Sports

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) ― For the first time Tuesday, baseball general managers recommended instant replay be used to help umpires make difficult decisions.

The recommendation, by a 25-5 vote, was limited to boundary calls - whether potential home runs are fair or foul, whether balls go over fences or hit the top and bounce back, and whether fans interfere with possible homers.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig opposes the use of replays but said last month he was willing to let GMs examine the issue.

"I don't like instant replay because I don't like all the delays. I think it sometimes creates as many problems or more than it solves," Selig said then.

But Jimmie Lee Solomon, an executive vice president in the commissioner's office, thinks Selig's stance has changed a bit recently.

"He seemed to be softer, at least on the consideration of the subject," Solomon said Tuesday.

He added it was unclear how the proposal will proceed and acknowledged there is "glacier-like movement in baseball" when it comes to innovation. Solomon said if Selig is willing, the commissioner probably would run the idea by owners. The plan needs approval from the players' association and umpires.

Solomon said GMs favored having a Major League Baseball official in a central place with access to all camera angles. If there is a disputed call, that official would be contacted and would view the television replay to make a decision.

"We have a very technologically savvy group of GMs," Solomon said. "I was surprised that we had five teams that said no."

Solomon also said that to speed up games, baseball was considering limiting the number of times a hitter could step out of the batter's box during an at-bat and the number of times any player could visit the mound.

In player news, Curt Schilling and Greg Maddux are staying put.

Schilling and the Boston Red Sox finalized an $8 million, one-year contract Tuesday that keeps the star right-hander with the World Series champions next season.

The agreement provides for him to make an additional $5 million in bonuses and match his 2007 salary. It contains $3 million in performance bonuses based on innings pitched and $2 million based on weight clauses, a person familiar with the negotiations said, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not yet made an announcement.

His agreement was first reported by ESPN.com. The Red Sox announced the deal Tuesday afternoon, but did not disclose Schilling's salary.

Schilling had filed for free agency. In a posting on his Web site early Tuesday, before the deal was completed, he said he felt "comfortable" that he would finish his career in Boston with a one-year contract.

Schilling, who turns 41 on Nov. 14, was 9-8 this year, then went 3-0 in four starts during the postseason to improve his postseason record to 11-2.

Maddux stayed with the San Diego Padres, agreeing to a $10 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with those talks said Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the team had not yet announced the deal.

There was little doubt Maddux would return to the Padres. He went 14-11 with a 4.14 ERA this year for San Diego, which fell one win short of its third straight playoff appearance.

Maddux, a 347-game winner who turns 42 on April 14, had a player option for $8.75 million. Had he pitched 200 innings - he finished with 198 - the option price would have increased to $10 million. In addition, San Diego had a club option for $11 million.

The new deal contains award bonuses, a no-trade clause and a suite on road trips, a person familiar with the contract said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the Padres had not yet announced the agreement.

Andy Pettitte told the Yankees he was declining his $16 million option for next season because he still was uncertain whether he wanted to pitch again or retire. The 35-year-old left-hander had until Wednesday to decide on the option.

"If Andy decides to play, I am confident we can reach an agreement with the Yankees within 24 hours," Pettitte's agent, Randy Hendricks, said in an e-mail. "The only options, as Andy has stated, are the Yankees or retirement. He appreciates the Yankees' willingness to give him the time he feels he needs. I do not expect him to make a decision for quite some time."

Pettitte went 15-9 with a 4.05 ERA for the Yankees this year, including 11-3 after the All-Star break. He was their most effective starter in the postseason, pitching 6 1-3 scoreless innings in Game 2 of New York's first-round loss to Cleveland.

"Obviously, we want Andy to stay with the Yanks and pitch for us in '08. In fact, I'd say I need him to," general manager Brian Cashman said. "He's an important piece for us. ... We're hopeful that at some point that the marriage of the Pettittes and the Yankees can continue."

(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)