Plate block rule in Twins Blue Jays game.

I f*cking hate this rule. Let’s go back to the Pete Rose/Ray Fosse way of playing baseball. If a catcher wants to block the plate, just run the motherf*cker over. Same goes with taking out a second baseman or shortstop on a double play ball.

One of the things I think this rule takes away from is the idea of hook slides. If you look at the play, odds are he would’ve been safe just doing a traditional hook slide. But with the new rule he knows he can go right into the catcher and be safe even if he’s out.

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you can’t block any other base so why allow home plate?

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Because that’s where a run is counted when touched AND, unlike the other three bases, you’re no longer interfering with the runner, as there are no more bases to advance to.

I agree with Mauler. If a catcher wants to block the plate, then prepared to get trucked.

They have put players and umps in an impossible situation trying to call these plays correctly. It's too hard to call a play like this with how they have designed the rule.

If the throw in ON the plate, where is the catcher supposed to go?
I get the intent of the rule, but there's obviously a need to tweak it.
The train coming through argument to go back to Ty Cobb spiking people is stupid too.

An overreaction to the Buster Posey play

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The catcher is blocking the path TO homeplate, not after home plate.

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Correct.

The Posey play was an example of a guy intentionally trucking the catcher, in the play the guy could have slid into the plate and would have been safe.

I think the rule should read, any intentional collision with the catcher will be an automatic out.

The days of nine car pileups at home plate are over and I have no problem with this one. There have been some serious collisions and for what? If the ball beats the runner then tag him out just like they do at other bases. But often a catcher would block the plate because he knew the runner was ahead of the ball or it looked like a tie. That has hurt many a good player.

I can still see Bo Jackson making an example out of Rick Dempsey. What was crazy about that play, was the ball was there in plenty of time to just make a sweeping tag. Instead, he blocked the plate and made the tag, and received all 235 lbs of Bo coming at the speed of light. Why? The best I can figure, that's what catchers were trained to do. Took a lot of training to stand in front of Bo.

Don't block the plate, it's illegal and unhealthy.

Watching Glenallen Hill blow up Mike Piazza was one of the pleasures of my life.

Yep, I was a catcher from little league through dixie league and babe ruth as well as high school. Played many years in serious baseball.

I always stood on the pitcher's side of the plate for plays at home. Blocking the plate shouldn't be allowed.