The 2014 MLB season came with many changes, including instant replay, but perhaps none more controversial than the new rule regarding home plate. According to rule 7.13, a runner may not “deviate from his direct pathway to the plate” and a catcher may not “block the pathway of the runner if he is attempting to score” unless in possession of the ball. The rule was created to protect catchers, but without a more effective system in place to determine the call, the rule causes more controversy than it’s meant to prevent.
If this new rule is here to stay, certain things need to happen. Umpires need instructions on how to call plays at home plate, catchers need clarification on what can and cannot be done, and runners need to learn proper ways to approach the plate.
Before the 2014 season, there was no rule preventing catchers from blocking the plate or runners from plowing through catchers in an attempt to receive a safe call at home. Since the very beginning of baseball, players have been taught to play the game a certain way, thus developing a set of instincts that dictate how they play the game.
So why was the rule created in the first place? While home plate collisions have been a part of the game since its creation, the high price and heavy reliance on players has caused the league to look into better protection. But is this protection necessary? In May 2011, Giants catcher Buster Posey was brutally injured after he was struck by Scott Cousins, then Florida Marlins outfielder, at home plate. In August 2012, Yadier Molina, catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, was injured at home plate after he was struck by Josh Harrison. But how often do home plate collisions occur? MLB reports that 50 percent of concussions occur at home plate. However, this includes batters hit by pitches and catchers hit by foul balls. There are no statistics detailing the frequency of home plate collisions; shouldn’t that be taken as a sign that they do not happen that often?
With the salary of MLB catchers averaging tens of millions of dollars, it is no surprise teams want to ensure the safety of their players, even if it means altering the rules. If a player is injured, they are still paid whatever their contract states, regardless of games played. Therefore, management has to pay the injured player’s salary and find a replacement. This leads to the conclusion that the rule is made to protect the organization, not so much the players.
The Miami Marlins had their fair share of controversy in the 2014 season, but perhaps the most frustrating for players, coaches and fans were the two controversial calls at home plate. The first was on July 31, 2014, in a game against the Cincinnati Reds. Todd Frazier hit a fly ball to right field, where it was fielded by Giancarlo Stanton, who then threw to Jeff Mathis at home plate, beating runner Zack Cozart home by a solid lead. The umpire ruled the play an out, ending the inning. The umpires in New York then proceeded to review the play for an outrageous six minutes and 10 seconds, overturning the play and calling it a run. Marlins Manager Mike Redmond ran out of the dugout in protest. The umpire can clearly be seen calling the overturned play “bullsh-t” repeatedly, agreeing with Redmond. Clearly this is not a matter of a team being sore losers, but of a league not being properly instructed how to interpret a new rule.
Rule 7.13 has great intentions and appears to be here to stay. However, unless catchers, runners and umpires are given explicit instructions on what is expected of them, we can expect more ridiculous six-minute replays and a ton of controversy next season.
