Buster Posey seriously injured blocking the plate, now his agent wants the rules changed. Good luck with that. Plays at the plate are amongst the most exciting in baseball, in fact I think they are the most exciting IMHO. But I have to wonder since no other infielder can block or impede a runners progress when did catchers get the right to block the plate? Is it codified in the rules of baseball or did it just creep into being by umps not calling it and eventually it became the offical or unoffical rule. Next most exciting play is the runner going from 1st to 3rd on a ball hit to right field and a RF with a canon gunning him down at 3rd! Say a Rocky Colovito like arm.
FWIW this is not blocking the plate.... They should have ejected Charlton and called him out here. <iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fLTmd4Ni974" frameborder="0"></iframe>
Terry, I don't like collisions at the plate, but IMO when the catcher blocks the plate, he knowingly takes his chances. He knows that he's a sitting duck, but in almost all cases he believes he will win the skirmish. Catchers are the toughest players on the field. Almost all of them have a Dick Butkus-like mindset. Those who don't tend to be weeded out at the lower levels. Just my opinion. I agree re: Charlton. He actually made a stupid move. Not only did he go out of his way to hit Sciosia, if he would have hook-slid to the infield side of home plate, away from the tag, he would have been guaranted safe. If Sciosia had held onto the ball, he would have looked to everyone, even Reds fans, to be the fool he was. That play illustrates how the Reds' Nasty Boys got their nickname.
The Reds and Dodgers hated one another. Sparky and Lasorda hated one another. I was at MANY of those games and that play typified the tenor of the games played between those two. Remember when Rose leveled Ray Fosse in the All-Star game? What most people don't know is that the two of them went out to dinner together the night before. That's just how they played.
Yeah, well maybe...but something tells me they haven't gone out for dinner since; <iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/i3_-28IMOh4" frameborder="0"></iframe>
It was a week after the incident that I saw the replay. I was very surprised that it was not the violent collision I had been led to believe it was. My immediate reaction to the replay was that Posey put himself in harm's way and it was the turn of his body that caused the injury more than the impact from Cousins. I was interested to read Johnny Bench's assessment of the play and how he teaches catchers to handle that kind of play. I think he has some credibility on the subject. :wink: Johnny Bench Comments on the Posey-Cousins Home Plate Collision
I finally saw the replay. It seemed to me that Charlton lined him up and blew him up. If the guy weighed 165 lbs. He would have slid around Posey and been just as safe. Really too bad he didn't dislocate his shoulder. Of course if a pitcher throws inside to this type of guy, he'll be at the mound immediately because that **** isn't part of baseball.
It was a fair play. I agree with Bench that the catcher caused this injury. He was out of position. Furthermore, running into the catcher is a rare and dangerous play that usually results in an injury to the runner. Remember, the catcher is wearing protective gear from head to toe, while the runner is unprotected. If the catcher follows his training he should never be hurt in this situation. Nobody practices collisions. It's a split second decision made by the runner to hit or slide and he's the one taking the most risk. :idea:
The problem with baseball is that it is played by Americans... we think historically like Americans. You need to look at this like Asian or Europeans. The war is never really over... time has a way of sorting all these things out. The catcher was out of position... The runner also didn't have to go top high throwing a flying burrito into his neckline. If I'm on the Giants staff, I put on behind him then I hang the clothes line right under his neck. Pitching inside is legal too.