Buster Posey hurt in collision at the plate

[XZero771679666304]

Though my memory may have embellished it a bit, my favorite plate collision was Glenallen Hill blowing up Mike Piazza in 1994, May, I think.

[javy knows my name]

Though my memory may have embellished it a bit, my favorite plate collision was Glenallen Hill blowing up Mike Piazza in 1994, May, I think.

 

No love for Ted Lilly?

[XZero771679666304]

Though my memory may have embellished it a bit, my favorite plate collision was Glenallen Hill blowing up Mike Piazza in 1994, May, I think.

 

No love for Ted Lilly?

 

No, that was was great too.

[Guest]

At no other position is a runner entitled to simply run over the defender hoping to dislodge the baseball before returning to touch the base safely. When Alex Rodriguez tried to swat the ball out of Bronson Arroyo‘s glove in 2004 – with his hand, offering no chance at bodily harm to Arroyo – he was roundly mocked and called out for interference.

 

...

 

There was very little violence in Rodriguez’s actions, but because he initiated contact to try and dislodge the ball, it was considered a football-like move. Meanwhile, Cousins literally threw his entire body weight into Posey at home plate, breaking his leg in the process, but that’s okay because he was wearing a chest protector?

[Rob]

Anybody ever play Basewars on the NES?

 

That's how I think it should be.

[XZero771679666304]

I actually thought the Posey hit was too much. There's a difference between going after the plate and moving the catcher if he's in the way and just blowing him up and going back to tag the plate.

 

Since there's so much room for interpretation of intent that it'd be hard to really regulate, but there are hits that just don't sit well with me, with last night's being one of them.

[erik316wttn]

Anybody ever play Basewars on the NES?

 

That's how I think it should be.

 

I loved that game.

 

Posey should have a laser sword when he comes back.

[imb]

Anybody ever play Basewars on the NES?

 

That's how I think it should be.

 

Hell yes

[Tracer Bullet]

if you think posey was blocking the plate here, i think you should go back and watch the video. the runner's actions are actually disturbing to me. posey went in front of the plate to catch the ball and twisted his body (having dropped/missed the ball) back to try to tag the runner. the runner, ignoring completely where the plate was, drove his body like a [expletive] missile into posey, hitting his right shoulder - the one furthest from the plate.

 

if i'm the giants, every pitch to this guy for the rest of the season is 90 mph and hits him square in the back.

[Wilson A2000]

Someone on ESPN said that it is actually illegal to block the plate but it is just common to do so. True?

[Tracer Bullet]

yes

 

http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/5/26/2191529/buster-posey-injury-mlb-rules

[XZero771679666304]

if you think posey was blocking the plate here, i think you should go back and watch the video. the runner's actions are actually disturbing to me. posey went in front of the plate to catch the ball and twisted his body (having dropped/missed the ball) back to try to tag the runner. the runner, ignoring completely where the plate was, drove his body like a [expletive] missile into posey, hitting his right shoulder - the one furthest from the plate.

 

if i'm the giants, every pitch to this guy for the rest of the season is 90 mph and hits him square in the back.

 

 

I agree with this. Scoring was clearly secondary in his mind to obliterating Posey. That's what I'm talking about, when the runner becomes more concerned with destroying the catcher than getting to the plate. It doesn't happen often, but you see it from time to time.

[Banedon]

Anybody ever play Basewars on the NES?

 

That's how I think it should be.

 

I always liked Baseball 2020 for my futuristic baseball needs.

[MembersOnlyJacket]

The only issue I have with this, besides Posey being out for at least 2 months, is that Cousins launched himself.

 

As I recall, in the NFL, you can no longer launch yourself and lead with your head to go after the ball carrier.

 

This is the only play in baseball that resembles football, and Posey being the ball carrier (he dropped it), was launched into by Cousins. Sliding hard or trying to dislodge the ball is much different than launching yourself head first at full speed into a sitting duck.

[MembersOnlyJacket]

if you think posey was blocking the plate here, i think you should go back and watch the video. the runner's actions are actually disturbing to me. posey went in front of the plate to catch the ball and twisted his body (having dropped/missed the ball) back to try to tag the runner. the runner, ignoring completely where the plate was, drove his body like a [expletive] missile into posey, hitting his right shoulder - the one furthest from the plate.

 

if i'm the giants, every pitch to this guy for the rest of the season is 90 mph and hits him square in the back.

 

To no one's surprise, Cousins didn't play yesterday in SF.

[davearm2]

if you think posey was blocking the plate here, i think you should go back and watch the video. the runner's actions are actually disturbing to me. posey went in front of the plate to catch the ball and twisted his body (having dropped/missed the ball) back to try to tag the runner. the runner, ignoring completely where the plate was, drove his body like a [expletive] missile into posey, hitting his right shoulder - the one furthest from the plate.

