Home Plate Collisions to be Removed

[BigDDude]

I never heard Johnny Bench (the greatest catcher ever) whining. Or Mike Piazza. Or Carlton Fisk. Or Roy Campanell. Or Thurman Munson. Or Gary Carter. Or Jason Varitek. Or Yogi. Or a hundred others.

Ray Fosse?

 

[BigDDude]

People on a message board Ok with players trying to hurt each other What a surprise


The rule has yet to be formally defined or drafted, but the upshot of all of this will be that base runners will be required to slide into home plate, not initiate contact with the catcher. Likewise, catchers will not be able to block home plate. Rather, they must tag runners — and allow runners a path to the plate — just as any other fielder does at any other base.

Bruce Bochy on the subject -

When asked how he would respond to critics who regard the home plate collision as "part of the game," Bochy said, "It's not a necessity. It's not like you go to the ballpark to see a home plate collision."

And he would be wrong. It's not that you go to see them, but, your eyes are glued if it is about to happen. Besides, what is football anymore than action broken up by injury timeouts? And, there has to be a good percentage of folks who watch NASCAR for the crashes, so......?
​

 

[HammerDown]

People on a message board Ok with players trying to hurt each other What a surprise


The rule has yet to be formally defined or drafted, but the upshot of all of this will be that base runners will be required to slide into home plate, not initiate contact with the catcher. Likewise, catchers will not be able to block home plate. Rather, they must tag runners — and allow runners a path to the plate — just as any other fielder does at any other base.

They're not "trying to hurt each other." They're playing baseball the way it's been played since the Civil War.

 

[HammerDown]

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?

That's my official response to this news.

 

[fordman84]

So are they going to a two home-plate system like some rec softball leagues do?

 

[lhagen931]

I hate this rule, as of now

 

[Darkstone42]

Remember that the league's primary revenue stream is through its players. Those players make enormous amounts of money, paid to them by the league. That is, the league's primary financial investment is its players. It makes perfect business sense to eliminate a play which is rare, ineffective, and largely unnecessary which also results in a higher density of injuries per event than any other play in an effort to protect those investments.

Home plate is also the only base at which blocking and running guys over is tolerated, which is an inherent inconsistency with the current rules. It makes logical sense to make it illegal there, too.

Besides that, it will promote better baserunning. Players actually have a higher chance of scoring (or at least preventing an out) by sliding or getting in a rundown than trying to run the catcher over, which almost never works.

I don't really care either way, but I don't see it as a problem, and I understand where the league is coming from.

 

[LALakersboy24.7]

Can barely hit in the NFL, can barely hit in the NHL, fights in the NHL soon to disappear, and now no contact at homebase in MLB. This pussification/feminization of sports NEEDS TO STOP.

 

[Darkstone42]

Another point which I deem important is that baseball is not a contact sport. These are athletes largely untrained in the skill of giving and receiving hits. That increases the injury risk (and decreases the effectiveness) of the play further. It also kind of counters the "softening the game" point, since it's such a major outlier to the rest of the gameplay.

 

[YourFriendGannon]

I never heard Johnny Bench (the greatest catcher ever) whining. Or Mike Piazza. Or Carlton Fisk. Or Roy Campanell. Or Thurman Munson. Or Gary Carter. Or Jason Varitek. Or Yogi. Or a hundred others.

Because the catchers are more often than not the ones to blame for the collisions. If they weren't wearing that padding most wouldn't feel so enboldened to block a base.

 

[Wazmankg]

No big deal. It's baseball not MMA. I've always thought it was sort of strange that they allowed catchers to block the plate.

 

[seahawksfan234]

Complete garbage. I really hope it does not happen. The NFL and MLB are going full pussy mode on us.

Only a matter of time before they try to put women in the MLB and NFL.

 

[Darkstone42]

I suppose I will never understand the stark opposition so many people feel toward removing completely unnecessary violent plays in sports in the interest of protecting the multi-million dollar investments who play the game from injuries and long-term health problems. I think we too often forget that these are men, first and foremost, whose lives do not begin and end with entertaining us on the field. Yes, they got into a dangerous profession, but no, we should not use that as an excuse to refuse to act on our increasing knowledge of player health issues. Rugby tackle laws, for example, are very strict, but it doesn't diminish the quality of that game. Why can't football players also be required to hit between the shoulders and the knees and wrap up on every tackle. To be honest, it would probably make defensive players better at their jobs if they did.

 

[Cobiemonster]

Can barely hit in the NFL, can barely hit in the NHL, fights in the NHL soon to disappear, and now no contact at homebase in MLB. This pussification/feminization of sports NEEDS TO STOP.

Agreed with this totally

The only thing that needs to change is more respect between the players and understanding their surroundings, but that shouldn't mean the leagues should start pussifying everything

 

[Wazmankg]

You guys are funny. We're not talking about the NFL or NHL. We're talking about baseball. It's not as if it's a real man's game. It's baseball....baseball for crying out loud. Guys have missed games because they slept on their eye funny or had athlete's foot. George Brett pulled himself out of a World Series game because his hemorrhoids were bothering him. It's just baseball.

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

I suppose I will never understand the stark opposition so many people feel toward removing completely unnecessary violent plays in sports in the interest of protecting the multi-million dollar investments who play the game from injuries and long-term health problems. I think we too often forget that these are men, first and foremost, whose lives do not begin and end with entertaining us on the field. Yes, they got into a dangerous profession, but no, we should not use that as an excuse to refuse to act on our increasing knowledge of player health issues. Rugby tackle laws, for example, are very strict, but it doesn't diminish the quality of that game. Why can't football players also be required to hit between the shoulders and the knees and wrap up on every tackle. To be honest, it would probably make defensive players better at their jobs if they did.

Because we like it.

 

[broncosmitty]

If a catcher would rather preserve his health than prevent a run he can get the fuck out the way. Or play first base. I don't really see how the game can be played properly if the plate can't be blocked? Or rather, if the catcher can't be plowed for blocking it?

 

[broncosmitty]

Remember that the league's primary revenue stream is through its players. Those players make enormous amounts of money, paid to them by the league. That is, the league's primary financial investment is its players. It makes perfect business sense to eliminate a play which is rare, ineffective, and largely unnecessary which also results in a higher density of injuries per event than any other play in an effort to protect those investments.

Home plate is also the only base at which blocking and running guys over is tolerated, which is an inherent inconsistency with the current rules. It makes logical sense to make it illegal there, too.
I
Besides that, it will promote better baserunning. Players actually have a higher chance of scoring (or at least preventing an out) by sliding or getting in a rundown than trying to run the catcher over, which almost never works.

I don't really care either way, but I don't see it as a problem, and I understand where the league is coming from.

It's also the only base which, when touched by a baserunner, increases the offensive teams score by one run.

 

[dougplayer]

you should only be able to smash into AJ P.