Can you appeal a call by the home plate umpire?

Answer 1

Yes, there are three ways that an appeal can be called that I can think of off-hand.

The most common appeal is when a batter makes an attempt at a pitch, but holds up at the last second, called a "Check Swing." Since the home plate umpire's priority is to see where the ball is pitched, he usually doesn't have a good view of the batter's check-swing. When he makes his call, either the catcher or the batter can make an appeal to the first or third base umpire. The umpire on the baseline can clearly see if the batter has swung past the plate or not.

Another appeal is called if a ball appears that it could or could not have been a home run. In this case, the manager can appeal the call, forcing the umpires to get together and view the play on instant replay.

The third newest appeal is when a close play is made and the manager does not agree that the umpire made the right call. He can appeal and the umpires will check the instant replay to see if the appeal is successful. This appeal is a one-time deal for each manager. If the appeal is successful, the call is reversed and the manager may still appeal again. If the appeal is not successful, the call stays and the manager loses his right to appeal again on a close play. He may still appeal on home run calls.