2014 Major League Baseball: Off-season/Free Agency

Yankees, Yankees, Yankees. Eewwwwww.

They're coming out of the Bronx, man!

Collisions at the plate banned, and replay will be extended to manager challenges.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mlb...

Trophy Husband wrote:

Collisions at the plate banned, and replay will be extended to manager challenges.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mlb...

I hate both of these but

If blocking the plate is illegal, and running over the catcher is illegal, what sort of "defense" is left at the plate? Unless you make every play at the plate a force play, i'm not sure how you determine who is in the wrong with a collision.

With the plays at the plate when the throw is coming from the outfield and the throw is offline and takes the catcher up the 3rd base line with the runner barreling down, what is either player supposed to do?

I get player safety... heck callous as it sounds, I had Buster Posey on my fantasy team when he got knocked out so I'm all for protecting players, but i don't see an easy way to judge this.

I don't think it's going to be an issue at all. Throws are made to second all the time on stolen base attempts. errant or otherwise. They seem to manage. I'm guessing in 10 years we'll forget all about running over the catcher.

I'm more interested in the rules surrounding replay. Should eliminate most manager arguments. You don't like the call? Challenge it. If not, then shut up and get back in the dugout.

99% of outs recorded at the plate could just as easily be done via a simple tag rather than standing there waiting to be bowled over. You're just making the play at the plate identical to a play at 2nd or 3rd base -- nobody initiates a collision at those bases. I can't imagine they'll change anything when it comes to a throw taking the catcher up the line and into a collision, as that's unavoidable. What they're really trying to do is get rid of the avoidable injuries to players with millions of dollars invested in them.

As far as replay is concerned - I'm all for it. Stick an ump up in the booth and it shouldn't disrupt the game in the slightest, as replays are available on tv near instantaneously. If umps don't like it, maybe they should be better at their jobs.

billt721 wrote:

99% of outs recorded at the plate could just as easily be done via a simple tag rather than standing there waiting to be bowled over. You're just making the play at the plate identical to a play at 2nd or 3rd base -- nobody initiates a collision at those bases. I can't imagine they'll change anything when it comes to a throw taking the catcher up the line and into a collision, as that's unavoidable. What they're really trying to do is get rid of the avoidable injuries to players with millions of dollars invested in them.

As far as replay is concerned - I'm all for it. Stick an ump up in the booth and it shouldn't disrupt the game in the slightest, as replays are available on tv near instantaneously. If umps don't like it, maybe they should be better at their jobs.

There is a difference with a play at 2nd or 3rd. Home plate is scoring a run, and defending the run or scoring the run is a lot more important than what happens and 2nd or 3rd. That is the obvious difference, however IMO the most important difference is that at home, the play ends once the runner touches home plate or is called out. At 2nd or 3rd, if you were to bowl over the defender, touch base safely but in your act of knocking someone over you come off the base, you can still be tagged out. That is not the case at home. If I was at 2nd or 3rd and I saw you coming in 100 mph trying to kill me I would simply side step you, let you touch the base, your agressive momentium takes you past the base and then I tag you out. If I do that at home, you are safe and you score.

The runner trying to stretch to 2nd or 3rd slides because it allows him to avoid the tag, AND stay on the base. The runner trying to get home only has one goal in mind, touch home plate. As a runner, I can "aim" to go through the defender becuase I don't have to stop at home, I can keep running into the dugout as long as one toenail touches the plate. That's not the case at 2nd or 3rd.

I like how the people complaining about this somehow think they know more about baseball and catching than Johnny Bench.

Not sure if that's directed at me or the people who are proposing the rule in the first place. If the qualification to complain about something is to be a professional at the highest level then I think we're all guilty and we're all in agreement about Pass Interefence, QB tackling rules and excessive celebration penalties as well.

I'm all for player safety, but unless they change the rule to (a) Every out at home is a force out or (b) the runner must stop at home plate or call time (which will make walk off HRs pretty boring) then this is just another rule that is going to be enforced subjectively. Since baseball's foundation is the subjective ball v. strike maybe that's ok, but I guess I don't see it that way.

Collisions or no the fundamental difference between a play at the plate vs. 2nd or 3rd base is that 2nd or 3rd there is continuation and the possibility of an out even after touching the base, and at home there is not. Change that and people will stop trying to collide at the plate without the need for some arbitrary "who's blocking whom" rule.

Collisions were never a nice thing even though they were very exciting. Especially if it's a tying or go ahead run. If you don't want to get bowled over, don't block the plate. The onus is on the catchers to prevent these collisions.

Don't care about the replay thing.

Funny that MLB is focusing on player safety and replays while a 40-year old former substance abuser, Bartolo Colon, proves that cheating DOES have it's benefits to the tune of $20 million.

MLB is a joke.

