27
2011
MLB Should Look Into Catcher Safety Right Now
An article by 
With the recent collision between the Giants Buster Posey and Marlins OF Scott Cousins, there is now talk that Major League Baseball should look into a rule for catcher collisions. Folks like FOX Sports broadcaster Tim McCarver, and Buster Posey’s agent have spoke about adding a new rule that helps protect catchers.
The question thats going around the league right now, is should MLB have a rule in place for catchers and collisions? A lot of people will tell you that catcher collisions have been around the game for a long time now. They’ll also tell you that the play is part of the game. We’ve seen players like Gary Carter take violent hits from collisions at the plate in the past.
Should now be the time that Major League Baseball takes a look at improving the safety of the catcher and look into rule changes?
Last night on Sports Center, they had their usual Sports Science segment. I watched it, and it was very interesting. We all know that collisions are violent. fast, and very dangerous, but here are some facts from the Sports Science segment that are both interesting and shocking about catcher collisions.
When the runner tackles the catcher, there is roughly 3,125 LBs of force brought onto the catcher. When the collision happens, both the runner and the catcher share the equal amount of force. This is part of Newton’s law of motion.
The only part about the segment that shocked me, is when John Brenkus mentioned that football players have pads that can reduce the impact of a tackle by 40%. What does that have to do with anything you ask? Football players have protection in case of a tackle, while baseball players do not have any when a collision occurs. If baseball can give their catchers protection against collisions at the plate, then rules don’t need to be changed.
Catchers have had career ending injuries from very serous collisions. MLB really should look more into the safety of the players through equipment before instituting any rule changes. If they don’t look at the safety aspect now, something tragic may happen to where MLB will have to do something almost immediately. Take NASCAR for example.
In 2001, Dale Earnhardt died in a violent crash in the middle of Turn 4 at Daytona. It was found that Dale Earnhardt’s head and neck were not restrained, which caused the injuries that killed him. They may have even been prevented. Over the years after the accident, NASCAR has made plenty of safety improvements to both the drivers, and the race cars. Because of NASCAR’s safety improvements, NASCAR is now one of the most safest sports in the entire world.
It is time for Major League Baseball to look into safety improvements for catchers because someone could very well end up being killed, or could be in a fight for their life if there is nothing done about the safety of catchers. These hits are violent, and are very dangerous. Bud Selig, i hope your listening.
About the Author: Brandon Butler
Brandon is currently a MMO Minor League Staff Writer. He is also the co-host of the Mets Madness Podcast on Talkshoe Radio. Brandon lives in Hornell, NY.
12 Comments + Add Comment
NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 42 | 30 | .583 | - |
| Phillies | 35 | 37 | .486 | 7.0 |
| Nationals | 34 | 36 | .486 | 7.0 |
| Mets | 27 | 40 | .403 | 12.5 |
| Marlins | 22 | 48 | .314 | 19.0 |
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You should not be allowed to block the entire plate if you do not have the ball. If the throw carries and you are brought into the line of the runner that’s the way it goes but Posey’s leg blocking the plate before he had the ball is why he got hurt. If he had caught it, he would have gotten his feet under him and not been hurt.
The only possible rule change that can be made is that the catcher must leave part of the plate open for the runner until he has the ball in his possesion. Once he has it he can protect himself. It’s before he gets it that he’s vulnerable so therefore if part of the plate is open (no leg and shin pad blocking it) the runner can go for the plate without having to knock him over.
May I suggest the following equipment change for catchers.
http://www.thecanonlogic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/michelin.jpg
don’t cover the whole plate, he was on top of the plate and got stomped!!!!!!!!
stop your whining sanfran, and posey’s agent is a b****, haven’t you seen baseball of the 80′s and early 90′s??
I think what the Marlin player did is wrong. Keith Hernadez said yesterday thats its part of the game and a clean play. I say bull. The player should hook slide and no more. Hitting a guy like that can kill him. He hit him really hard and he broke his leg and hes out for the yr.I dont get these former players who have to be he- men who think that the catcher shouldnt be protected. I say hook slide rule not flying into the catcher with all your weight like a missle looking to knock him out literally which is what the marlin player was trying to do. Its just stupid and uncalled for.
chuck,
i respect your opinion, but again, catchers got all the protection, and on top of that are hovering home plate, the runner 98% of the time is a dissadvantege when that occurs, usually they tell the runners to not even slide head first, because THEY might get hurt, so now that FINALLY someone crush a catcher a he’s hurt because of it there’s an outrage, give me a break!!!!
No, Cousins played the way he was taught since little league. Everything he did was clean and he was visibly upset with how Posey ended up. It wasn’t his fault at all.
If you insist on blocking the entire plate before you have the ball, you deserve to get your bell rung. No harm, no foul.
On this subject I am conflicted. A runner has a right to the plate and it is the catcher’s job to make the tag before he gets there. Notice I didn’t say “block the plate.” Blocking the plate is the catcher’s option. Runners should not be forced to slide because of a rule due to the fact that there is no requirement to slide into any other base. Look at the “barrel roll” going into second to break up double plays. A lot more injuries have occurred there than at home. I have no idea what kind of rule you could make other than having the umpire judge whether the intent of the runner was to injure the opposing player with over aggressiveness and call for an automatic ejection. Can you imagine the “rhubarbs” over that one?
I think MLB should adopt the rules of the World Table Top Tennis Association. Come on, we’re being silly here. Where does will the nonsense end? Catchers get hurt playing the position, true enough. But what about outfielders who run into the wall and get hurt? Maybe they should push the outfield walls back to 600 feet so a player never runs into one. They should also increase foul territory so the ball never gets into the stand, and we will not have to worry about players or fans getting hurt by fouls balls.
Come on, lets stop crying and start facing facts, when you play sports, there is a possibility you will get hurt.
The warning track is there for a reason. It tells an OF when he near the wall.
Also, an OF hitting the wall only puts himself in danger. A collision at home puts 2 guys.
I’m with Hernandez here, It is part of the game, always has been! Just as the hard slide into second has been a part of it.
They want to protect players better I don’t really mind but it had better be a rule that doesn’t give an advantage to defense over offense in the same way football did with their WRs and CBs.
Bottomline is they have a union that when it isn’t too busy trying to get our ticket prices raised could and should police their own members about protecting and not hurting each other while playing the game they all rely on for their bread and butter!
I know the Teams will want the rules on player safety changed because a lot of them are giving away a lot of money to guys who get hurt and don’t play enough, win enough, draw enough to pay for it!
Sound familiar?
lol
While protecting players from serious injury is always a good idea, in this case it would be more than difficult. Extra protective gear of any significance would greatly restrict a catchers movements behind the plate. Blocking the plate is another issue. If it no longer okay to block the plate without having the ball it would be one thing. The problem with that is when a runner is bearing down on home plate and the ball is going to arrive at the same time is where the injuries occur most often. With the catcher intent on being able to catch a throw and then make a tag in what can be a split second or so makes the catcher a target for serious injury. The only thing that makes any sense would be to outlaw any thing other than sliding into home plate by a runner. There will still be some injuries maybe more so for the base runners but there would no longer be the violent collisions like we have seen recently. Other than this… any rule changes to protect catchers might well mean another judgement call by the umpires and that means arguments over interpretation…..and longer games too!