The Buster Posey Rule

Baseball is upon us!! I considered writing a pre-season preview, complete with predictions and obvious commentary. However, you can go read that in 8,000 other places, and to be honest, I can't name a time I've seen any expert sportswriter's analysis turn out correct. Best of all, they all know predictions are made to fail, but they keep making them. I made predictions about the NL West last season. That's sooo 2013. Instead, let's discuss a totally original subject that no analyst has possessed the originality to mention yet: rule changes regarding home plate collisions. I know, I'm on the bleeding edge...

First, some background. It has been a time-honored tradition in baseball since at least 1973, when Pete Rose cleaned Ray Fosse's clock in the All-Star Game (it almost certainly goes back further), for runners to clobber fully-armored catchers, who are in possession of the ball, at home plate when trying to score in an attempt to jar the ball loose, and hence be called safe. Whew. Try that sentence on for size. It's likely I broke at least 3 grammar rules with that one. For at least 38 years, no one questioned it, no one whined about it, and every team did it to the other team's catcher. Then, in 2011, this happened:

This video was CLEARLY made by a Giants fan. 

That is unfortunate. Nobody likes seeing players get injured, except for when they do, and cheer about it. I would venture to guess that most people were not happy to see Buster Posey, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year and World Series champion (I just threw up in my mouth) go down in such a god-damn-it-lightning-just-struck way. However, this was the first time it had ever been suggested that we needed a rule change. Look, I get it. We need to protect our players, these things shouldn't happen, and if we can eliminate it from happening, or at least lessen the chances, that's probably a good thing, but wait. How much of a freak accident was this, and does it actually deserve a rule change?

Is it possible that Posey made a mistake, and brought this unfortunate incident on himself? Look at the film again. Posey is on his knees as he blocks the plate from Cousins. I'm no catcher, or even a coach, but I'm pretty sure that any coach would advise against the technique employed by Posey. If a runner is coming at you, and you're on your knees, you've essentially reduced yourself to a tackling dummy. You have no mobility, and are the mercy of chance/physics. Had Posey remained on his feet, he could have braced himself, dodged, or had Cousins chosen to slide, Posey could have then dropped to his knees, effectively blocking Cousins and staying well within the rules (as well as injury-free).

I'm not suggesting that Posey is necessarily to blame for his injury, but for this incident to called a dirty play on Cousins' part, thereby warranting debate about a rule change, is utterly ludicrous. The night this happened, Giants manager Bruce Bochy, a catcher in his playing days, who was probably bulldozed a few times in his career, immediately began campaigning for a rule change. Again, I get it, Posey was his star player, and this incident undoubtedly ultimately hurt his team's chances. I must reiterate, the discussion about a rule change implies a dirty or unfair play on Cousins' part.  I was (and am) surprised that an old school guy like Bochy would rally for this, considering it was an acceptable part of the game for decades, previously.

It could be argued that banning home-plate collisions is a matter of player safety, and only reasonable, like helmets for base coaches. To this I say, the catcher is already at an advantage, equipment-wise, in the event of a collision. A chest plate, a shinguard/kneepad combo, and what amounts to a hockey goalie's helmet on his head. So, I don't necessarily buy that reasoning, either.

Whether I like it or not, there is now a ban on home plate collisions. Bruce Bochy got his way. Oddly enough, I have yet to hear Ray Fosse weigh in.

While we're on the subject of dirty plays, before today's exhibition Dodgers/D-backs game, the Arizona radio station was taking a poll: should Arizona starter Brandon McCarthy bean Yasiel Puig with his first pitch? Keep it classy, Arizona.

Here's some more good stuff I've been reading this week:

Will WWE Force It's Fans to Hate-Watch "WrestleMania XXX"? - from Grantland
Man Accidentally Kills Self With Gun During Demonstration on Gun Safety - Huffington Post
The 12 Best Arnold Schwarzenegger Kills - SeanBaby
Best National Anthem EVER.
Some of Mike Love's garbage.