Hello Fans,
There is no doubt Buster Posey suffered an unfortunate and horrendous injury by attempting to get the ball in time to block the plate while the Marlins’ 6′ 1″, 200 pound Scott Cousins came down the third baseline with a full head of steam looking to separate man from ball or his own shoulder from socket to reach home safely. The replays are obvious of great pain as one bone was broken in Posey’s lower leg and three ligaments torn in the ankle. Posey is a great young talent at a position with many low-profile workers and the fewest stars who are required to do the most labor. He earned the 2010 N.L. Rookie of the Year award during the regular season and then led the Giants to a World Series title in the post-season. High profile? You bet. Well deserved? Absolutely. He is far from overrated, but I think his injury, or the effect of his injury, is. He’s not the first guy to get absolutely wrecked at home and won’t be the last either, but some people are calling for rules changes and so on. This ain’t little league. It’s the BIG Leagues. Even Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy, a former catcher, is saying that he doesn’t want Posey blocking the plate right now. That is fine considering he is just getting back on the field and it’s the start of the practice games. However, it has tones of a more permanent order, which tips the Giants’ hand a little bit. That is what I have a problem with. Play the game the way it is supposed to be played. Be aggressive and play the right way while playing hard. Period.
Ok, before it appears that I have no sympathy for a seriously injured player, let me say it was a shame that Posey missed over 100 games. The play was rotten because of the severity of the injury and not just because it happened to a good guy who is a star. I also don’t object to the move by Cousins. It was a fair play and he did his job within the confines of the rules. However, many people fail to point out, and perhaps it’s due to their sensitivity of the result, that Buster Posey made a bad play. That may sound harsh, but I believe it’s true. And not because Cousins was safe or lack of effort, rather his physical position to the ball, to the runner, and most importantly to the ground and dish. There is no need to change the rules or even advise Posey to avoid blocking the plate during the season. Due to his high profile, everyone will learn or be reminded of positioning from this play. He won’t make the mistake again of being low on his knees rather than his feet and way off the dish without the ball (he never caught it cleanly before the hit) while in a highly vulnerable position of not having his arms out in front of him to break the runner’s contact. Those were the perfect ingredients for a fluke of a disaster.
From my VIEW, any good catcher naturally has a clock in his head similar to that of a quarterback in the pocket who waits for the open receiver. You only have “X” amount of time to avoid a sack or to wait for that ball at home. IF the clock’s alarm rings, you must alter your position (give up the plate) so you’re coming back to the runner if you still have any chance to tag him OR you concede the run by knowing it will be a late tag most likely on his back or top side when he is over the plate. Those are easy and automatic “safe” calls for umps. Middle infielders often swipe back to the bag with the tag all the time, and usually award stolen bases as a result by not safely straddling the bag. Uh guys, this just in, your arm speed is WAY slower than the ball speed! And it looks like you don’t want to get dirty. Sorry, that’s a catcher’s pet peeve there.
Anyways, I waited too long once and paid for it. As the ball came in high from the right fielder, I stood on the plate (a mistake) and just as the ball hit my mitt, the runner hit me somewhere in the upper torso. Helmet flew off, ball went who knows where, and I fell into the GRASS. Didn’t do that again. I should’ve gotten off the dish in that case. That clock MUST be ON on EVERY play at the plate.
For the tag play, stay low, but still on your feet with your knees slightly bent to allow the runner’s force to take most of the pressure off your feet, which will save your knees and ankles. Use your arms out in front of you to save your head and face and to put the mitt in his face or upper body. This will also help deflect the runner away from you a little bit. And if he is barreling in low or sliding (feet or head first), you get lower and then use your arms to take the initial contact (watch out for the spikes). Then, while continuing to drop down low, use your shin guards to break further momentum by allowing your feet to give upon contact and keep him from touching the plate. Finally, use your arms to keep yourself on top and to “squish” the runner, in a sense, with both hands as you clearly have the ball in the mitt under your bare hand right where the ump can immediately see it. Now, only you are touching the plate because you started the tag inside the right-handed batter’s box and kept the runner from reaching the plate in time, if at all. If you don’t have time to do all this, then you must concede or go for an arm’s length swipe tag with your body out of the runner’s actual path. It’s hard to pull off with a mitt, but that’s your last resort.
There’s no greater rush play in baseball than the 2-out tag play at home whether you’re catching or watching. And part of the rush is the anticipation of contact that will help the team. The other part is from the running of that internal clock: I got time, I got time…. good throw…..ok get it on one bounce…..we got ’em, we got ’em…..ok here it is…..catch it, squeeze it, feel the runner come in, turn, drop down, slap the tag, lean down on ’em, show ’em the ball, wait…..OOUUUTT!! YES!!!!!!!! Roll the ball back to the mound, grab the mask, and get ready to hit. NOW, the adrenalin’s a pumpin’!!!!!
Unfortunately, injuries will happen, you can count on it. Some rules are there to protect players. However, we don’t need any rule changes to diminish one of the most exciting plays in the game. Play real hard, but play real smart too. Yogi said it best, 90 percent of the game is physical, the other half is mental. Right?!
Later Ballers.