Beane creates "Posey Rule"

[RickD]

Billy Beane doesn't like what happened to Buster Posey and wants to make sure his own catcher doesn't get creamed so he is forbidding his starting catcher to block the plate.

Beane tells ESPN that he has implored catcher Kurt Suzuki to use a sweep tag at home plate and avoid planting his body in harm's way, wryly noting that there's maybe just a couple runs year worth sacrificing your body.

Said Beane to ESPN:

"I said to (Suzuki), 'I don't want you planting yourself in front of the plate waiting to get creamed. You're an athletic catcher -- be athletic.'"

"I don't subscribe to the theory," Beane says, "that you should be a crash-test dummy."

Over reaction? Plate collisions are a part of baseball. I think this is silly and if a few guys score this way, I see the rule getting tossed!

[wcs71401]

How do you tell a catcher to not block the plate and avoid a collision when they is what they know?

Teams have strange rules that is for sure. The Astros have a no head first slides into first at least in the minors. If they do they get pulled from the lineup. That happened to Chris Johnson when I covered him in Single-A

[astrosfanatic]

Over reaction? Plate collisions are a part of baseball. I think this is silly and if a few guys score this way, I see the rule getting tossed!

Well, i actually agree with him 100% in this case. Sure, Kurt Suzuki is a key player for Beane's team, but he is also an investment. He gets paid millions of dollars, and the A's have already spent millions of dollars in scouting and coaching on him. Why should he get hurt to save a run in May or June and risk wasting all of that money, let alone risk getting hurt.

Back in the 70's and before, catchers could get hurt and teams wouldnt lose as much money as they will now. Especially in the case of guys like Posey, Mauer, V-Mart, and McCann. Those guys make millions and teams have invested millions and so they expect to see some return on their investment. The Giants aren't going to get as much return now as they might have if Posey were healthy.

I wish most teams would do this until you get to Septemeber and October when you actually have something to play for...not a bad idea

[RickD]

How do you re-train a guy who has been taught one way his whole career? If you want to make changes here, you have to do this from the ground up.

[Buccos13]

'I don't want you planting yourself in front of the plate waiting to get creamed. You're an athletic catcher -- be athletic.'"

That's stupid. It's natural for a catcher to block the plate, that's what they're taught to do. Being athletic has nothing to do with it.

[RickD]

Tell me about it. I can see Beane getting the boot after awhile!

[astrosfanatic]

How do you re-train a guy who has been taught one way his whole career? If you want to make changes here, you have to do this from the ground up.

Kurt Suzuki is a professional athlete playing at the highest level of baseball in the world. If he can't make this adjustment, he needs to consider a career change. Catchers are taught to block the plate, and they are also taught how to swipe at runners from off the plate. He will do just fine and avoid a bad collision in the meantime

---------- Post added at 07:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:27 PM ----------

Being athletic has nothing to do with it.

Sure it does. If your catcher has the body-type of Prince Fielder, you wouldnt see him being able to turn quickly and move his feet quick enough to get in position off the plate to make the tag. If your catcher has quicker feet and is able to position himself in the right place to be able to make the tag on the runner, then athleticism would be a plus. Thus, Billy Beane is confident that Suzuki will be athletic enough to not have to sit on home plate to get the runner out.