Baseball Banning Home Plate Collisions

[Independent]

Essentially, Bochy said, the new rule would treat home plate like second and third base; plays at the plate would be tag plays, not contact plays. The runner needs a lane, and the catcher must give it to him or risk an obstruction penalty and possibly a fine or ejection. A runner would face the same consequences if he had a path to the plate and barreled into the catcher instead.

Seems reasonable.

 

[ziggy29]

Kind of makes me wonder what Pete Rose thinks about all of this

Wonder no more -- it's a pretty predictable answer to anyone who ever saw Rose play:

Pete Rose Slams MLB’s Decision To Eliminate Home Plate Collisions « CBS New York

“What are they going to do next, you can’t break up a double play?” Pete Rose said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. “You’re not allowed to pitch inside. The hitters wear more armor than the Humvees in Afghanistan. Now you’re not allowed to be safe at home plate? What’s the game coming to? Evidently the guys making all these rules never played the game of baseball.”

 

[GrayHare]

Yup, whenever I'm undecided on an issue I think to myself, "Now, what would Pete Rose do?"

 

[RunningBum]

And don't get me started on the designated runner rule.

There is no designated runner rule. I guess you meant designated hitter. But here's an idea. If you don't like a pasttime or hobby, just don't read and post on the topic, rather than crapping on other people's fun.

 

[Theduckguru]

I don't think a batter should be hit my a 100 mph ball, a second baseman's shine speared with a runners foot, a out fielder should be landing hard after diving for a catch or an umpire having to wear black on a hot sunny day.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Yup, whenever I'm undecided on an issue I think to myself, "Now, what would Pete Rose do?"

He would bet on the catcher

 

[kombat]

You kinda contradict yourself.... I have never seen an old flabby guy that takes steroids....

OK, let's approach this logically.

If I'm contradicting myself, then one of my statements must be false. We know they take steroids, so therefore I must be incorrect about them being flabby, overweight guys.

And yet many of them are clearly sporting plenty of extra body fat.

How to reconcile this?

The answer, of course, is that steroids don't make you skinny. You can take steroids and still be fat.

I'm continuing to ignore the cricket red herring, as it's not actually played in Canada. Our national sport is hockey, where teams of fit guys slap razor-sharp steel blades to their feet and race around a sheet of ice slamming into each other.

 

[kombat]

There is no designated runner rule. I guess you meant designated hitter.

No, I meant what I wrote.

As should be clear by now, I'm not a baseball fan, so I can't quote chapter and verse of the rules, but as I understand it, in certain circumstances, after accomplishing a base hit, a batter is permitted to substitute another player to take their place on the base, and run the rest of the bases in their stead.

 

[GrayHare]

That's a pinch runner, and there is a cost: the player who is removed cannot return to the game. There was, however, long ago in MLB a "courtesy runner" rule.

 

[robnplunder]

When most of these popular and now big business sports were developed players were not as big, strong, and fast. Plus they were not steroid-ed. Also, society knew much less about long term effects of trauma, expecially head trauma.

People who need carnage in their entertainment can always watch boxing or UFC.

From my POV the only downside to these rule changes is that it does insert the umpire/referee more deeply into the outcome of events on the field.

Ha

Not to mention how expensive (these days) it is to a player and his team for a key player to get injured in such collision. Big money talks. Having said that, I agree with the ban. Violence in baseball seems to be out of place.

For martial sports, I don't support dumb'ng things down. I was disappointed when boxing did away with 15 round matches. I think that pro boxing's decline and they never recovered hitherto.

 

[kombat]

That's a pinch runner, and there is a cost: the player who is removed cannot return to the game.

Do teams routinely take advantage of this rule strategically? For example, if it's the bottom of the 9th inning and there's little chance the batter will need to hit again anyway, do they ever substitute in a much faster runner, simply for the tactical advantage?

 

[Texas Proud]

No, I meant what I wrote.

As should be clear by now, I'm not a baseball fan, so I can't quote chapter and verse of the rules, but as I understand it, in certain circumstances, after accomplishing a base hit, a batter is permitted to substitute another player to take their place on the base, and run the rest of the bases in their stead.

Well, then why are all those hockey players subed after about 2 minutes on the ice.... seems their fitness is not up to snuff...

I think that the players should play the whole game and not get a break.... more like soccer....

And if they do sub for them, heck, they can come back and play later!!! What woooses....

 

[Bestwifeever]

Lord Stanley's Cup is enjoying its year in Chicago.

 

[RunningBum]

Do teams routinely take advantage of this rule strategically? For example, if it's the bottom of the 9th inning and there's little chance the batter will need to hit again anyway, do they ever substitute in a much faster runner, simply for the tactical advantage?

If it's a tie or one-run game where that run is critical, yes. Just like most team sports, specialists are put in for special situations. Football is the most common, you have pass rush specialists and an extra defensive back for passing situations, an offensive lineman may come in as a blocking back in goal line situations, and entire squads come in for special teams--not to mention the obvious offense and defense platoons. In basketball, coaches call timeouts late in the game to get the best free throw shooters in when they know the other team will foul, and defensive specialists when they don't have the ball. In hockey a goalie will be pulled late in the game to add an extra attacker, and aren't there specialists for penalty killing?

