Blocking the plate.

[lovetoaster]

Today's game really annoyed me. Gausman was bad. Some guys had really awful ABs. The Cubs stole a few hits away with good D. The Cubs got a couple cheap hits that the O's didn't. The screwed up blocking rule. Getting beat by Arrieta and Strop.

Overall, a pretty frustrating game.

Yep. It was one of those days. But in a 162-game season a few of those will happen.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Chris Davis should've plowed him over to drive home the point.

That's what i was thinking. I hate the rule. Might as well just make every play a force play at home.

[olehippi]

Chris Davis should've plowed him over to drive home the point.

If Davis had done that, and the umpires ruled that the catcher wasn't blocking the plate (which they did), Davis would have been kicked out of the game, probably fined, and maybe suspended for a few games by the commissioner.

But, if he had just slid in hard feet first and taken out the catcher's knee that was blocking the plate, the folks in NY might have made a different call.

[AdamK]

A foot, to me, is blocking the plate.

Hardy saw a similar block during the cardinals series and it injured his thumb.

[CA-ORIOLE]

If Davis had done that, and the umpires ruled that the catcher wasn't blocking the plate (which they did), Davis would have been kicked out of the game, probably fined, and maybe suspended for a few games by the commissioner.

But, if he had just slid in hard feet first and taken out the catcher's knee that was blocking the plate, the folks in NY might have made a different call.

Ehh, the rule is so vague and stupid they very well might have inferred he was blocking the plate if he just ran into him and i think that's worth a try over risking a leg injury.

[Morgan423]

Based on the current rule, the Cubs catcher 100% blocked the plate. By rule, if you are a catcher who is taking a throw that is going to the third base side of home plate, you CAN NOT BE IN THE BASE PATH UNTIL YOU HAVE THE BASEBALL.

Meaning: if you are to catch the throw, you have to come up into the infield, toward the mound and out of the base path. If you don't, and hang out in the base path for a second or two, YOU ARE BLOCKING THE PLATE.

It's not hard to judge based on the way the rule is written. So yeah, it's a pretty good question: What play were they reviewing? It couldn't have been the one that happened in today's game; they must have been watching archive footage.

BONUS QUESTION: What's the point in having an anti-collision rule to protect baserunners and catchers IF YOU DON'T ENFORCE IT?

If you said, "There isn't one," congratulations, you win!

:angryfire::angryfire::angryfire:

[CA-ORIOLE]

A foot, to me, is blocking the plate.

Hardy saw a similar block during the cardinals series and it injured his thumb.

But the rule is very nuanced/vague in that it can be interpreted that you can block the plate of you have possession of the ball or if the the throw takes you into the path of the runner.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Based on the current rule, the Cubs catcher 100% blocked the plate. By rule, if you are a catcher who is taking a throw that is going to the third base side of home plate, you CAN NOT BE IN THE BASE PATH UNTIL YOU HAVE THE BASEBALL.

Meaning: if you are to catch the throw, you have to come up into the infield, toward the mound and out of the base path. If you don't, and hang out in the base path for a second or two, YOU ARE BLOCKING THE PLATE.

I don't think it's as clear as you think it is. Specifically it could be inetrperted that he had the ball and then blocked the plate. It happens fast. Also, I don't think the second part is how it's necessarily interpreted. If it was clear there wouldn't be so many people disagreeing about this stuff.

[terps19]

The problem is, as it is in the NFL, it's not called consistently one way or the other.

More evidence that replay is a joke and a waste of time.

Tell that to Caleb Joseph...

[OFFNY]

Today's game really annoyed me. Gausman was bad. Some guys had really awful ABs. The Cubs stole a few hits away with good D. The Cubs got a couple cheap hits that the O's didn't. The screwed up blocking rule. Getting beat by Arrieta and Strop.

Overall, a pretty frustrating game.

It was a very frustrating game.

And with 36 games left to play, it won't be the last.

