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Roenicke feels out recent implications of replays

MILWAUKEE -- Ron Roenicke doesn't really know what to say.

When the Brewers manager jumps out of the dugout to "stall" for time while Brewers personnel examine whether to ask for a replay challenge, he said he legitimately feels uncomfortable.

"I'm used to running out there, saying my piece and then going back," he said. "Now I have to stall -- and I'm not a big yapper anyway -- so it's really uncomfortable. I need to do a better job of it. … I really do. I don't like the way it is right now. I don't like that I have to go out there on every close play. That's not what we wanted to do when we were setting this whole replay thing up; we just wanted to get the plays right. But because there's no easy way to do it, it forces me to go out there on every close play. I really don't want to do that."

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle emerged from the dugout in both the eighth and ninth inning Saturday after close plays, one that resulted in a challenge and one that did not. Umpires and managers alike have made no bones about the intent of those conversations.

Roenicke said eventually Major League Baseball will establish a system of evaluation for the expanded replay system implemented in 2014. In the meantime, he prefers the players do the stalling, because the manager staying in the dugout would minimize the length of delay.

"I don't want to stall this game, I want the games to go quicker," Roenicke said. "It's a big concern with baseball and it's a concern with me. I don't like three-plus-hour games, so the quicker we can do this, the better. That's probably the main thing that's going to happen -- how can we do this thing right and still keep the game flowing?"

Roenicke said replay has worked its intended result in Brewers games, but he has witnessed outcomes he doesn't like.

"I was watching a replay of the game last night with the Yankees," Roenicke said. "They didn't overturn a call and [MLB] said they should have. For me, I don't think they should have. The runner is clearly safe."

He was referring to a play against the Red Sox when Yankees shortstop Dean Anna doubled and slid over the bag at second and into a standing position. Boston shortstop Xander Bogaerts kept the tag on when Anna's foot momentarily left the bag. The call stood as safe, but MLB later said the conclusive video angle was not immediately available and the play should have been overturned.

"We're teaching guys now to keep a tag on a guy because we have replay," Roenicke said. "Make the tag on the guy and if he's safe, he's safe. If you want to go by the rules, you call him out, but come on. To me, he's safe. It's just like outfielders who catch the ball, take a few steps -- they've clearly got possession of the ball -- and they go to take it out of their glove and drop it, and he's out. That's the stuff I don't want to see happen, and it can now because of the rules. I don't like that. Again, that's not why they put this in."

JR Radcliffe is a contributor to MLB.com.
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