Braves positive about limited use of replay

Major-league umpires using replay is agreeable to most Braves, provided it’s used on a limited basis. For now, it’s only going to be employed on some home-run calls.

“I like it,” catcher Brian McCann said after Tuesday’s announcement that umpires can begin to use video for assistance in making home-run calls. “It can be a real big success, if they do it real quickly and don’t hold up the game. But just for home runs and fair and foul calls. You don’t want to start using it for [other close plays].”

General managers voted last fall to use replay, but it couldn’t be instituted until Major League Baseball reached agreements between the players’ and umpires’ unions.

Video monitors have been installed in each ballpark where umpires can go to quickly check on replays on “boundary calls” on home runs only, including whether a ball went over the fence, was fair or foul, or there was fan interference on a potential homer.

The system will be used through the rest of the season and postseason, and the agreement will run through 2011 — provided the players’ union doesn’t ask by Dec. 10 for further discussions.

The system will be implemented beginning with the opening game of this weekend’s series, either Thursday or Friday for all teams.

“If it’s used and done the way they’re explaining it’s going to be, then there’s a minimal or no impact on the time of game, then fine, I’m all for it,” said Braves pitcher Tom Glavine.

“Particularly in this day and age where all these ballparks are being built where people can reach over the outfield fence and catch balls, fan interference is becoming more of an issue on those plays. …

“In the end, we’d all ultimately like to see the right call made. That’s the most important thing. And I just hope if and when instant replay is utilized, it has very minimal effect in terms of disrupting the game.”

Reliever Will Ohman said: “The calls it would benefit are fair or foul balls. It’s potentially damaging, though, because it could be a gateway to use it [for other calls], which could take the human element out of the game entirely.

“I don’t know a person in the league pleased with how QuesTec turned out, the attempt to monitor the strike zone [via digital technology].”

Braves manager Bobby Cox has been a strong critic for years of QuesTec. But Cox thinks video replay can be beneficial for umpires, if used on the limited basis, for home-run calls or perhaps fair and foul balls.

“Anything else, I would not agree with,” Cox said. “Plays at second and first base, controversial catches, that should all be up to the umpire [without video replay].

McCann rests after rugged stretch

McCann had a swollen hematoma on his right shin that was half the size of a grapefruit, but that’s not the reason he was out of the lineup Tuesday.

Cox said he had planned to rest the catcher Tuesday to give him two consecutive days off (the Braves were off Monday), after McCann caught seven consecutive games including day games Saturday and Sunday in muggy St. Louis.

He fouled a ball off his shin in his first at-bat Sunday, but McCann caught the rest of the game. It wasn’t until he took his sock off afterward that he realized how large the swollen area was.

“It looks a lot worse than it is,” McCann said.