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GMs Vote For Replay, But Selig Will Need Convincing

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By MARC LANCASTER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 7, 2007

ORLANDO - Baseball might not have instant replay in time for the 2008 season, but the eventual introduction of the kind of technology that has become commonplace in other sports seems inevitable.
General managers voted 25-5 Tuesday in favor of exploring the use of replay. The group didn't delve into specifics, but did determine that replays should only cover home runs - whether they're fair or foul, whether they actually clear the top of fences and whether a fan interfered with a ball in play.

Though somewhat overwhelming in margin, Tuesday's vote was non-binding. The decision ultimately is up to Commissioner Bud Selig, a longtime opponent of introducing replay technology into the game. But he has shown signs of coming around lately, according to other MLB officials.

"I'm sure the commissioner, who seems to have indicated an openness to look at this subject seriously, will do so over the course of the next month," said Bob DuPuy, baseball's president and chief operating officer.

Nonetheless, cautioned MLB executive vice president for baseball operations Jimmie Lee Solomon, "I would not consider him an advocate of instant replay - he will have to be convinced."

Others in the game are already there. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman praised baseball's umpires, saying they get it right "99.9 percent" of the time, but noted there is still a margin of error.

"I'm a big supporter of utilizing technology to be certain," Cashman said. "I just think it's important. It's time, and we need to catch up."

If Selig decides to move forward with the proposal, the next step would involve drawing up a detailed plan covering the mechanics of how replay would work. Solomon said the general managers favored an NHL-style model, with league officials watching all the games in a centralized location and making decisions over the telephone with on-site officials when necessary.

With so many details to be ironed out, officials sounded doubtful that it could be in place by the start of next season, but didn't rule out introducing it in the postseason.

Report: Guillen, Williams Bought Steroids, HGH

Power-hitting outfielder Jose Guillen bought nearly $20,000 worth of steroids and human growth hormone from 2003 to 2005, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Tuesday.

Former major-leaguers Matt Williams and Ismael Valdez also purchased performance-enhancing drugs, in 2002, from a Florida anti-aging clinic that was raided in February as part of an investigation by the Albany, N.Y., district attorney into alleged illegal drug sales, the newspaper said.

Major League Baseball began testing for steroids in 2003. HGH was banned in January 2005.

The Chronicle received details of the players' orders in records from a source the newspaper didn't identify. Those records contained shipping and purchase orders, payment information, Social Security numbers and customers' birthdates, the paper said.

A report by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell into the use of performance-enhancing substances in baseball is expected before the end of the year. An unidentified active player has agreed to speak with Mitchell in the next few weeks, SI.com reported Tuesday. The Yankees' Jason Giambi is the only active player known to have spoken with Mitchell.

Schilling, Red Sox Finalize 1-Year Deal

Curt Schilling and the Red Sox finalized an $8 million, one-year contract that keeps the right-hander with the World Series champions.

The deal provides for him to make an additional $5 million in bonuses and match his 2007 salary. It contains $3 million in performance bonuses based on innings pitched and $2 million based on weight clauses.

Schilling would get a $375,000 bonus for pitching 130 innings, and an additional $375,000 for every 10-inning increment up to 200. He also will have six random weigh-ins, one per month, and get $333,333 each time he maintains his weight.

•Boston's David Ortiz had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and is expected to participate fully in spring training.

INDIANS: Pitcher Paul Byrd, whose admitted use of human growth hormone served as a backdrop to the end of Cleveland's season, had his $7.5 million club option for 2008 picked up by the Indians.

Byrd said he took HGH for a medical condition and did so under a doctor's supervision.

The club also exercised its $4 million option on closer Joe Borowski, who led the AL with 45 saves last season, and $1.5 million option on left-handed reliever Aaron Fultz.

MARLINS: Have agreed to accept the Orange Bowl as a site for a new ballpark if a financial deal can be worked out, acceding to the wishes of county and city officials.

METS: Marlon Anderson agreed to a $2.2 million, two-year contract.

NATIONALS: Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman broke a bone in his left wrist while swinging a bat and is scheduled to have surgery today.

GOLD GLOVES: Padres pitcher Greg Maddux won his record 17th Gold Glove, while Boston first baseman Kevin Youkilis earned his first award.

Detroit catcher Ivan Rodriguez won for the 13th time and outfielders Andruw Jones (10), Ichiro Suzuki (7) and Torii Hunter (7) added to their totals. The Rockies, who set a major-league mark for fielding percentage, did not have a winner.

Information from Tribune wires was used in this report.

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