A collision of opinions over plays at the plate
The collision last week between runner Scott Cousins of the Florida Marlins and catcher Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants has generated a nationwide debate over whether to change baseball rules.
Many media outlets have opined about the collision and its ramifications. ABC’s “Good Morning America,’’ somewhat curiously, had a piece on its nightly news last weekend. If you Google “Buster Posey collision,’’ you’ll see 275,000 entries on the Internet.
I suppose safety ought to be of utmost importance in sports, especially in youth and high school sports. But change the rule? Ridiculous.
I speak from experience as a former catcher. Blocking the plate and anticipating a collision with a base runner is part of the game, plain and simple. It’s part of being a catcher and wearing “the tools of ignorance’’ that are face mask, chest protector and shin guards.
Ironically, a week prior to the Posey-Cousins incident, the Iowa High School Athletic Association addressed collisions in a May 17 letter to prep baseball coaches and umpires. The letter stated that malicious contact has been the No. 1 reason for player ejection nationally and, in fact, 26 Iowa high school players were ejected for that reason last season.
The IHSAA defines malicious contact as “leading with the shoulder or forearm with intent to run over the catcher’’ in hopes the catcher will drop the ball. The letter implores coaches to instruct players to make a legal slide at the plate and not try to run over the catcher.
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