Cubs manager Joe Maddon: Replay process needs to change
Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon says that MLB’s replay system needs to change, calling for an independent group of “nerds” to handle the reviews to make sure calls are made correctly.
With the Cubs trailing 5-2 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the bottom of the night of Wednesday’s game, Cubs rightfielder Chris Denorfia hit a ball off the left-field wall at Wrigley Field. While Denorfia tried to stretch the hit into a double, Dodgers leftfielderScott Van Slyke fired the ball to second baseman Kiké Hernandez, who tagged him for the final out of the game.
Maddon challenged the call, but it was upheld by the officials in New York.
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"I cannot believe the conclusion," Maddon said, according to MLB.com. "Even as a fan, standing in the dugout at that particular moment, I wish whomever made that call could have been at Wrigley Field and looked at the big [video] screen if they wanted to see something definitive.”
The call in question wasn’t confirmed, meaning the replay officials couldn’t see a definitive replay to overturn the call.
"To say there was nothing definitive right there, I could not disagree more strongly," Maddon said. "I have no idea why they would say that. It makes zero sense to me whatsoever. I'm just being honest. It made no sense."
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Maddon is the second manager in the past week to publicly criticize the replay system. Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmussaid that the replay system “needs to be fixed” after a call went against his team in a loss to the Cincinnati Reds last week.
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