Fox wanted to use cable cams during last year's playoffs, but player objections turned airspace over diamonds into no-fly zones. Now, says Fox Sports senior vice president Jerry Steinberg, Fox hopes to use cameras with "more lenient access."

Before pitches, the cameras and their wires would be pulled back and not above the field of play. After hits they could follow runners to first, or follow runners going from third to home — and only stray about 30 feet into the field's airspace. On camera altitude, says Steinberg, "they'll sign off on a minimum height, around 40-60 feet, and anything above that is like the DMZ."

While Fox hasn't put cameras on umps during regular-season action, the idea isn't new. ESPN tested it in 2002, and Fox for years put cameras in catchers' masks. But putting mikes or cameras on players or coaches in any sport is usually voluntary and not enough catchers agreed to wear Fox cameras to make it worthwhile.

With umps already wearing Fox mikes, Steinberg thinks this season they'll agree to shoot video, too. "The technology hasn't been the sticking point on this. It's been the human element."