 

if i'm the giants, every pitch to this guy for the rest of the season is 90 mph and hits him square in the back.

 

 

I agree with this. Scoring was clearly secondary in his mind to obliterating Posey. That's what I'm talking about, when the runner becomes more concerned with destroying the catcher than getting to the plate. It doesn't happen often, but you see it from time to time.

Actually it would be more accurate to say that the guy was trying to score, and thought his best chance of doing so was to jar the ball loose (versus beating the tag).

 

If he is successful in jarring the ball loose, then at that point he ought to have plenty of time to get back and touch the plate.

 

So in a sense you're right that he wasn't focused on getting to the plate as quickly as possible, but he was still focused on scoring. If that makes any sense.

 

I have no problem if someone wants to argue the rules should be changed, but the runner was not acting maliciously, as you make it seem.

[erik316wttn]

if you think posey was blocking the plate here, i think you should go back and watch the video. the runner's actions are actually disturbing to me. posey went in front of the plate to catch the ball and twisted his body (having dropped/missed the ball) back to try to tag the runner. the runner, ignoring completely where the plate was, drove his body like a [expletive] missile into posey, hitting his right shoulder - the one furthest from the plate.

 

if i'm the giants, every pitch to this guy for the rest of the season is 90 mph and hits him square in the back.

 

 

I agree with this. Scoring was clearly secondary in his mind to obliterating Posey. That's what I'm talking about, when the runner becomes more concerned with destroying the catcher than getting to the plate. It doesn't happen often, but you see it from time to time.

Actually it would be more accurate to say that the guy was trying to score, and thought his best chance of doing so was to jar the ball loose (versus beating the tag).

 

If he is successful in jarring the ball loose, then at that point he ought to have plenty of time to get back and touch the plate.

 

So in a sense you're right that he wasn't focused on getting to the plate as quickly as possible, but he was still focused on scoring. If that makes any sense.

 

I have no problem if someone wants to argue the rules should be changed, but the runner was not acting maliciously, as you make it seem.

 

I agree with this. The runner was trying to jar the ball loose, and as soon as he collided with Posey and it became apparent he was hurt, he was right there checking on him to make sure he was ok. That's not something you do if you're intentionally trying to injure someone.

[XZero771679666304]

if you think posey was blocking the plate here, i think you should go back and watch the video. the runner's actions are actually disturbing to me. posey went in front of the plate to catch the ball and twisted his body (having dropped/missed the ball) back to try to tag the runner. the runner, ignoring completely where the plate was, drove his body like a [expletive] missile into posey, hitting his right shoulder - the one furthest from the plate.

 

if i'm the giants, every pitch to this guy for the rest of the season is 90 mph and hits him square in the back.

 

 

I agree with this. Scoring was clearly secondary in his mind to obliterating Posey. That's what I'm talking about, when the runner becomes more concerned with destroying the catcher than getting to the plate. It doesn't happen often, but you see it from time to time.

Actually it would be more accurate to say that the guy was trying to score, and thought his best chance of doing so was to jar the ball loose (versus beating the tag).

 

If he is successful in jarring the ball loose, then at that point he ought to have plenty of time to get back and touch the plate.

 

So in a sense you're right that he wasn't focused on getting to the plate as quickly as possible, but he was still focused on scoring. If that makes any sense.

 

I have no problem if someone wants to argue the rules should be changed, but the runner was not acting maliciously, as you make it seem.

 

As MOJ said, he launched himself like a missile. That's not necessary to jar the ball loose. Not only that, the plate was almost completely exposed when Cousins launched himself. As a matter of fact, it looks like he was preparing to drill Posey before he even had the ball. It was completely excessive, and looks worse the more you watch it.

 

He might not have intended to injure Posey, but it seems clear Cousins determined to hit him as hard as he could before he even knew if the plate would be blocked.

[XZero771679666304]

 

I agree with this. The runner was trying to jar the ball loose, and as soon as he collided with Posey and it became apparent he was hurt, he was right there checking on him to make sure he was ok. That's not something you do if you're intentionally trying to injure someone.

 

 

I don't think Cousins was trying to injure Posey, but I definitely think he made up his mind to blow him up as soon as it was apparent there was going to be a play. I just don't that's appropriate. And the way he hit him was excessive, even if the catcher had the plate blocked, which he didn't.

[imb]

STORY TIME

 

When I was in little league, i asked our coach one day what to do if i was rounding second and the shortstop was in the way. And he said "just hit him."

 

So our next game, I was rounding second, saw the shortstop standing in the basepath unsuspectingly, and thought to myself "if he gets hurt, it's his own fault."

 

So I drilled him. I slid into third base safely, and dusted myself off to the boos of all that team's parents. I looked up at my base coach, who looked at me with those big "wtf did you just do" eyes. I still remember them taking the SS off the field, and the dirt had mixed with the tears on his face and turned to mud.

