Last night in the top of the 12th inning in a tie ball game between the Giants and the Marlins with one out and runners on the corners the Marlins Emilio Bonifacio hit a lazy fly ball to shallow right center field. The Marlins Scott Cousins was tagging at third and came barreling down on Giants catcher Buster Posey trying to knock the ball loose for what would be the winning go-ahead run.
As you can see the ball never stuck in Posey's mitt and in the process Buster got taken out while his left ankle/leg snapped during the collision with Cousins. Immediately you could tell something was wrong. Posey was in sheer pain. Not only did he break his leg but he also tore some ligaments around his left ankle. Essentially the Giant's lost their most valuable player for the season. The reigning Rookie of the Year who bats cleanup for the defending World Series Champions. It's a huge blow no doubt and there is a chance we never see Posey behind the dish ever. But can we please stop sportswriters from trying to put the blame on a clean play. Cue Rob Neyer...
It should be considered a dirty play, though.
And I'm not the only one. From one Buster this morning, we have a perfectly reasonable reaction from another Buster's agent:
Posey's agent, Jeff Berry, said Thursday morning he is going to reach out to Joe Torre, leader of on-field operations for Major League Baseball, and raise the idea of changing the rules regarding plays at the plate.
Over time, it is has become accepted practice for catchers to block home plate, and for baserunners to launch themselves into catchers.
"You leave players way too vulnerable," Berry said. "I can tell you Major League Baseball is less than it was before [Posey's injury]. It's stupid. I don't know if this ends up leading to a rule change, but it should. The guy [at the plate] is too exposed.
"If you go helmet to helmet in the NFL, it's a $100,000 fine, but in baseball, you have a situation in which runners are [slamming into] fielders. It's brutal. It's borderline shocking. It just stinks for baseball. I'm going to call Major League Baseball and put this on the radar. Because it's just wrong."
Of course it's wrong. Baseball was not designed, and is not best played, as a contact sport.
Neyer cites what Posey's agent thinks about the play and I don't understand what the point is. Berry of course is going to have a strong opinion against catchers being taken out because he just saw his number one client and a potential huge commission check literally break in half as soon as Posey's leg crumpled underneath him. It sucks but it's part of the game and again it was a clean play by Cousins.
Baseball for the most part is not a contact sport. But there is always a risk when you put on the catcher's gear. It's not for the faint of heart. Posey knew the risk of choosing his path as a backstop. Catchers take a beating every night. But to ask MLB to change the rules because somebody got hurt is dumb. I take it the next time a player gets injured while being taken out at second base trying to break up the double play then we should change the rules according to Neyer? How about we don't allow pitchers to hit batters anymore because of potential risk?
There is no way MLB will give Neyer's argument the time of day. At least I hope so.
