Buster Posey gets destroyed, Agent Jeff Barry whines

[OnTheWarpath15]

Completely clean play. I'm sure this guy would be whining like this had it happened to some ****stick that plays for Pittsburgh.

ESPN discusses the play:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/s...=ESPNHeadlines

Video:

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?co..._copy_15201655

Giants catcher Buster Posey is awaiting word of just how serious he is hurt, after he apparently suffered a significant leg injury while blocking home plate in the 12th inning of San Francisco's game Wednesday night. But his agent is not waiting to lobby for change.

Posey suffered a broken bone in his ankle, according to a source, CSNBayArea.com reported Thursday.

Posey's agent, Jeff Berry, said Thursday morning he reached 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. He also spoke with the players' union about the play.

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."

Scott Cousins scored the go-ahead run in a brutal collision with Posey at home in the 12th inning, injuring the star catcher in a 7-6 loss to the Florida Marlins. Posey went for X-rays on his left ankle and the Giants said there would be no test results released until later Thursday, when he'll have an MRI exam.

"It's huge. He's one of the leaders of the team already and what he brings every day is something you can't replace," Giants right fielder Nate Schierholtz said. "I'm just hoping for the best. I couldn't really see what happened from out there. I was just hoping for the best. Maybe he got the wind knocked out of him or something."

Berry, in a statement issued Thursday after he'd contacted MLB and the players' union, said Posey was in front of home plate and never blocked the plate, while Cousins, who had room to slide, lowered his shoulder as he approached home.

"At [the] point of impact, all of Buster's body is still two feet in front of the plate leaving all of the plate exposed for the runner," Berry said.

The play came after the Giants rallied from four runs down in the ninth in one of the wildest nights of their young season.

The deciding play came when Emilio Bonifacio hit a shallow fly ball to right-center off Guillermo Mota (2-1) for the second out. Cousins tagged from third base on the sacrifice fly, beating the throw from Schierholtz and lowering his shoulder to slam into Posey for a clean -- albeit cringing -- hit on the reigning NL Rookie of the Year.

Cousins was safe as Posey never quite could corral the ball. Cousins, who attended the University of San Francisco, lives in the Bay Area and had almost a dozen friends and family in attendance, said he felt sorry for injuring Posey but believed it was a clean baseball play.

"I felt like he was blocking the dish. It's the go-ahead run to win the game, I got to do whatever I can to score," Cousins said. "I'm not trying to end anybody's season or anything like that. I just was trying to play hard and score the go-ahead run. He didn't say much and you could tell he was in pain.

"And when their manager, when Bruce (Bochy) came out, he was pretty frustrated. I didn't want to make things any more tense."

After several minutes of being attended to at the plate, with fans finally chanting "Posey! Posey!" he was helped off the field by two team trainers, holding his left leg and looking stunned.

"It's the toughest play in baseball. You hate to see it," Bochy said. "As a catcher you know what it's like, and you don't like it. Believe me. When I see him laying there, it's certainly not a good feeling."

Cousins said he felt for Posey and repeatedly mentioned that he wasn't trying to injure him. He said he would find a way to contact Posey to wish him well.

"It's a baseball play. I feel bad for Buster Posey, I really do," Cousins said. "I'm going to send a message over there to them."

[Blankey]

Yeah let's change a 100+ year old rule just because a young star broke his leg

[ClevelandBronco]

So is this Berry bundle of sticks suggesting a fine? The threat of a fine wouldn't change that play.

[Rudy tossed tigger's salad]

It's an unfortunate rule.... But if catchers can block the plate, then what can you do?

[thebrad84]

Watched the video. I agree that a player shouldn't be allowed to crush the catcher like that and have absolutely no intentions of doing so to be able to get to the plate. It was blatantly obvious that the runner slammed in to Posey with the only intention of preventing him from catching the ball. The only time a player should be able to run in to the catcher is if the catcher is completely blocking the entire plate and the runner is just trying to clear room so he can get to the plate. Would be tough to enforce I guess, but I suppose it would just be a judgement call made by the home plate ump.

[ClevelandBronco]

Originally Posted by Lemon_Pie

It's an unfortunate rule.... But if catchers can block the plate, then what can you do?

Allow the catcher to call for a fair catch, direct the runner to the dugout, and reconstruct the play using CGI that would determine the likelihood of the runner reaching the plate. If the software determines that the runner would have a 60% likelihood of scoring, his team would be awarded 0.6 runs. In fact, if this idea catches on, teams wouldn't really have to have any real players. It's in the game.

[DeezNutz]

The problem with that play is that Posey doesn't have the plate blocked completely. The back portion was exposed (not on purpose, mind you), so contact could have been avoided.

That said, if I'm the runner, I'm going to initiate contact in that situation.

[kstater]

His client could always get out of the way if he's afraid of getting hurt.

[Chief Roundup]

Cousins didn't do anything wrong. We have all seen worse collisions at home plate before. If they try and change the rules on playes at the plate then they better ready to change the rules for every bag. Because then you won't be able to try and break up a double play either. Rule needs to stay they way it is. It is up to the catcher to put himself in the proper position to make the play and not get injured.
Feel sorry for the guy but this is just part of the game.

[gblowfish]

I remember Bo Jackson totally destroying Orioles Catcher Rick Dempsey at home plate one night. Bo just killed him, sent the guy rolling head over heels almost back into the Royals Dugout.

And of course, the Pete Rose/Ray Fosse collision in the 1971 All Star game is legendary. It ruined Fosse's career.

[sedated]

According to someone on 810 this morning (I think Buster Olney), blocking the plate isn't really legal.

[chiefzilla1501]

I think it's a legitimate gripe and one I never really thought of. In football, the big "no-no" is launching yourself at an offensive player. I think what this guy did is a lot different than just plowing someone over. I don't think you should get tagged for helmet to helmet or anything like that. But I think if you leave your feet to launch at a catcher, that's something they should stop.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by kstater

His client could always get out of the way if he's afraid of getting hurt.

This. Don't block the freaking plate and you won't get hurt. It's pretty simple. Does this idiot think this is the first time this has ever happened?

[Mr. Laz]

this whole catcher vs runner thing doesn't really fit into baseball anyway.

Baseball is not a contact sport and yet in this one instance it's allowed?

i don't really care but it's kinda weird.

[Saul Good]

Its already against the rules. It just needs to be enforced correctly. Blocking bags shouldn't be allowed, and neither should plowing into the fielder (catcher, ss, etc.). Just enforce the rules. Either you beat the throw, or the throw beats you.

You can't mow over the first baseman, and he can't get in your way while he waits for the throw. If the batter gets in the catcher's way, its interference, but they let runners break up the double play by going after the shortstop. There's no reason for it.