Anybody been paying any attention to this topic? I have. I'm not sure how I feel about what's going on. From a health point of view, it's a positive. From a competition point if view, it's a negative.
Oh yeah, in my opinion, nobody blocked the plate better than Mister Mike Scioscia.
How about Sciosia's predecessor, Steve Yeager? He was pretty good, too, at blocking the plate--except for one game when Dave Parker "got past" him.
Just do it the way they handle the designated hitter.
I don't know why, but I just thought that Shaq would have made a great catcher. Hockey goalie too!
I hold comment until the rule is spelled out in detail on how the runner and catcher are to behave and position themselves.
"designated hitter" = worst rule change in baseball.
Agree with Alucard - wait until the rule in finalized
Does this same stuff happen at the other bases?
@ Art: Yes, but to a lesser extent. It's more dramatic at home plate because the outcome of the collision involves whether or not a runs scores. And that run could potentially win the game.
Baseball was my first love as a child and I still consider myself a baseball purist. So I have mixed feelings. But I can probably accept it. (better than the DH. A rule I still despise).
It is more cosmetic than really protecting the safety of catchers. Catchers receive most of their concussions from foul tips, not plate collisions. They ought to experiment with the ban in the lower levels before implementing it in the big leagues.
IN college, base runners must slide during close plays. In both high school and little league, you are not allowed to railroad the catcher.
Agree with slick. Every other level has this rule already in place. So players coming up already are familiar with how to handle it. It should be an easy transition as long as Selig doesn't screw it up.
This is just more of the wussification of sports. m I laugh when people tell me how great athletes of today are when they're about as tough as wet note paper.
Technically, I thought the catcher was never supposed to stand on the baseline unless he had the ball, thus impeding the path of the base runner, but that was one of those rules, like the phantom tag of second on a double play ball, that was never enforced properly. No doubt the Buster Posey play from a couple of years ago changed things.
I’m for the rule.
Whether it’s baseball or football; I enjoy the athleticism and skill of the players – seeing them smash their heads in does nothing 4 me.
I’m a life long national league fan; but I wish they had the DH:
pitchers can rarely hit and thus they are often an automatic out – more often than not a pitcher at the plate is a waste of an at bat – I rather see someone at the plate that can actually hit
sometimes a pitcher can be having an awesome pitching game but be solely taken out of the game b/c it’s his turn to hit in a crucial part of the game
Let the pitchers pitch & the batters bat IMO.
With pitchers hitting, they can get hit, making the pitcher less of a headhunter. For the most part.
I like pitchers hitting. It really changers the dynamic of the game. I've seen pitchers win games at the plate.
Slick, Don Drysdale was my favorite player. He was even used as a pinch hitter late in his career. I recall he hit seven home runs one year.
People that like watching pitchers bat probably enjoy burning ants with a magnifying glass. Just not a fair contest. MLB should see if the NFL has any extra pink tutus left over from when they put in all the rules for "protecting" the precious QBs.
