Running over the catcher?

[Guest Bridge City Card]

Running over the catcher

i know in many leagues its illegal including high school but what are your thoughts on it

1. An aggressive baserunning play

or

2. A dirty play

[play-ball!!]

it depends  if the catcher has the ball then it go ahead do it  it would be aggressive    but if the catcher doesnt have the ball looking the other way then it would be just a dirty play

[kem up 10]

i agree with play ball

[BBallFan24]

depends

[retiredoldcoach]

It is illegal even if the catcher has the ball, unless he has the plate 100% blocked.

[worldaintready42]

The catcher has to be up the line for the runner to be able to run him over, otherwise, it is a dirty play and the runner is automatically ejected.

[Silsbee92]

There can be NO malicious act during a baseball contest.  If you "run over" the catcher you will be ejected.  You better trip and fall into him or he better dive into the baseline.  Tough rule but necessary for safety.

[play-ball!!]

i thought you could run over him  you just cant lower your shoulder??  is that true or what?

[kem up 10]

true

[T_totha_K]

lol....one of our players got ejectd this season against Texas Weslyan this yr. for that, it started an all out war too....

I think it should be a judgement call actually like flagrant and intentional fouls or something

[bleacher_bum]

A Hardin player got ejected for this wed. against Deweyville.  It was a close play, catcher recieved the ball about 2 feet from the plate up the baseline (100% blocked) and the Hardin player slid head first, basically diving into the catcher.  Didn't look malicious, but it did look rough, and it got him immediately ejected.

[under_where?]

You do what you gotta do........... If someone gets hurt its not intentional just part of the game.

[Ty Cobb]

A Hardin player got ejected for this wed. against Deweyville.  It was a close play, catcher recieved the ball about 2 feet from the plate up the baseline (100% blocked) and the Hardin player slid head first, basically diving into the catcher.  Didn't look malicious, but it did look rough, and it got him immediately ejected.

I don't understand the ruling on this play.  If there is a play at the plate, or any base for that matter, the baserunner has to slide or will be called out.  If the ball is 2 feet up the line and the baseline is 100% blocked what should the runner do?  He can't just stop and give himself up.  By rule he has to slide.  Sounds like this baserunner did the right thing. 

[wizdiz]

The rule says that you don't have to slide at any base. If there is contact it can not be Malicious, and that is a judgement call by the umpire. Here is the Catch, If you don't slide at second on the double play ball and you get hit by the throw you and the batter are out. If the play is at home you can make contact, but only if it can't be avoided, and then that's when the Ump makes the call on the Malicious Contact.

[rusty]

The thing is the plate was definately 100% blocked, and the catcher was almost out of the cut out. The runner tried diving around him, but the catcher insisted on getting ran over. This was a wrong call, and was definately not malicious! It was a bad call by the umpire and thats it. Your right it is a judgement and there is nothing that can be done now.

[Hammertime09]

I think it would be alright....if the catcher's in my way i'll run him over.....do what u got to do to score a run.....

[Silsbee92]

I don't understand the ruling on this play.  If there is a play at the plate, or any base for that matter, the baserunner has to slide or will be called out.  If the ball is 2 feet up the line and the baseline is 100% blocked what should the runner do?  He can't just stop and give himself up.  By rule he has to slide.  Sounds like this baserunner did the right thing. 

Even if the plate is blocked the runner must slide or try and avoid the tag.  If you initiate contact with the sole purpose of dislodging the ball, and there really is no other reason, then you will be called out, because it is malicious and can cause serious injuries. 

By the way, if anyone here thinks that if a player tries to run someone over that he is not trying to hit them hard enough to take his mind off holding on to the ball then you are seriously confused.  With that intent in mind it is malicious.  Period.

Yes, it is a judgement call, but it can be defensive as well as offensive.

[besbolbenbedygud]

do what you gota do to score a run!!!!  Are you serious!!!........not only will you NOT score a run you'll be watching from the stands and if your coach has any guts you'll be watching for at least the next game...........There is no if he's here you can do this or you can do it just as long as you don't lower your shoulder...........If you run the catcher over your out and your dune for the night ....period......can't  believe this is even a topic!!!

[davidortizfan]

I think it should be allowed. I've been ejected for it before, and it doesn't seem right to me at all. and it's not like its going to kill someone.. it didn't hurt me bad at all. if ppl can tackle each other in football, then a baseball player should be allowed to atleast try to make a play happen by doing that .. thats what we call a player that HUSTLES! let us play!

[mike hawk]

Well i think if he is in the way.... RUN HIM OVER i know a kid from hardin who broke his leg becuse the catcher was in the way. It wasent the catchers fault by no means he was just blocking the plate tryin to make a play but if it was me i would run him over without a doubt.

[JohnnyT60]

Depends if it's my catcher or yours.

[besbolbenbedygud]

Going aginst the rules of the game is not hustling, getting ejected is not huslting(talking as if your prowd of it),  ever wonder who put you in that situation....!?!  There's two ways to get there 1) Your third base coach hung you out to dry......or 2) You run through a stop sign.........

Pros who get payed for what they do.....sure anything goes....I'm all for that.....  If your paying your own insurance playing in an adult softball league, and your dumb enough to injure yourself or someone else, and risk being liable......that's your money...........untill then kids living off mommy and daddy should stay kids and have a chance to make it to the next level.......There is nothing worst then seeing it take place and parying your catcher get's up and is able to continue..........not just the game but the season........

so you few kids who want to play like adult's make sure mommy and daddy have the extra cash..............percing the lip coop!!

[baseballrules]

i catch and i think it should definitely be allowed, and lower your shoulder if you want to!! its high school ball for gods sakes, not little league...collisions at the plate are part of the game. thats why girls play on the other field!!!!

[go stros]

actually its legal to run over the catcher aslong as it is not milicious contact! that means the baserunner cannot lower the shoulder, shove, or in anyway lead with any particular part of the body!

[besbolbenbedygud]

Catastrophic Injuries in High School and College Baseball Players

Barry P. Boden, MD*,, Robin Tacchetti, MS, PT and Fred O. Mueller, PhD

From  The Orthopaedic Center, Rockville, Maryland, and the  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

* Address correspondence to Barry P. Boden, MD, The Orthopaedic Center, 9711 Medical Center Drive, #201, Rockville, MD 20850 (e-mail: [email protected]).

Background: There are few epidemiologic studies of catastrophic baseball injuries.

Purpose: To develop a profile of catastrophic injuries in baseball players and to describe relevant risk factors.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: The authors reviewed 41 incidents of baseball injuries reported to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research from 1982 until 2002.

Results: There were an estimated 1.95 direct catastrophic injuries per year, or 0.43 injuries per 100,000 participants. The most common mechanisms of injury were a collision of fielders (9) or of a base runner and a fielder (8), a pitcher hit by a batted ball (14), and an athlete hit by a thrown ball (4). Catastrophic injuries included 23 severe head injuries, 8 cervical injuries, 3 cases of commotio cordis, and 2 cases each of a collapsed trachea and facial fractures. Three athletes sustained a severe head injury and facial fractures. Ten of the 41 injuries were fatalities.

Conclusions: Suggestions for reducing catastrophic injuries in baseball include teaching proper techniques to avoid fielding and baserunning collisions, protecting the pitcher via a combination of screens and/or helmets with faceguards, continued surveillance and modifications of the bat and ball, eliminating headfirst slides, and continued analysis of chest protectors and automatic external defibrillators for commotio cordis.

Key Words: baseball • head and neck injuries

and if you are a catcher you don't count......i've never met a smart one yet........lol