 

[robnplunder]

Do teams routinely take advantage of this rule strategically? For example, if it's the bottom of the 9th inning and there's little chance the batter will need to hit again anyway, do they ever substitute in a much faster runner, simply for the tactical advantage?

Yup. It happens often enough.

 

[kombat]

Well, then why are all those hockey players subed after about 2 minutes on the ice.... seems their fitness is not up to snuff...

Because they're actually DOING something the entire time they're on the ice - not just standing around waiting for a teammate to eventually throw a ball at an opponent, who might or might not hit it, and if they do, in all likelihood, it'll be to another teammate rather than himself.

I think that the players should play the whole game and not get a break.... more like soccer....

You just hit on one of the sports I consider MOST athletic, and for the same reason. Soccer players play the whole game, and they're moving for almost the entire time. Notice there are no fat soccer players!

Same goes for basketball. Those guys are constantly moving and are in much better shape than your average baseball player.

Can you imagine a pro baseball player trying to keep up with Kobe Bryant or David Beckett? They'd be desperately gasping for air after mere minutes!

 

[robnplunder]

Well, then why are all those hockey players subed after about 2 minutes on the ice.... seems their fitness is not up to snuff...

I think that the players should play the whole game and not get a break.... more like soccer....

And if they do sub for them, heck, they can come back and play later!!! What woooses....

It's like basketball. Players use up a lot of energy in small confines and would need sub. Otherwise, quality of play will suffer.

You would be surprised how much time soccer players spend just jogging around. There is only 1 ball and 22 players. Not everyone is moving all the time. In fact, only a few players at a time is running at full speed.

 

[MichaelB]

Same goes for basketball. Those guys are constantly moving and are in much better shape than your average baseball player.

Can you imagine a pro baseball player trying to keep up with Kobe Bryant or David Beckett? They'd be desperately gasping for air after mere minutes!

I remember the best basketball player in the world trying to play baseball. His effort was worthy, but he never made it past the minor leagues. Physical reflexes needed in baseball are far superior than those in many other sports. At the level we are discussing, all sports are physically demanding and the players world class athletes. I imagine, however, they don't spend much time thinking or posting about sports they don't like and just focus on the ones they enjoy.

 

[Gus.]

I think this change is good. To those saying that the catcher shouldn't be able to block the plate because the runner owns the basepath, that's not true. A fielder in possession of the ball or in the act of fielding the ball or catching a throw has the right to be in the basepath. That's why Will Middlebrooks wasn't obstructing third base until he missed the throw even though he was in the runner's way while waiting for the throw to get there. The moment the ball passed him he was suddenly an obstruction, but not before then.

 

[steelyman]

I browbeat a guy to come to a game at Wrigley Field with me. He is from St. Louis, I am from Chicago, so that should tell you something.

He's also a player (an infielder). The best part of that game was him telling me what to watch in between innings; where the players positioned, how the pitcher was warming up, what the batters were doing.

 

[eytonxav]

I think this is one of the more positive changes proposed by any sport. Collisions that can result in severe injuries at home plate do not add much to a ball game in my opinion, and as Ziggy already mentioned, violators could be called out or awarded a run in the umps discretion.

That said, there will still be pitchers drilling batters and delivering good doses of chin music for the purists

 

[RunningBum]

I agree. If you want to watch a contact sport, go watch a football or hockey game, or a boxing or MMA match. They should get Ray Fosse's opinion as well as Pete Rose's. Fosse was the guy Rose bowled over in the all-star game. His career was never quite the same, nor as long as it probably would've been.

 

[youbet]

I never liked the person running at full speed, lowering their shoulder and just launching themselves into the catcher.... it just did not seem like part of the game considering that if they did that at any other base they would be ejected....


I am in favor of the ban.... to me it does not take anything away from the game...

It should be a two part change:

1. The catcher may NOT block the block or position himself on the baseline.

2. The runner may not, as you put it, "lower their shoulder and launch themselves into the catcher."

Tags and slides at home plate should look like a tag and slide at second base during a steal attempt. No blocking the bag/plate. No intentionally running into the defensive player/catcher in an attempt to dislodge the ball.

It annoys me to no end when the catcher blocks the plate, even when they don't have the ball yet, preventing the runner from sliding in. If it's OK for the catcher to block the plate, then all fielding positions should also be allowed to block their plate. For example, a team could recruit a 325# offensive lineman to play first base. His job would be to literally block the runner from reaching first, no matter what. Eventually, someone would come up with the ball and tag first base and the 325# offensive lineman could get off the base runner and let him up........

 

[Bestwifeever]

... If it's OK for the catcher to block the plate, then all fielding positions should also be allowed to block their plate. For example, a team could recruit a 325# offensive lineman to play first base. His job would be to literally block the running from reaching first, no matter what. Eventually, someone would come up with the ball and tag first base and the 325# offensive lineman could get off the base runner and let him up........

I think you may have just found the solution to restoring the popularity of America's former favorite pastime.

 

[steelyman]

I think you may have just found the solution to restoring the popularity of America's former favorite pastime.

This sidetrack is hilarious

My favorite player was Andre "The Hawk" Dawson. He played right field for Chicago after coming from Montreal. He had a rocket arm and one time threw out a guy at first from right field. How embarrassing is that?