[treebird]

 

I agree with this. The runner was trying to jar the ball loose, and as soon as he collided with Posey and it became apparent he was hurt, he was right there checking on him to make sure he was ok. That's not something you do if you're intentionally trying to injure someone.

 

 

I don't think Cousins was trying to injure Posey, but I definitely think he made up his mind to blow him up as soon as it was apparent there was going to be a play. I just don't that's appropriate. And the way he hit him was excessive, even if the catcher had the plate blocked, which he didn't.

 

it's an awful lot to ask of a runner to analyze the play at the last moment and decide whether or not to run into the catcher, ESPECIALLY given how common it is for catchers to block the plate without the ball.

[XZero771679666304]

 

I agree with this. The runner was trying to jar the ball loose, and as soon as he collided with Posey and it became apparent he was hurt, he was right there checking on him to make sure he was ok. That's not something you do if you're intentionally trying to injure someone.

 

 

I don't think Cousins was trying to injure Posey, but I definitely think he made up his mind to blow him up as soon as it was apparent there was going to be a play. I just don't that's appropriate. And the way he hit him was excessive, even if the catcher had the plate blocked, which he didn't.

 

it's an awful lot to ask of a runner to analyze the play at the last moment and decide whether or not to run into the catcher, ESPECIALLY given how common it is for catchers to block the plate without the ball.

 

Maybe, but it's not a lot to ask not make drilling the catcher options A and B, and not to leave your feet and hit him in a manner that gets NFL players in trouble.

 

There are collisions at the plate all the time, but not many have gotten the reaction this one has and not just because a great young player was hurt. Posey himself said he gave Cousins a lane and he thinks he had other options. At no point did Posey have the plate blocked. It's one thing to lay a heavy shoulder into the catcher when he is blocking the plate and quite another to aim away from the plate to spear the guy.

[treebird]

 

I agree with this. The runner was trying to jar the ball loose, and as soon as he collided with Posey and it became apparent he was hurt, he was right there checking on him to make sure he was ok. That's not something you do if you're intentionally trying to injure someone.

 

 

I don't think Cousins was trying to injure Posey, but I definitely think he made up his mind to blow him up as soon as it was apparent there was going to be a play. I just don't that's appropriate. And the way he hit him was excessive, even if the catcher had the plate blocked, which he didn't.

 

it's an awful lot to ask of a runner to analyze the play at the last moment and decide whether or not to run into the catcher, ESPECIALLY given how common it is for catchers to block the plate without the ball.

 

Maybe, but it's not a lot to ask not make drilling the catcher options A and B, and not to leave your feet and hit him in a manner that gets NFL players in trouble.

 

There are collisions at the plate all the time, but not many have gotten the reaction this one has and not just because a great young player was hurt. Posey himself said he gave Cousins a lane and he thinks he had other options. At no point did Posey have the plate blocked. It's one thing to lay a heavy shoulder into the catcher when he is blocking the plate and quite another to aim away from the plate to spear the guy.

 

if you don't like it, make a rule. the only reason people are talking about this at all is because a famous player got hurt. if his ankle doesn't get caught under him, everyone just says "oh man this kid is so tough" and it's on web gems or something if he makes an out. otherwise it's just nothing.

[mul21]

Honestly, I don't see the big problem with this. It's Posey's fault he put himself in an awkward position, which is clearly what really caused the injury, not the contact. If he's on balance like he should be, he gets knocked on his ass and that's about it. Being off balance and getting twisted around because of it is why he got hurt. It's a shame he got hurt, but I didn't think the hit was vicious or malicious.

[Guest]

 

I agree with this. The runner was trying to jar the ball loose, and as soon as he collided with Posey and it became apparent he was hurt, he was right there checking on him to make sure he was ok. That's not something you do if you're intentionally trying to injure someone.

 

 

I don't think Cousins was trying to injure Posey, but I definitely think he made up his mind to blow him up as soon as it was apparent there was going to be a play. I just don't that's appropriate. And the way he hit him was excessive, even if the catcher had the plate blocked, which he didn't.

 

So if he hadn't tried quite as hard to knock the ball loose, that would have been okay?

 

Cousins is running full speed down the line and the only thing he can likely see clearly before he has to decide what he's going to do is that the throw beat him by a mile. Unless he knocks the ball loose or Posey kicks it, he's out. So he used his only option, and it turned out horribly because not only was Posey hurt, he didn't field it cleanly which meant the contact seems unnecessary.

 

That said, Cousins shouldn't have that option available to him. We don't let guys stretching singles into doubles blow up middle infielders before getting a hand on the base, and the same should apply at the plate. However, if you go down that road you have to protect the runner's rights by aggressively calling interference on catchers who try to obstruct runners without the ball.