Heap v Victorino

It was a good hard baseball play. Nothing wrong with it.

If the catcher doesn’t want to get run over, the catcher shouldn’t block the plate.

When I was growing up, I was taught if the catcher is blocking the plate the baserunner should knock him over. More recently, I’ve heard the new “etiquette” is something like this: If the catcher gives you part of the plate you should slide. If he’s on top of it, you have to plow him.

I completely understand running over the catcher when he’s in front of the plate and in the baseline. You have to in that situation. However, from what I saw McCann was on top of the plate, therefore Victorino could have easily slid. You say that the new etiquette is that if that catcher is on top of the plate then you have to plow him. Problem is that every catcher is on top of the plate on a play at home. You’re telling me that McCann had every inch of the plate blocked so that Victorino couldn’t slide his hand in? Ridiculous. Dirty play all the way around. If you must plow him, lead with your shoulder and NEVER GO FOR THE HEAD.

He was just trying to score,” McCann said. “I’d have done the same thing if I was trying to score. There wasn’t anything wrong with it. We’re buddies. It was real clean. He plays the game hard. “

Victorino remained on the field until McCann sat up and called the Braves catcher after the game.

“I was just trying to [score] and the only way I thought I could be safe was to jar the ball loose,” Victorino said. “I talked to him a second ago and he said he was fine. ... I just wanted to let him know I wasn’t trying to be dirty.”

Mac is a class act. I know it is scary when something like this happens. I remember when this happened with Erstad and Johnny Estrada. I think the Braves felt more conflicted on that particular play. Some felt that it was a clean play in a close game, others thought that Estrada gave him a lot of the plate and he should have slid. The next night Horacio Ramirez threw a pitch behind him. Erstad didn’t pitch a fit and after the game said he had no problem with it (didn’t charge the mound or gesture at the pitcher). After the game he acknowledged that he understood that Ramirez was sending the message that he would protect his teammates.

His intention was not to hurt Mac. His intention was to score. He stopped and checked on Mac after the play. The baseline belongs to the runner. The catcher stands in his way at his peril. If Brian is two feet in front of the plate, Victorino slides.

Time was, pitchers thru up and in, runners took out the second basemen during a double play, etc. and it wasn’t considered “dirty”. There wasn’t a need to retaliate over hard nosed clean plays. A dirty play was when Enos Slaughter deliberately drover his spikes into Jackie Robinson’s leg when he running out a grounder (ya know hit his leg instead of 1st base).

Rain Delay,

I understand your point. A couple of things:

a. Plays like that happen quick. It’s not like Victorino stops for a second and thinks “I’ll try to go helmet to helmet with him. My guess is you probably don’t buy that. We may disagree on this point, but I understand your point of view. You may be right I may be wrong. I am not rooting for head to head contact in any event.

b. Victorino could have slid. He didn’t have to. I don’t think he should have. I believe that part of Mac’s body was touching the plate when the ball arrived. That means he’s in the baseline. Catchers can avoid contact. On this point I respectfully disagree

c. Organized baseball has rules regarding this sort of thing. I am a former high school coach in South Carolina. Runners were not allowed to run over catchers. If they did they were called out and ejected from the game. MLB could do this. They have not.
Your objection is based on your feelings of what is right and wrong, acceptable or not acceptable, what is safe or not safe. But it is not against the rules.