Baseball Journal 10-20-13 The Rules

Let me address a couple of things I heard during LCS pre-games. 

Baseball may want to eliminate the “Neighborhood” play (a fielder taking a ball at second base not actually touching the bag for the runner to be out).  This unwritten rule (if it’s there I can’t find it on a cursory look) was instituted as a safety measure so that fielders would be in less danger from take-out slides.   The fielder will now have to touch the bag, but the runner will automatically be out if they stray out of a direct line with second base (which is already basically in the rulebook (7.08 (a) (1)).  Perhaps they might also call Interference on the runner going outside that line and call out a runner going to first as well.

MLB may also get rid of home plate collisions.  Rule 7.06 (b) clearly states that the catcher may not block the plate without the ball, though it may be inferred that the catcher may do so with the ball.  Presumably, the new ruling will be that the catcher may not block the baseline at all. 

Okay, I don’t know all of the details or how it will be implemented (or how the players will game it).  First let me state simply: baseball is not a contact sport.  The only player to player contact should be via being touched with the ball or a mitt with the ball in it.  A couple of years ago, I might have had a different attitude, but after Posey got his leg broken, it did cause me to question physical play on the field.  This post-season and last have also featured injuries on the bases from hard slides.  Pete Rose running over Ray Fosse* in the All-Star Game may have been cool, but just about every other time, it’s either an injury or doesn’t effect the play. 

Here’s my justifications on these potential changes.  The Neighborhood play is lazy, bad fielding.  The take-out slide is poor sportsmanship.  The runner is not allowed to hit the fielder to knock loose the ball at any other base, why home?  The catcher shouldn’t even have to block the plate, if the runner leaves the baseline to avoid a tag, they’re out anyway.  If my opinion makes me a baseball wimp, so be it.  I don’t think the game will suffer for it.  I also want to get rid of the pick-off move (more specifically the waste of time, throw to first to keep the runner close, witch it never does) but that’s a different post.