Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Day 255: MLB Takes Steps to Ban Home Plate Collisions

Major League Baseball announced at the winter meetings in Florida this week that they are working to ban collisions at home plate. Not only is the runner not allowed to hurl their body into the opposing catcher, but that catcher will also no longer be allowed to block the plate. The players' union will still need to approve the change so it's not set in stone just yet.

The league is trying to make the game safer—reduce the number of injuries and lower the risk of concussions—especially with the prevalence of head injuries over the past several years. They argue that intentional collisions are not allowed at other bases, so why are they allowed at home? Errr... maybe because it makes the game a little more exciting? And don't players sliding into second to break up a double play go after the guy taking the throw? Is MLB going to ban that too?

I understand the dangers, I've seen catchers sustain serious injuries or get knocked out. I've seen some get twisted up like a pretzel, bending in ways not meant for the human body. And I'm not trying to be heartless, but I sort of like the play. Maybe it's the same ferocity that draws me to football. Or maybe I think of it as a battle of wills—the will to make the out vs. the will to score the run and who wants it more. Or maybe it's just reinforcing the fact that maybe baseball players aren't a bunch of pansies and they can take a lick or two.

Some players are taking issue with the impending rule change. Pittsburgh Pirates' catcher, Tony Sanchez tweeted, "Nothing better than getting run over and showing the umpire the ball. Please don't ban home plate collisions. @MLB" And this is the guy the league is trying to protect afraid that they're trying to take away his badge of honor. Josh Reddick likened it to the strict rules the NFL has instituted on where you can hit quarterbacks and receivers.

The interesting part about this whole ban might lie in the ways that runners will attempt to reach home without getting tagged. While it's exciting to see a catcher emerge from the pile preserving the out by holding on to the ball, it will also be pretty cool to see what types of acrobatics are used to reach the base safely.

In the end, most rules involving contact are put into place for a players safety and I understand that. You never like to see a guy's career cut short on a play that didn't need to end violently... maybe they could just put restrictions on the hitting rather than ban it all together. But then again, I'm not the one facing the possibility of being bowled over by a guy running full speed.

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