# Baseball to ban collisions at home plate - details? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 12, 2013, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-to-ban-collisions-at-home-plate-details/676133 "2013-12-12T03:18:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-to-ban-collisions-at-home-plate-details/676133/21 "2013-12-13T01:57:44Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > Home plate is not like any other base. You can’t overslide 2nd and 3rd, so you have to control yourself coming in. 1st is always a force out, so there is no blocking of the base happening. > > I also think that it is an integral part of the sport that if the catcher is going to use his body in an attempt to prevent you from reaching the base, then it is fair game to knock him out of the way. If he doesn’t want to get hit, simply take a position similar to a shortstop or second baseman on a steal attempt. Oh that’s bad? Why? Because the catcher wants to use his body to shield the runner from the plate. > > It’s really unfair to the runner to not allow him to make contact with some 250lb catcher, complete with gear, is blocking the entire 17 inch wide plate, with or without the ball. Might as well make it a force out. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the catcher isn’t actually allowed to block the plate. The new rule benefits the runner, not the catcher. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-to-ban-collisions-at-home-plate-details/676133/22 "2013-12-22T16:15:24Z")
I think it’s a good thing. Also, I’m one who’s hoping the Giants move Posey to 1B and out from behind the plate. I’m betting that the DH will be in the NL by 2025-2030. I don’t want that to happen, mind you. I think that’s where things are going (sigh). ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-to-ban-collisions-at-home-plate-details/676133/23 "2013-12-22T17:36:51Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > damn they keep making baseball worse and worse > > night games, the DH, instant replay, and now this > > the pussification of the American male continues. can’t have people getting hurt > > I don’t know how much longer I’m gonna be able to watch baseball if this keeps up > > collisions at the plate are an integral part of the game you can’t take that away. knocking out the catcher is a legitimate strategy > sigh we are witnessing the downfall of western civilization right here folks Sorry, that happened when the Designated Hitter was allowed. This is just another stake through the heart. But on the serious side…once the catcher is in control of the ball, the catcher can block the plate, as any other baseman can block when they have control of the ball. This is a moronic rule change. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-to-ban-collisions-at-home-plate-details/676133/24 "2013-12-22T19:33:23Z")
Everyone seems to have remarkably strong opinions about a rule that they don’t even know what the damned wording will be. Calling it “moronic” is amazing when you don’t know what it says. The way it’ll probably be worded, because it’s the way that would make the most sense, would be to specifically state that the runner cannot deliberately target the catcher instead of home plate, as in fact sometimes happens; you will see the runner, knowing the throw has beaten him, go directly for the catcher and not for the plate. Presently that is not (clearly) against the rules - it’s kind of an unclear judgment call. They will probably clearly make it against the rules, and if they do, it’s a good and logical change that will take nothing away from the game. Preventing the catcher from blocking the plate **if he has the ball** would be a substantially less logical and MUCH more difficult to apply rule. But it doesn’t sound from what we’re hearing so far as if that is the likely rule. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-to-ban-collisions-at-home-plate-details/676133/25 "2013-12-22T20:02:52Z")
The rule hasn’t been written or submitted yet, and MLB hasn’t determined how the new replay system will work either. But it looks like the consensus is the one being described here: catchers can’t block the plate without the ball, which is the same way it works on the other bases, and runners can’t target catchers. > [@Enderw24](#): > > So I’m also putting it at 100% chance you’re being hyperbolic, joking, or…well, something else belonging to the pit. Don’t take it seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Crawlspace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Crawlspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crawlspace)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-to-ban-collisions-at-home-plate-details/676133/26 "2013-12-22T20:28:24Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Many of these collisions appear to have been generated by catchers blocking the plate without the ball. And that will no longer be allowed. I disagree. Most collisions I see, and a disproportionate number of the bad ones, are caused by runners, afraid that the defense has them dead to rights, targeting the catcher in an attempt to dislodge the ball/break up a catch. That’s pretty much the entire purpose of the play. Ram the catcher really hard in the hopes that he drops the ball. The easiest way to remove that incentive is to call the runner out the second he initiates non-sliding contact with a catcher in possession of the ball (i.e. the collision cannot cause a “fumble”). This way the runner is so unlikely to gain an advantage from a collision (either the ball will be caught and he’s out on contact; or the catcher will miss handle the throw in which case the collision is unnecessary anyway), that his best play will be to slide in. Focusing on plate blocking will get messy for the simple reason that it’s hard to define. If the catcher has his [foot on the plate](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9DU9Il-f_0) is he blocking it? If it’s a [hit down the left field line](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO8oO3ARW6c)and he’s at home in anticipation of the throw (much like a middle infielder on an attempted steal) is he blocking home? Was [Buster Posey](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j0GESR2YbA) blocking the plate? I don’t consider any of these catchers to have been blocking home, but I can see how others would disagree and how a rule enforcing or expanding on this could lead to confusion. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-to-ban-collisions-at-home-plate-details/676133/27 "2013-12-22T20:38:01Z")
Hasn’t there been a significant upturn in home plate collisions in the past few years? Sure seeems like it just watching games. There were collisions even 35 years ago. But I don’t recall them happening every game. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-to-ban-collisions-at-home-plate-details/676133/28 "2013-12-22T21:31:12Z")
The high salaries of key players is a factor too, of course. Owners and fans do 't want their multi-million dollar players sitting out a season to heal. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-to-ban-collisions-at-home-plate-details/676133/29 "2013-12-22T22:26:03Z")
> [@Crawlspace](#): > > Was [Buster Posey](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j0GESR2YbA) blocking the plate? I don’t consider any of these catchers to have been blocking home, but I can see how others would disagree and how a rule enforcing or expanding on this could lead to confusion. This is the classic example of what they’re trying to get rid of. Posey was quite obviously NOT blocking the plate; Cousins was not at all prevented from getting to the plate. He hit Posey solely for the purpose of hitting him, to knock the ball loose. I can’t think of any good reason such a play should be legal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-to-ban-collisions-at-home-plate-details/676133.md?page=1)