The Orioles will do what they have been doing all year ..... move on to the next game.

[Morgan423]

I don't think it's as clear as you think it is. Specifically it could be inetrperted that he had the ball and then blocked the plate. It happens fast. Also, I don't think the second part is how it's necessarily interpreted. If it was clear there wouldn't be so many people disagreeing about this stuff.

The rule specifically says that you can only move into the baseline to catch the ball if it's the only way you can possibly catch the ball. If you step into the base path with enough time to read a newspaper or have a tea party or whatever before the ball gets there, like the Cubs catcher did today, then you could have waited for the ball somewhere outside of the base path, and you would be in violation. I'll bold the part I'm talking about.

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2. Unless the catcher is in possession of the ball, the catcher cannot block the pathway of the runner as he is attempting to score. If, in the judgment of the Umpire, the catcher without possession of the ball blocks the pathway of the runner, the Umpire shall call or signal the runner safe. Notwithstanding the above, it shall not be considered a violation of this Rule 7.13 if the catcher blocks the pathway of the runner in order to field a throw, and the Umpire determines that the catcher could not have fielded the ball without blocking the pathway of the runner and that contact with the runner was unavoidable.

[Outlander]

I don't think the rule is as bad as ppl say. I thnk it's been pretty clear. First Davis could have plowed him because the Cather had the ball. Davis wouldn't have to deviate from his path to plow him. Second, you are allowed to have that left foot kind of in front of home, but on the infield side of the baseline until the ball either leads you wherever, or, you have the ball, in which case you can block the plate. So he had the ball at the very end, thus Davis could have plowed him. I think it was the right call.

[CA-ORIOLE]

The rule specifically says that you can only move into the baseline to catch the ball if it's the only way you can possibly catch the ball. If you step into the base path with enough time to read a newspaper or have a tea party or whatever before the ball gets there, like the Cubs catcher did today, then you could have waited for the ball somewhere outside of the base path, and you would be in violation. I'll bold the part I'm talking about.

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2. Unless the catcher is in possession of the ball, the catcher cannot block the pathway of the runner as he is attempting to score. If, in the judgment of the Umpire, the catcher without possession of the ball blocks the pathway of the runner, the Umpire shall call or signal the runner safe. Notwithstanding the above, it shall not be considered a violation of this Rule 7.13 if the catcher blocks the pathway of the runner in order to field a throw, and the Umpire determines that the catcher could not have fielded the ball without blocking the pathway of the runner and that contact with the runner was unavoidable.

If it's so crystal clear why did the umpires make the decsion in about 2 seconds. That play happens fast.

Watch it. The catcher was initially in front of the plate with a path given to the runner he moves into the path in the act of catching the ball and making the tag.

It's just not as simple as you are making it out to be.

[CA-ORIOLE]

I don't think the rule is as bad as ppl say. I thnk it's been pretty clear. First Davis could have plowed him because the Cather had the ball. Davis wouldn't have to deviate from his path to plow him. Second, you are allowed to have that left foot kind of in front of home, but on the infield side of the baseline until the ball either leads you wherever, or, you have the ball, in which case you can block the plate. So he had the ball at the very end, thus Davis could have plowed him. I think it was the right call.

Yes...agreed.

[Morgan423]

If it's so crystal clear why did the umpires make the decision in about 2 seconds. That play happens fast.

Watch it. The catcher was initially in front of the plate with a path given to the runner he moves into path in the act of catching the ball and making the tag.

It's just not as simple as you are making it out to be.

I did watch the play again. Yes, the Cubs catcher is straddling home plate, but the issue is that he has his entire left leg in the base path (cutting it off from Chris Davis) for at least 2 - 3 seconds before the throw arrives. If the chalk line went all the way to the corner of the plate, he would have been standing on it. He could have awaited that throw 6 inches to a foot closer to the infield, not blocking the base path while giving Crush a path to the bag.