MLB to ban home-plate collisions

[GOINGDEEP]

The players I've read about, and I heard 2 MLB players on talk radio, don't seem to like this idea. I'm neutral on it myself. But I do agree its part of the game, always has been.

I did get a kick out of Rose's response, he sure doesn't sugar coat what he thinks. Lol
''You're not allowed to pitch inside. The hitters wear more armor than the Humvees in Afghanistan. Now you're not allowed to try to be safe at home plate?'' Rose said. ''What's the game coming to? Evidently the guys making all these rules never played the game of baseball.''

 

[RetiredCoach]

In a slow pitch softball game I saw a catcher get slide into, by an ex-football player, and get his tibia and fibula
totally shattered. So, I am for these rule changes in MLB, fastpitch softball, and everywhere else. I prefer to
see MLB/FP/SP etc. as a game of skill (hitting, fielding, pitching, etc.) rather than a game of running people
over and hurting them.

 

[PEPPERS]

The local recreation center has a rule that on a close play you either given into the fielder or slide; running into or over a fielder covering a base is an automatic ejection.

 

[canyonjoe]

Must slide is already a rule in a lot of leagues. I agree with retiredcoach. It's a game of skill I don't think that making you slide affects the integrity of the game.

 

[starsnuffer]

This goes back to a question I posed in the Rules Forum last year. If a catcher sets up to block the plate and does not have the ball, under what circumstances is that obstruction when there is a play at the plate? I got flamed for saying I do not teach my catchers to block the plate and to swipe tag. The reasoning was that MLB catchers block the plate (well, not anymore! ). It's not worth it for me to lose a catcher if she gets her bell rung.

In terms of my base runners, the umpires on the forum did not really give me a clear answer other than to teach my runners to hook slide (which I do, but it alters their path, to the plate, so if the catcher does not have the ball, I want the obstruction call!).

What you need to consider here is what "blocking the plate" means. Common theory is that as long as the catcher leaves a lane, say that they block the inside of the plate with their left leg on the foul line leaving the back of the plate open, then they are not obstructing. If the catcher straddles the foul line, then they are obstructing.

By the same theory, if a runner crashes into a catcher who is leaving the back of the plate open, then the contact can be considered malicious.

Again, this is just working theory as I know it.

-W

 

[bucket pinata]

not surprised. They cant even allow a pull back when batting. I think the rough stuff should be left to the Fastpitch Girls.BWAHH

 

[jinjet95]

ASA already addresses collisions. If it is a player with the ball, the runner is out and may be ejected. Without the ball, may be ejected. Unfortunately, too many umpires are afraid to take that action.

Issue with softball are all the baseball enthusiasts, including some umpires, that believe collisions are part of the game and will not make the call. Some of the reasons for justifications from coaches, parents and/or umpires for not making the call can be just amazing.

This happened to my DD this fall. 18U - catching an exposure game. My DD is 5'3" 120 lbs, so is not large and makes a point to not block the plate. She won't win a collision. The opposing catcher (5'9" 160 easy) came in to score. There was no play at the plate, so DD moved up the 1st base line in foul territory to give her the plate. The runner crossed the plate standing and changed direction to hit my DD with her shoulder and knock her down. No call by the umpire. She wasn't hurt, put ticked.

After the game, I told the umpire 'good game' and said that I was a little disappointed he didn't address the deliberate hit of our catcher. After initially saying he didn't see the whole thing, which is possible, his response was, maybe she was sending a message. WTH? What message, I'm bigger than you? She was 6 feet away from the plate and out of the direct path back to the dugout. I dropped it, wasn't about to argue. I brought it up as an example of MTRs statement.

 

[starsnuffer]

Softball is a much more physical game then baseball, but there isn't a need for malicious tackles and such. I honestly feel that the rules in place already address this, and if anything needs to be changed at all it should be clarification and training on how to apply the rules in place by the various organizations.

-W

 

[Jquick823]

If i'm allowed to Jar the ball loose at home why can't i do it at any other base? I'm not giving more effort to score on a throw home then on a steal yet i'm required to slide to avoid the tage at a base but can plow a catcher? To me this was added to baseball to add excitement and draw fans not because it really adds to the skill of the game.

If collisions really are going to be part of the game at home then fielders should be allowed to play wiffle ball rules and throw the ball at the runner for outs. We had a girl last year on our team at 12U that was 6'1'' 284lbs, anything in the dirt that the catcher didn't block we sent her from 3rd, but she always slid. I'm thinking if coaches teach sliding and not collisions it will weed its self out of the game.

 

[CoogansBluff]

What I'm hearing w/ MLB is that they may ban blocking the plate. If so, that's very significant. Catchers would be making tags like a shortstop makes tags on base stealers.