ORLANDO, Fla. – Baseball could have a new position next year: replay judge.

General managers recommended for the first time Tuesday that instant replay be used to help umpires make difficult decisions.

The proposal, approved 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 tops and bounce back, and whether fans interfere with possible homers.

“We’ve taken the first step. The question will be now, what do we do?” said Jimmie Lee Solomon, executive vice president for baseball operations in the commissioner’s office. “We have glacier-like movement in baseball, so I’m hopeful that we can at least start meaningful discussions about it. I think that this will be something we’ll have to go very deliberately on.”

Solomon said the next step will be to speak with commissioner Bud Selig, who opposes the use of replays but said last month he was willing to let GMs examine the issue. If Selig gives the go-ahead, Solomon and staff in the commissioner’s office would draft a detailed replay proposal that GMs could vote on when they gather next month at the winter meetings in Nashville, Tenn.

“All anybody is interested in is getting it right,” Chicago White Sox GM Ken Williams said. “It will be a lot easier and less time to get that right than some of these arguments that ensue when a call is disputed.”

Replay eventually would have to be approved by the unions for players and umpires, and possibly in a vote by owners.

“It’s very important that we do get Bud’s agreement on this,” Solomon said. “He seemed to be softer, at least, on the consideration of the subject lately. I would not consider him an advocate of instant replay. He will have to be convinced.”

Television replays can be used for many calls in other sports, like the NBA and NHL, to check other calls and points scored.