Time to Change The Play at the Plate

[steve B]

Interesting, and a better video than the others I found.

I see it a bit different but that's the nature of close plays, always open to different interpretation.

I don't think he's actually blocking all that much. He is out in front of the plate, drops the ball as it comes in and turns to make a tag with plenty of base available to the runner. (The turning after the drop explains the drop, he's rushing the play. Not uncommon at any level) the turn he makes puts the left leg in a very bad position, twisted already, forced into the dirt by his weight and with no chance of helping support from the other leg. When he gets hit, the twist is too much and the spikes hold the foot in place. I'd almost bet that the x ray shows a spiral fracture very similar to ones skiers used to get very commonly. Those have been lessened by better bindings, but still happen. And they're usually bad breaks, taking a year or more to really heal right.

A couple ideas from checking the rules

Had he caught the ball and lost it during the collision I think the runner should have been called out on interference.

INTERFERENCE
(a) Offensive interference is an act by the team at bat which interferes with,
obstructs, impedes, hinders or confuses any fielder attempting to make a play.
If the umpire declares the batter, batter-runner, or a runner out for interference,
all other runners shall return to the last base that was in the judgment of the
umpire, legally touched at the time of the interference, unless otherwise
provided by these rules.


As it is, Posey was probably guilty of obstruction, but the play finished with no difference between that call and the play so no call needed. Plus its tough to call a foul like that on the guy who got seriously hurt.

OBSTRUCTION is the act of a fielder who, while not in possession of the ball and
not in the act of fielding the ball, impedes the progress of any runner.
Rule 2.00 (Obstruction) Comment: If a fielder is about to receive a thrown ball and if the ball is in
flight directly toward and near enough to the fielder so he must occupy his position to receive the ball he
may be considered “in the act of fielding a ball.” It is entirely up to the judgment of the umpire as to
whether a fielder is in the act of fielding a ball. After a fielder has made an attempt to field a ball and
missed, he can no longer be in the “act of fielding” the ball. For example: an infielder dives at a ground ball and the ball passes him and he continues to lie on the ground and delays the progress of the runner,
he very likely has obstructed the runner.

I think the current rules pretty much cover the situaton. The way the rules are called may not adhere to the letter of the rules, but that's probably been true for as long as we've had Baseball.

There have been several guys hurt in all sports by cleats getting caught. I think the technology is there to have cleats that separate from the shoe in bad situations like this one but do the job otherwise. Having that wouldn't prevent all injuries, but would prevent a lot of them.


Steve B