1.Attempt to slide around the catcher and avoid being tagged, or,
2.Collide with the catcher with such force that the catcher has no chance of keeping possession of the ball.
The catcher soon becomes aware of which option the runner will choose. If the runner slides, the catcher will make a sweeping motion with his glove to quickly tag the runner out. Otherwise, the catcher must do everything he can to brace for the impact and keep the ball in his glove.
If you review the tape, the ball clearly beat cousins to the plate. Posey missed catching the ball. Cousins can see that and if you watch the slow motion of the play Posey turns into the running Cousins. Now in that instant nobody knows where the ball is and both Posey who turns into Cousins and Cousins appear to believe Posey has the ball. If so Cousins is OUT!
As you read above the runner should 2.Collide with the catcher with such force that the catcher has no chance of keeping possession of the ball. And Cousins did that! A slide and if Posey has the ball all he has to do is stick out the glove and tag Cousins as he tries to slide under Posey. If you look at a different angle of the play close up from the first base side, you see that Posey’s left foot is twisted. It appears that the leading cleat on the left shoe is dug into the dirt. With the force of the collision and his left foot held to the ground, the injury occurs.
According to what these men were taught from little league up they both played the game properly and if the foot was straight or Posey learning forward there would have been no injury.

While I don’t agree with the comments of our GM, I do think there needs to be better clarification and enforsement of the rule. Rule change? Maybe. Just depends on how umps choose to interpret the current rules. Again, read the rules and see if you are perfectly clear on what should and should not be allowed.

My issue is that Cousins did two things on the play – 1) he changed his line of direction to the plate, when he clearly had an open path. he went from running outside of the foul line to stepping inside the line and in front of the base to make a direct hit on Posey. 2) He lowered his shoulder in order to hit Posey full force. IMO those are two reasons enough to at least look at the current rules.

Honestly, Steve, we can all do without the ‘shut up’ comments. Be a real man and make your points without childish comments.

People say silly things when they’re emotional. We all do it. But unlike us, when you’re famous, people actually listen to you when you’re being emotional. That doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be scolded, of course not. However, if you chastise this man, please reconsider the things you yell when someone cuts you off in traffic.

Specifically, he is haphazardly pinning blame of a rough occurrence, something that is all too common. I wish he would identify that the culture of baseball as the problem, not the players said culture produces. As Billy Beane’s recent words suggested, if your team is not okay with certain aspects, coach alternatives to the players. A hundred plus years of clueless bravado ingrained in a culture is difficult to overturn, but at least someone that disagrees with the standard knows how to fight it.

If Brian Sabean never has a job again, then we’ll all be happy.

And, most definitely, if the Giants never smell another World Series– heck, are never heard from again– Lord knows, the rest of baseball and the logical thinking world, will all be happy.

Grow the F up, Sabean. You are, officially, a waste of space, time, and oxygen.

He is two feet in front of the plate and not in between the plate in third base. Blocking the plate from who? The pitcher?

I don’t rdispute Cousins acted within the rules or within accepted baseball protocol to hit the catcher.

My disagreement is with people saying Buster was blocking the plate. Which would mean he is between the plate and third base which he clearly was not.

A catcher that makes a decision to consciously block the plate chooses to get hit. See Mike Scioscia for examples.

This is the picture to moment before impact.
http://www.csnbayarea.com/gallery_images/7879_144565.jpg

By the way, Cousins didn’t make a split second decision. In his postgame comments he clearly stated that he knew he was going to collide with Posey the moment he left third. He didn’t react to what Posey gave him, he was going to plow Posey no matter what.

And for the last time, standing in front of the plate, or on the front edge of the plate IS NOT BLOCKING THE PLATE. When does your path from third to home run through the front edge of the plate? Posey didn’t position himself between third and home, putting himself DIRECTLY in Cousins’ path, and creating a situation where Cousins’ only options were to crush Posey or stop running.

I don’t know if there’s a way to change the rules to prevent this type of play. I do, however, think this is a situation where players need to be taught to respect each other, particularly in a game in late May. Posey gave Cousins a path to score. Cousins decided before the play unfolded that he’d crash into Posey. That said, Sabean’s comments were out of line and unprofessional.

I’m not saying the rule MUST be changed. I simply do not see a reason why there shouldn’t be an open discourse on such plays at the plate. Is the trade-off between safety and excitement enough to make the play a necessary part of the game? Is a collision that much more entertaining than a slide?

There have also been other collisions at the plate that led to injuries, but I’m glad the discussion is being held over the play now. I don’t think that re-evaluating a dangerous play is a sign that “society overreact(s) to everything”. Protecting an arguably defenseless player (Posey was in fair territory) seems like a logical move

“Avoid the clap, .. Jimmy Dugan”

I shall be auditing the Jay’s game, the football and the Dodgers/Phillies tilt. Seems fair; both our teams have a real shot of crushing the oppo.

PS; Actually I knew it was the Phillies. I said Yankees to get your goat. Shoulda said Cardinals. That would have got you steamed

No that is the moment AFTER impact.

And if you went to the moment just before impact you’d see Posey looking towards the outfield and Cousins to his left baring down on him. After Posey doesn’t field the ball he turn almost 90 degrees to his left and lundges towards Cousins. That is why Posey’s head is between the camera lens and Cousins. The key point being that Posey was moving towards Cousins in an effort to keep him from scoring.

Posey was blocking the plate tring to make a play, Cousins was looking to knock the ball lose from the catcher. There is no villian here. It’s just a tough break but it’s also to be expected.