The runner is rounding third, hard. The only thing in his way is the catcher, as the ball takes one hop and reaches the catchers mitt. It’s too late to slide, so the runner must find his inner football player and prepare for contact with the catcher. The catcher doesn’t see it coming, he is slammed to the ground, knocking the ball out of his mitt. The runner is safe!

The method of intentionally colliding with the catcher in order to be safe is a dangerous strategy but continues to be part of the game of baseball. The runner is not the only one in trouble. The catcher is also putting himself in danger when he is blocking the plate hoping to get the runner out. This play is part of the game and has been for a long time. Frequent injuries are the main reason Major League Baseball is considering banning this play. Pete Rose whose famous for his collision in the 1970 Mid-Summer Classic doesn’t like the idea of the ban, “,What are they going to do next, you can’t break up a double play?” he told Mark Memmott of NPR, on December 12th of this year. He continued, “What has this game come to?” Arguing that “hitters nowadays wear more gear than the Humvees in Afghanistan.”

San Francisco catcher Buster Posey’s injury in 2011 is an example of how this play can be dangerous, but worth the risk. In this particular game runners were on first and third with two outs in the top of the twelfth, the game was tied. The ball was hit and caught by the right fielder and the runner from third tagged. Posey was getting ready to grab the ball that had been launched from the outfield and tag the runner. Unfortunately, the only way for the runner to have a chance of scoring was to collide with Buster Posey in an attempt to knock the ball out of his mitt. As a result of the play, Posey received a broken bone in his left ankle and was out for the remainder of the season. Scott Cousins, the baserunner, was called safe.

Joe Torre, Hall of Fame Baseball Manager and member of the Baseball Playing Rules Committee was approached by former catcher and current Manager Bruce Bochy of the San Francisco Giants following the Posey incident. Bochy was concerned about plays at home plate that were causing injuries. Torre agreed to begin discussions as to how the game could become more safe for catchers. In an article on MLB.com, Joe Torre said he began receiving letters from parents of youth baseball players describing injuries from collisions at home plate. Torre also talked about having a conversation with former catcher Mike Matheny whose career ended early because of concussions he received as a catcher. Matheny’s concussions were severe enough to cause the memory loss during an 18 month period in his life. Torre and others hoped that rules could be in place by the 2014 season. As of January 2014, there has been no definite agreement regarding rule changes. Players, Owners and Umpires Unions will have to approve any changes made.

Changing Major League Baseball will not be an easy process. Any changes should be carefully considered and not rushed. You will have to decide if you agree with people like Pete Rose, who feels we are going too far to protect players, or if you agree with Joe Torre, who does not want players to continue to be injured. Until changes are made, runners will continue to try and score, while catchers will continue to protect the plate any way they can.