MLB 2013-2014 off-season moves

The Texas Rangers selected this guy in today's Rule 5 draft:

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Former catchers everywhere are in favor of the change....

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I understand them being in favor of it. But if they were so concerned, then why were they blocking the plat to begin with? If they were not blocking it, then they wouldn't get hit.
 
I remember watching Scioscia as a kid. He was known for his plate blocking. Gone will be the days of the "Best Plate Blockers."

 
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My favorite Scioscia moment was when Norm Charlton ran him over at the plate. :D
 
:confused:

It becomes a tag play like 2nd or 3rd base...
Not the same.

A runner doesn't run/slide through or past 3rd or 2nd. They have to start their slide before and you know they are stopping their slide on the bag. At home you can past, slide, and even slide at different times. This means the catcher has to be prepared for many different scenarios. Even more importantly, an infielder can stand in path of the runner advancing to the next base when they know the runner has to slide at that bases, such as on a ground ball, a steal, or a play at that base. They do it all of the time. They are much clearer on what the runner will be doing. That is not the case with home since there is no other base in which to advance.

Also, bases are raised off the ground. The infielders will often use the base as protection. A catcher cannot do that with home.
 
Not the same.

A runner doesn't run/slide through or past 3rd or 2nd. They have to start their slide before and you know they are stopping their slide on the bag. At home you can past, slide, and even slide at different times. This means the catcher has to be prepared for many different scenarios. Even more importantly, an infielder can stand in path of the runner advancing to the next base when they know the runner has to slide at that bases, such as on a ground ball, a steal, or a play at that base. They do it all of the time. They are much clearer on what the runner will be doing. That is not the case with home since there is no other base in which to advance.

Also, bases are raised off the ground. The infielders will often use the base as protection. A catcher cannot do that with home.

Not without having or about to field/catch the ball they can't.
 
The most important reason this rule is not a good idea is what happens when a catcher has to move to adjust to a throw that is off and it brings him directly into the path of the runner at a close play when the runner is anticipating running through home instead of sliding?

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From what I have read, that situation will be left up to the umpire, whether the contact was unavoidable. I umped fast pitch softball for 25 years, and that's how it was handled.
 
From what I have read, that situation will be left up to the umpire, whether the contact was unavoidable. I umped fast pitch softball for 25 years, and that's how it was handled.

Can't wait to see the ump tell a team they just lost the game because of the way they went into home plate.

Hopefully MLB will look this over closely and decide it's a BAD idea.
 
From what I have read, that situation will be left up to the umpire, whether the contact was unavoidable. I umped fast pitch softball for 25 years, and that's how it was handled.

This may lead to more injuries because catchers will no longer be trained on how to block.

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Omar Infante ready to sign a 4 year $30 million contract with KC

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From what I have read, that situation will be left up to the umpire, whether the contact was unavoidable. I umped fast pitch softball for 25 years, and that's how it was handled.

Again, there will be contact as part of a play at home. It's the full-speed collisions that they are attempting to legislate out of the game and I for one think it's a great idea.
 

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