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		Baseball will be careful how they use replay By Daniel Dullum May 28, 2008

	PHOENIX--The subject always comes up when there is a close call regarding a home run call, and the umpires have to gather in a huddle while opposing managers stand around waving their arms about. A couple weeks ago you might recall the Mets and Yankees got together on a nationally televised game on ESPN Sunday night baseball when a Mets’ player hit a home run, or so the Mets thought, and the umpire ruled that the ball hit was a foul ball. Unfortunately, the replay on ESPN showed clearly that the ball hit the foul pole and if you know your baseball, you know that when the ball hits the foul pole, it's a fair ball. It can hit the screen and if it hits anywhere on the pole, that's a fair ball, and unfortunately the ball hit a portion of the base of the pole at Yankee Stadium that is painted black. For reasons only the Yankees know, they painted it black. If you’re an umpire, and remember this is just a four-man crew for regular season, that can be a bit of a tricky call to make. Because the umpires’ union would not agree to balls and strikes being appealed through the replay rule, it will not happen with double plays; same thing with the bang-bang play at the plate. What could happen would be a limited judgment call like the home run; like determining fan interference for example. That sort of thing could be replayed if they can agree with the umpires on what merits a replay like they do in the NFL. Everything in the NFL is reviewable and people sometimes forget that or don't know that. The same thing applies to MLB. If they have any replay at all, it’s only going to be a handful of instances that would merit replays and if it's put to the umpires that way, they might be receptive to it. Grand Jury to consider summoning Magowan/Partners: The U.S. Attorney’s office in San Francisco did not confirm it, but sources say that Peter Magowan, Giants General Managing Partner, and Giants General Manager Brian Sabean are being considered for a court summons in the Barry Bonds trial. The feds feel what happened regarding any kind of knowledge of Sabean or Magowan about steroid distribution in the Giants clubhouse during the 2001-2003 seasons would be subject to being subpoenaed and this includes trainers, former teammates, doctors, coaches, and managers who were there during that time, which would be ex-managers Dusty Baker, Felipe Alou, and current Giant manager Bruce Bochy. Yes, Peter Magowan was the one who wrote out the last contract that Bonds had signed. Logic would say he had to know something, but unless you get them on the witness stand, we’re not going to know what that something is. The timing of this is interesting; Magowan for the most part enjoyed being the General Managing partner of the Giants. One thing that Magowan did while owner was the references he made for the team's past and team's history. He did a good job with that, but at the same time, in a sense he sold his soul to the devil with the contract for the perks that Barry Bonds received in the name of putting fans in the ballpark and that may come out as well. If Magowan is called to appear in front of the grand jury, is it possible? Absolutely, no question, Sabean is a candidate to be called in to testify too. The thing that is interesting too is that the feds had to rework the charges against Bonds the last two months. The original case was a little weak and the feds wanted to fine tune the charges in the perjury case, and they went back and are now saying that they have something. The people who do not take the grand jury seriously are just not paying attention because perjuring yourself to the grand jury is just never a good thing. If the feds find that Bonds did this, he would be looking at some jail time. As far as Sabean is concerned, you have to kind of wonder how much he knew. The only way you can get that answer out of him is on the record on a court manuscript in a hearing. Sabean and Magowan are prime candidates to be asked. Daniel Dullum files a weekly baseball report on Sportstalk Radio.