BlackAmericans.com

If Major League Baseball’s new instant replay system had been in place this season, it would have been used about 18 times so far to determine if a home run had been hit.

Commissioner Bud Selig said that the replay system would start with the three series that open Thursday and be used in all games throughout the rest of the season.

Monitors will be installed near the field at every ballpark, enabling officials in New York to instantly replay home runs and review disputed calls.

Major League Baseball did not test players for performance-enhancing drugs for more than half of the 2004 season, according to a letter sent by Commissioner Bud Selig to Congress.

Whether baseball officials provided a complete picture of the league’s drug testing program is under scrutiny.

Bud Selig has presided over baseball during a period of tremendous growth. But he may ultimately be remembered for his handling of baseball’s so-called steroids era.

Major League Baseball received its best grade for racial diversity in hiring, even as the percentage of black players dropped again last year.

Bud Selig’s reluctance to forgo punishment for players named in the Mitchell report has slowed negotiations between the league and the players union over the report’s recommendations.