The Posey Rules

[21]

So Buster Posey busts his ankle after a horrible collision at the plate, and his agent plans to reach out to MLB to discuss possible rule changes that protect catchers.

Hard to imagine this will ever happen, but should it?

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=6592212&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

 

[bigpern23]

Jason Kendall thinks Posey is a pussy.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Just commented on the running baseball thread but will reiterate here: Yes, they should change this rule. A 90-foot full-steam run at a defenseless player whose head is turned the other way? None of the contact sports even allow that anymore. There isn't a quarterback in the NFL who took a hit last season that was as brutal as the one Posey took last night.

Also, from a "keeping your best players in the game and marketable" perspective, catcher is now a marquee position. The days of him being a .230 hitter who just keeps the pitching staff rolling are gone forever.

 

[Mark McGwire]

Hell, no.

That's baseball. And Posey should have held onto that ball. Throw was there.

 

[CarltonBanks]

I have been on the receiving end of a home plate collision and, yes, they should do something to protect catchers. All you can do, after you concentrate on catching the ball of course, is brace your body and hang on to the ball. You are an upright, defensless target and the runner is heading at you full-steam. Catcher's equipment is intended to protect the catcher from a baseball, not a baserunner crashing into you full-tilt. Ask Ray Fosse if this rule should be changed...Pete Rose ruined his career by running him over during an All-Star Game.

 

[Rhody31]

If posey's not blocking the plate, this never happens. He was in the runer's way.

 

[mb]

Yep, here's your Posey Rule: Don't stand in front of the plate unless you feel like getting trucked.

 

[LongTimeListener]

If posey's not blocking the plate, this never happens. He was in the runer's way.

Yep, here's your Posey Rule: Don't stand in front of the plate unless you feel like getting trucked.

You guys should watch the play. Posey was on the side and the runner took a path into him.

 

[CarltonBanks]

All the "that's baseball, man up" macho posturing is silly. Hey, batters and catchers didn't wear helmets for a long time...maybe we should get rid of those.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

I thought they should have changed it when Carlos Santana got nailed last year.

 

[mb]

Just watched it again. Posey is just to the pitcher's mound side of home plate and is moving toward the runner when contact is made. The runner wasn't some kind of catcher-seeking missle.

What's the solution? Force runners to slide? Then you're going to end up with a bunch of baserunners getting their legs/feet injured by fearless catchers.

 

[Mark McGwire]

If posey's not blocking the plate, this never happens. He was in the runer's way.

Yep, here's your Posey Rule: Don't stand in front of the plate unless you feel like getting trucked.

You guys should watch the play. Posey was on the side and the runner took a path into him.

I did watch the play. Live. He was blocking the plate, like a catcher does. And he never had the ball. He's fair game. That's baseball.

And anyone who has had to watch baseball with a no-contact rule at the plate knows it makes a mockery of those situations.

It's a shame he got hurt. But ship happens.