Selig doesn't think replay will be expanded this season

Bud Selig does not think any changes will be made to the umpiring system this season, including additional instant replay, but baseball's commissioner added, "I never say never."

Speaking during Major League Baseball's first-year player draft Monday night, Selig said he is "extremely comfortable" with his decision not to overturn the blown call that cost Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game last week.

In the wake of that controversy, he said he has heard from a lot of people regarding potentially adding instant replay and has been surprised by the number of people against it.

"It is interesting," he said. "Most baseball people are really against it, no question. You can really sense that the last few days."

The day after Galarraga's "imperfect game,'' Selig released a statement vowing to "examine our umpiring system, the expanded use of instant replay and all other related features."

On Monday night, Selig said, "I meant what I said in my statement. I carefully wrote it myself."

Selig said there is a conference call scheduled soon for the members of the Special Committee for On-Field Matters, and that he will give their opinion great weight in determining whether there will be additional use of replay. But the final decision will be on the commissioner.

"It is interesting to me how many people are really against it," he said, "but in the end I have to do what I think is right after studying it . . . I will do what I think is right and take the responsibility for it."

As for his decision not to overturn Joyce's call and award Galarraga a perfect game, as many people suggested he should do, Selig felt it would have created a bad precedent.

"In this job, precedence is very important," Selig said. "A lot of people don't really understand that. But it is important. You could say this is really aberrational, but there are a lot of situations, I could have clubs calling up, 'what about that game I lost and why didn't you think about that game.' "

Selig, who spoke with Joyce by phone Monday, added that he was extremely pleased with how each party handled the situation - Joyce, Galarraga, the Tigers, the fans. "Only baseball,'' he said, "could produce a story like that.''