Posey’s agent: Running into catcher is ‘stupid,’ should be outlawed
May 26, 2011, 1:08 PM EDT
Is taking out the catcher the new helmet-to-helmet controversy in sports? If Buster Posey’s agent, Jeff Berry, has his way, it will be. Berry says that the collisions between runner and catcher — baseball’s only significant contact play (including fights) — should be outlawed. As you know, Posey was leveled by Florida’s Scott Cousins on Wednesday in a play at the plate in the 12th inning. Video here.
“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.”
Posey suffered a broken bone in his ankle, according to a source, CSNBayArea.com reported Thursday.
Berry said that he talked to both Joe Torre, leader of on-field operations for Major League Baseball, and the players’ union about the play on Thursday morning. Being that Torre is a former catcher, that must have been an interesting conversation.
The play was perfectly legal under the current rules, of course. But should it be? To me the solution lies not with the rule itself, but with the equipment. Catchers should start upgrading the armor. By 2012 I want them looking like this.
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Buster Posey hurt in collision [ESPN]
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- nocalal - May 26, 2011 at 4:10 PM
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Berry also wants to ban the inside pitch and is pushing for players to wear foam rubber cleats.
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- ThatGuy - May 26, 2011 at 4:30 PM
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Someone is pissed his money maker is out a season…
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- lewp - May 26, 2011 at 4:44 PM
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Baseball has always been baseball. This game hasn’t changed (except for maybe the DH rule) in a couple of hundred years. Does this lawyer think he’s on to something revealing here?
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- PanchoHerreraFanClub - May 26, 2011 at 5:10 PM
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If you want to see why players run into catchers look no further than the highlights of Mike Scioscia’s career. Scioscia went out of his way to punish every runner on every play at the plate. When Jack Clark knocked Scioscia out on a play at the plate, no one said boo. And of course, once Scioscia got out of the hospital he was back to his old tricks.
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- cleanslaton - May 26, 2011 at 6:38 PM
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Keep the collisions in the game, but I’m surprised that nobody mentioned Pete Rose blowing up that catcher in an All-Star game. That catcher never played again and the game didn’t even count. That’s the price paid for earning all the money doing something they love more than most people love their own jobs. Let’s also not forget all the innocuous injuries that happen to ballplayers from doing dumb stuff anyway.
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- gogosox - May 26, 2011 at 9:15 PM
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WHO are YOU kidding??? Ray Fosse played NINE more years, winning 2 WSC with the A’s in 1973 and 1974. True, it permanently affected his swing, but he had a relatively long (for a catcher) career, and he certainly “played again.”
Next time, why not consider using something like, say, facts to make your point.
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- Chris Ross - May 27, 2011 at 4:38 PM
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I just don’t really agree with the reaction that has come about because of this. I’m not amazed by the reaction because this is type of reaction happens all the time. We overreact to a single extreme event that influences our decision on a matter that for the most part would have been insignificant otherwise. I don’t see a need for a rule change and the reason for the change sure shouldn’t be because a one star player was injured one time.
http://chrisross91.wordpress.com/2011/05/27/buster-posey-silliness/
