Joe Torre: MLB's new instant replay system won't disrupt game's rhythm

Change comes slowly for a sport built on tradition, but this season, new rules involving instant replay in Major League Baseball go into effect, changing the way the game is played.

At every stadium, 12 cameras will be mounted. In all, 42 tons of equipment and 172 miles of video cable will be installed to make the ballparks instant-replay ready.

Every baseball fan, CBS News' Don Dahler reported, remembers their least-favorite bad call. Fan interference in the 1996 American League Championship that was called a home run. The perfect game that wasn't in 2010, when pitcher Armando Galarraga was denied a place in the history books by a blown call. To prevent such blunders in the future, Major League Baseball is spending $50 million.

Hall of Famer Joe Torre was on the committee that designed the new replay system. Asked if the underlying purpose is to avoid the big historic bad call, Torre said, "There's no question. We want eliminate those ones that you shake your head at or as managers go home -- as I did -- on a number of nights saying, 'I wish I had a chance to change one thing.'"

Dahler asked, "Or that haunt these umpires through their careers?"

Torre said, "No question."

Now, if Major League managers don't agree with an umpire's call, they can challenge it. An instant replay from any game in the country is then reviewed by umpires in a high-tech facility in New York City. If the call is overturned, the manager gets one more challenge for the duration of the game. If the call stands, the manager is out of luck.

"I think it's good for baseball," said Bo Porter, who manages the Houston Astros. "I think it's good for the fans. It gives us an opportunity to get the calls right."

Porter challenged a call during a spring training game. The call was overturned and helped the Astros eventually win the game. Porter is teaching his team to finish each play, even if a third out is made.

"Continue to play," Porter said. "If you're the base runner, you round third base and you go hard."

But is there any concern that the new replay system is pushing tradition a little bit too much?

Torre said, "We haven't changed a whole lot in baseball over the years because it's a pretty darn good game. We think technology is at a point where we can install this, we can institute replay and not have it affect the rhythm of the game."

Managers still can't challenge balls and strikes. But that's OK with Houston Astros pitcher Alex White. "Balls and strikes depend on the umpire and you have relationships throughout the league with umpires," he said. "You know which guys call what and that's part of the game, and I certainly would never want to see that go."

Major League Baseball is hoping now the only errors seen on the field are those committed by the players.