Joe Girardi’s Dramatic Change of Heart on Instant Replay in Major League Baseball

Anyone who watched the Yankees' ALCS game two loss to the Tigers on Sunday knows the Yankees were on the wrong end of a horrible call.  With two outs in the top of the eighth, the Tigers' Omar Infante overran second base on an Austin Jackson single and was tagged out well before he got back to the bag........or so it seemed.

Umpire Jeff Nelson curiously called Infante safe, and all Hell broke loose.  Joe Girardi was tossed from the game and the Tigers tacked on two more insurance runs before the inning was over.  The Tigers went on to win 3-0.

See the terrible call for yourself.

After the game, Girardi was asked by the media to give his opinion on instant replay in baseball.  As one might expect, Girardi sang the praises of 'getting the call right.'

HOWEVA, Girardi sang a dramatically different tune back in 2009.  In game two of the Yankees' ALDS series against the Twins, Girardi and the Yankees were on the winning end of a terrible call.

Tied at three in the top of the 11th, Joe Mauer hit a ball down the line that was ruled foul.  Replay showed the ball was fair.  Mark Teixeira homered in the bottom of the inning to give the Yankees the win.

 When asked about the expanded use of replay in 2009, Girardi waxed romantically about replay ruining the beautiful rhythm of our national past time.

As my dad likes to say, "It all depends on whose ox is being gored."