Peavy, Red Sox Go Off On Replay: 'This Is A Joke'
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Red Sox are not big fans of Major League Baseball's new replay system, and have let everyone know about their dislike.
After a horrible weekend in New York last month where his team was on the wrong end of a pair of blown replays, manager John Farrell told everyone it was hard to have faith in the system. The Red Sox were at it again on Thursday after a close call at the plate in a 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
The play came in the first of two games against the Rays at Fenway Park. The Red Sox thought they had tied the opener in the seventh inning when Dustin Pedroia slid into home on a David Ortiz double. It was a close play at the plate, and Pedroia was called out.
Boston challenged that call, but after a 1 minute, 52 second delay, it was announced the call would stand, sending the Boston bench into a tizzy. Farrell and Pedroia argued. Boston third base coach Brian Butterfield was ejected by first base umpire Toby Basner for slamming his helmet to the ground.
After the game, the team once again voiced their disdain for the new replay system.
"I thought not only did Dustin beat the throw, beat the tag, but it felt like his left foot made some contact with home plate," Farrell said between games of Thursday's split double-header with the Rays. "Our video internally showed that was the case and upon review, the call came back and stood. [They] felt like it wasn't conclusive enough evidence to overturn the call on the field."
"I just don't like the whole inconclusive deal," Pedroia said, adding that didn't think Tampa catcher Jose Molina tagged him before crossing the plate. "Replay, you should go check it out and you're either out or safe. I don't know what inconclusive means. Maybe that means someone doesn't want to make a decision. We all make decisions every day. Some of them are hard and some of them are not. Got to make them, though."
Game 1 starter Jake Peavy was perhaps the most vocal after the loss.
"There's no doubt [Pedroia was safe]," Peavy said. "I saw the same thing you guys saw. But clearly, replay -- I don't know, I guess it can't be close. If it's close, they seem to stick with the call. It's hard for me to talk right now without absolutely going off.
"As many times as it happened in New York, then you come up ... these are deciding ballgames. It's extremely frustrating and we as a whole, MLB, we've got to get our act together because this is a joke," he continued. "It's embarrassing for fans and everybody to see. Of course he touched the plate, of course he slid dirt over the top of the plate and got tagged after the fact. That stinks.
"It's extremely frustrating when that decides ballgames, and we agreed to replay to get the calls right," he said. "That's the reason we agreed for this to happen and to not get them right, I don't want to hear anybody's explanation. I know what I see, you can't talk me into anything different when you see what you see. Dustin Pedroia was clearly safe, albeit close, clearly safe. I don't know what else to say."
98.5 The Sports Hub's Andy Gresh and Scott Zolak discussed Peavy's comments, discussed MLB instant replay in general and provided their own takes.
Listen below:
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