televised broadcasts show the instant replays within seconds of the play itself. It wouldn’t take any longer for an official review umpire to have the same access.

MLB Rule 8.04 states that “When the bases are unoccupied, the pitcher shall deliver the ball to the batter within 12 seconds after he receives the ball. Each time the pitcher delays the game by violating this rule, the umpire shall call ‘Ball.’ The 12-second timing starts when the pitcher is in possession of the ball and the batter is in the box, alert to the pitcher. The timing stops when the pitcher releases the ball.” An easier task than trying to figure out the exact definition of this rule would be to ask when the last time you saw an umpire call it was. Granted, the rule was written vaguely enough to allow for a massive amount of interpretations, but regardless, it has not impacted the game.

The pace of the game should have nothing to do with getting the calls right. If the umpire would have made the right call in Game 2, the Phillies would have had Ryan Howard at the plate with runners on the corners and down by two runs. Instead, Howard came to the plate in the ninth with the bases empty. That is a huge impact on the game. MLB needs to get its priorities straight and decide what’s more important: finishing the games quickly or finishing the games correctly.