FSeven wrote:

Collisions were never a nice thing even though they were very exciting. Especially if it's a tying or go ahead run. If you don't want to get bowled over, don't block the plate. The onus is on the catchers to prevent these collisions.

This is my take. If you're going to block the plate, expect the collision. No need to change the rules.

Secondly, whats the role of the runner coming from first during a potential double play starting at second? Break it up by going in with your cleats high or rolling over the bag. Will that be illegal next?

FSeven wrote:

Funny that MLB is focusing on player safety and replays while a 40-year old former substance abuser, Bartolo Colon, proves that cheating DOES have it's benefits to the tune of $20 million.

I was glad the Orioles didn't sign him. If he continues to pitch well I can't help but think it's because of hormones and whatnot, but I'd rather see him sink or swim elsewhere regardless.

mindset.threat wrote:
FSeven wrote:

Collisions were never a nice thing even though they were very exciting. Especially if it's a tying or go ahead run. If you don't want to get bowled over, don't block the plate. The onus is on the catchers to prevent these collisions.

This is my take. If you're going to block the plate, expect the collision. No need to change the rules.

Secondly, whats the role of the runner coming from first during a potential double play starting at second? Break it up by going in with your cleats high or rolling over the bag. Will that be illegal next?

My thoughts exactly. "Prevent injuries from collisions at the plate" is an ideal, not a rule. The only way I see that becoming is a rule would be to fundamentally change the mechanics around scoring a run, which we could debate whether those detract from the game or not.

You're not going to have to fundamentally change the mechanics of scoring a run. You're simply not allowing the runner to purposefully run over the catcher, and prohibiting the catcher from intentionally blocking the plate. The rule has been in place at the high school and college level for a long time without making it a force play or other dramatic revisions.

Break it up by going in with your cleats high or rolling over the bag. Will that be illegal next?

Yeah, trying to cleat someone should be illegal. Preventing a double play shouldn't end someone's year.

karmajay wrote:
Break it up by going in with your cleats high or rolling over the bag. Will that be illegal next?

Yeah, trying to cleat someone should be illegal. Preventing a double play shouldn't end someone's year.

Along those lines, the umps already give leeway to SS/2B to make the 'neighborhood play' (which was specifically called out as not being reviewable with instant replay) when turning a double play. It's often laughable how far off the bag the player can be while still getting the call, but I understand why they allow it.

Ralph Kiner died yesterday. I knew of him as a player, but many people knew him better as an announcer. I have only ever heard good things about him.

garion333 wrote:

Ralph Kiner died yesterday. I knew of him as a player, but many people knew him better as an announcer. I have only ever heard good things about him.

Yeah, big bummer. His stats were pretty amazing and consider that his career was cut short to 10 years because we went to serve in WW2. 369 homers in 10 years. What could he have done if he played another 10 years?

My first exposure to him as an announcer was around the time of the Mets' '86 World Championship. Legendary announcer.

Dude also dated Elizabeth Taylor and was engaged to Janet Leigh. Used to hobnob with Hollywood celebrities despite only playing in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and New York. Just one of those crossover guys that are bigger than the sport.

He had a back injury late in his career at well, hence the retirement at just 32. He hit 35+ home runs for seven consecutive seasons. Great player.

But he really was a one-of-a-kind broadcaster. As a kid, I watched him, Bob Murphy and Lindsey Nelson call Mets games, and they are as much a part of why I'm a Mets fan as the team itself. His postgame show Kiner's Korner was as popular as the game that had just finished. He was even participating in Mets broadcasts up through last season, sitting in with Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling to tell stories and talk about the team during select day games.

He lived a long and amazing life, and I knew he was in his 90s, but it was still a shock to the system when I saw the news yesterday.

Keith Hernandez is 60 years old. Now I feel old.

Received my MLB.tv renewal email the other day, pitchers & catchers are reporting, and we're 10 days from Cactus and Grapefruit league games.

It's beginning to smell a lot like baseball season.

David Price signed a 1 year deal with the rays so I doubt he will be traded (woot)

Anybody staying up/getting up to watch the Opening Series from Sydney tomorrow? Game 1 at 4am ET? Game 2 at 10pm ET? Anybody? Bueller?

Did anyone watch? I think they did a good job in converting the SCG.

Bruce wrote:

Did anyone watch? I think they did a good job in converting the SCG.

I watched a good bit of last night's game (I guess that was this afternoon's game for you :)). I was amazed at what SCG looked like based on the original pictures I'd seen. They seemed to have done a nice job giving the Australian fans the feel for a US baseball stadium.

That said, it still seems ridiculous to me to have these teams play two regular season games more than a week before the season starts and then send them back to the US to deal with jet lag and more spring training. Would the Australians have really cared if these were exhibition games instead?

A mild uptick in interest because the games were 'real'. But I suspect that wouldn't have changed the ticket sales.

Going to Rays game tonight.