| It's the padding, stupid |
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| Monday, 26 April 2010 | |
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Another year, another catcher gets his body broken. This time, Bobby Wilson of the Angels, who wasn't even blocking the plate, got cracked by the Yankees' Mark Teixeira, suffering a concussion and bashed ankle. I could write something, but I vented seven years ago to little effect; I will reprint the relevant parts with a few notes and an addendum: Today (Sept. 4, 2003) I'm giving a stern lecture on health, safety and good sportsmanship. I actually wrote this piece a couple of years ago, but filed it away without posting it. I'm resurrecting the topic after yesterday's Anaheim-Minnesota game, in which Dustan Mohr tied the game in the bottom of the ninth by colliding with catcher Bengie Molina, breaking Molina's wrist. Baseball should outlaw collisions at home plate. They're not necessary, and people get hurt; good catchers have had their careers wrecked from collisions with meat-headed baserunners. If a player hits the catcher with any part of his upper body, then (1) he's out, (2) he's out of the game, and (3) he's suspended. In the Angels-Twins game, Mohr was the potential tying run, but he was also the potential third and final out. The throw to the plate had him out by 30 feet. Game over, except that Molina was strangely unable to hang onto the ball after having his bone fractured. This is not acceptable; Mohr should have been automatically out, with a suspension looming. If a runner can't score without assaulting the catcher, that's his problem. Use better judgment next time. Learn to fly. (seriously. Learn to fly). Yes, it is true that the catcher wears padding, but the padding is not designed to protect him from 200-pound persons. The catcher is also especially vulnerable because (1) he has to keep his eye on the throw coming in from the outfield, and (2) he has to both tag the runner and hold onto the ball. This is, of course, a topic that has been debated to death among baseball fans; in most cases, good old-fashioned "hardball" is passionately defended by the legions of neanderthals who enjoy the occasional bone-cracking collison. Well, I thumb my nose in the direction of anyone who thinks that violent physical contact is an important element of the game. There is a not-so-fine line between good, aggressive baserunning, and deliberately injuring another player (known respectively as "hardball" and "stupidball"). Mohr crossed that line, as have many others before him. Seven years later, I've had a rethink about this. In principle I still agree with all of it, but in practice I realize that a ban on collisions is unlikely to pass (and it's unlikely that calling people with a differing point of view "neanderthals" will help sway them). So I propose a compromise. Expand the rosters to 26 players, so that each team can carry another catcher. Then, change the rules so that two catchers are on the field at all times. The first catcher does his job as normal; the second wears football equipment and sits near the batting circle, and is not allowed to field the ball. Whether it's a popup or wild pitch, he can't interfere. He also doesn't bat. ONLY when there's a potential play at home plate does the regular catcher get out of the way, and the second one rushes in and takes his place. In that case, if Mark Teixeira wants to lower his shoulder and crash into a guy decked out in football padding, then God Bless him. Everyone is happy; catchers stay healthy, and fans still get bone-crushing action. In physical sports like hockey and football, players wear padding that is appropriate for, you know, protecting them. And baseball catchers also wear padding to protect them - from 95mph fastballs. Home plate collisions are a rare example in which the padding worn is completely inappropriate for the action - and so it's not a surprise that catchers keep getting hurt. Wear better padding, and maybe the outcome is different. |
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