The Posey Rules

http://deadspin.com/5314473/why-pete-rose-didnt-ruin-ray-fosses-career

 

Given events later in his life one does wonder how much money Rose had riding on that all-star game.

 

Bug your league commish. That should be fixable.

 

The rule could definitely be modified to allow for umpire discretion to call a runner out for interference if it seems pretty clear he isn't trying to score.
I'm surprised more runners don't try and knock the crap out of first basemen on close plays at first.
Whatever happened to the backdoor slide?

 

Bingo, both at home and at second base, and the game isn't cheapened on elittle bit. Teams have millions invested in their catchers (and middle infielders). No one is asking anyone to "put on a skirt" (a totally stupid analogy, BTW) but you think they would find a way to protect their players from dangerous and potentially season/career-ending injuries.

veral years ago Torrie Hunter went wel out of his way to blast Jamie Burke in a home-plate collision, without even attempting to touch homew, even though Burke had moved up several steps to avoid contact and was nowhere near blocking tyhe plate. Plays like that merit a suspension and hefty fine.

 

Several steps up my narrow Irish ass. I was watching the game. Clean play.

 

The first basemen are not blocking the bag, big difference.

 

But the object would be the same, knock the ball loose. You want to make a rule that forbids catchers to block access to the plate if they don't have the ball? Fine.
There really is no reason for that play to need to happen - you don't see shortstops or second basemen setting up like that on stolen bases.

 

Sorry but the angle of that photo proves nothing. There was a clear, unimpeded path to an uncovered home plate but Hunter chose to instigate an easily-avoidable collison that left a player with an unnecessary concussion.

 

I believe the rules should specifically state that it's illegal to run over a catcher at the plate, unless that catcher is A.J. Pierzynski.

 

I get it's part of the old-school game to launch yourself at a catcher who is blocking the plate. But my thing is, when a fielder is blocking a bag, can you launch yourself at a fielder to knock the ball out of his hands? You never see it. When breaking up a double play, you have to slide and if you make incidental contact, that's fine, but you can't launch yourself at a fielder. Why can you launch yourself at a catcher? Because they have gear on? Something needs to change. The NFL, NBA, NHL have rules against head hunting to protect players. The NFL have rules against safetys/corners launching themselves at defenseless receivers. There has to be a change in the rules to protect players. Catchers didn't used to have gear until people realized it was too dangerous not to protect them. Players didn't used to have batting helmets until it was deemed too dangerous not to have them. This will just be one more thing in the evolution of the game to protect players.

Personally, as a Giants fan, Posey was off the plate, you could see he didn't have the ball. There was absolutely no reason for the collision,

 

because if a position player does they are going to get spiked and get hurt.

It really is pretty basic, if you don't want to get run over don't block the fucking plate. If you get runover when you're not blocking the plate different story, fine and suspend them. I admire the hell out of catchers who block the plate but they also know what can happen, they have a choice.