GM meetings
The GMs just wrapped up their four days of meetings in Florida, where they usually just feel each other out about potential trades, getting ready for the winter meetings. This year they actually got the ball rolling on a few major and minor changes. The biggest decision was to examine the possibility of instant replay in baseball. It would only be used on home run balls when there is a question of fair/foul or in/out of the park. With this limited use, I don’t think it would be a bad thing. There would be someone up in the booth that would review the play, the umps on the field wouldn’t be viewing film. As long as they don’t start reviewing every questionable fair/foul call, safe/out at first or heaven forbid, balls and strikes, it shouldn’t slow the game down too much. Of course, nothing is for certain because the players and umpires have to have their say before anything changes.
The GMs also decided that the first and third base coaches will start wearing some sort of protective head gear next season. This is in response to the death of Mike Coolbaugh, the Colorado Rockies minor league coach who was hit in the head by a batted ball last season. Kudos to the Rockies players, by the way, as they voted a full playoff share to the family of the fallen coach. Last season, after Coolbaugh’s death, some of the major league coaches started wearing helmets while on the field. Batting helmets weren’t mandated for batters until 1971, although many players started wearing them after a Cleveland Indians player was hit by a pitch and killed in 1920. Too bad it often takes a death before such common sense precautions are put into place.