Last week Major League Baseball (MLB) announced that it plans to eliminate home plate collisions by the 2015 season.
This announcement came with much criticism, as many ex-players voiced their opinions against the proposed idea.
“What's the game coming to?” Ex-Cincinnati Reds All-Star Pete Rose said in an interview with the Associated Press. “Evidently the guys making all these rules never played the game of baseball.”
In baseball, the collision at home plate is the only play where a player can leave his feet and body-check an opposing player. In my opinion it is completely ridiculous. I am all for MLB removing this rule and making the game safer.
On May 25, 2011, San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey, arguably one of the best hitters in the game, was seriously injured in a game against the Florida Marlins. A collision at home plate left Posey with a broken leg and three torn ligaments in his ankle.
If you look at the play closely, Marlins outfielder Scott Cousins charges down the baseline and leaps shoulder-first at Posey, leaving his feet well before home plate. It's clear Cousins isn't even thinking about trying to touch home plate. His sole purpose on this play is to hit Posey as hard as he can to try and dislodge the baseball. Posey, on the other hand, has no choice but to hang in there and block the plate as the teams are in the 12th inning of a 6-6 ball game.
This is exactly what is wrong about the play. The runner's intent should always be to try and score the run by touching home plate. Somehow over time, the mindset changed to hitting the catcher as hard as you can to try and knock the ball loose.
On this particular play, Posey hadn't caught the ball. If Cousins had simply made a play for the plate, he most likely would have scored while Posey was searching for the loose ball.
You can't fault Cousins or Posey on this play. They were both only doing what they were taught and what was expected of a MLB player in that situation.
In my opinion catchers get beat up enough during the course of a season. Crouching behind home plate trying to catch/ block/ defender pitches in excess of 95 mph is hard enough. Why make them subject to body-checks?
Giants Manager and former MLB catcher Bruce Bochy said it best in an interview with the New York Times, “The way these catchers are getting speared, they don't have a chance,” Bochy said. “I think it's better to be proactive before we carry a guy off the field paralyzed and think, ‘Why didn't we change this rule?' ”
MLB officials say they will take a look at over 100 collisions and decide which ones they like and which ones need to be prohibited.
I know they won't be able to rid the game entirely of home plate collisions. I am fine with accidental contact but only if a player slides or dives to make a clear attempt at the plate. It is the runners charging at the catcher and leading with their shoulder that needs to be prohibited.
