Cap Anson was in the Hall of Fame and Josh Gibson was dead before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier.

Later, baseball would stand idly by — as slack-jawed as its fans — while an entire era became defined by performance-enhancing drugs.

When the 2002 All-Star Game became a travesty, ending in a tie, MLB declared that from then on the winner of the Midsummer Classic would have home-field advantage in the World Series. As to addressing the actual problem of running out of pitchers, the two-player roster expansion implemented in '03 looked dangerously insufficient as the game went 15 innings this year. More pitching additions are being discussed.

But instant replay? Boom. Done.

The stadiums have been wired to allow for video replay of disputed home runs at baseball headquarters in New York. Less than a full season after baseball's general managers voted 25-5 to "explore" the possibility, replay is on its way.

What made baseball take the awkward and extreme step of changing the rules in the middle of a pennant race?

Fear.