If Instant Replay existed in 1996, would Derek Jeters' HR in the ALCS be called back?

Question

This was the ball where a 12-year old kid reached over the fence and took the ball out of Tony Tarasco's glove.

Answer 1

Absolutely. I'm still surprised after all of these years that they called it incorrectly in the first place. The new instant replay can be used to look at fan interference calls and there was no doubt that was fan interference. The only question would be whether it would be called an out or a double. From every prospective, it looks like Tarasco had a great shot at catching the ball, so it is likely that it would be called an out.

Answer 2

it would be called back but he would still get a double out of it due to fan interference

Answer 3

No, It would still be a home run.  The Instant Replay will be to determine if balls are out of the park or in, judging by the yellow line.  If a fan reaches over and catches the ball and pulls it back over the home run line.  HOME RUN.  Just like if a ball player (Jose Canseco) has the ball hit him in the head and it bounces over the line it is a HOME RUN...

Jeter still hits the home run, the Yanks still win their first WS of the 4 year stretch...

Answer 4

It Would Be Called 'Fan Interference' it Would be a Double.

Answer 5

First of all, Mr. Durden, you could not be more wrong.  The new replay rule is intended to specifically determine if fan interference has occured

"For now, umps can use replays to aid decisions only on whether potential home runs cleared fences, were fair balls or were interfered with by fans." - Yahoo Sports

In the case of Jeter, the umpires would have reviewed the play.  If the ump ruled that Tarasco could have caught the ball without the interference, Jeter would have been called out.  If the ump rules that the ball would not have been caught, then a ground rule double would have been awarded.  In this case, umpire Richie Garcia has said that in retrospect, the ball was uncatchable and the correct ruling should have been a double.  But in all honesty, that is nothing more than Garcia trying to cover his @ss for blowing an obvious call.  Torasco was clearly camped out under that ball and would have made the catch.

The correct ruling should have been fan interference, Jeter is out, Jeffery Maier is ejected from the stadium.  So in answer to your question, ABSOLUTELY the home run would have been disallowed.