MLB Home Plate Collisions

December 12, 2013 by staff

MLB Home Plate Collisions, In a press conference with MLB executive vice president of baseball operations and Mets general manager Sandy Alderson, Major League Baseball announced that it has approved a ban on home-plate collisions in which the baserunner plows over the catcher in an attempt to jar the ball loose.

“This is, I think, in response to a few issues that have arisen,” Alderson said in the press conference. “One is just the general occurrence of injuries from these incidents at home plate that affects players, both runners and catchers — and also the general concern about concussions that exists not only in baseball but throughout professional sports and amateur sports today. It’s an emerging issue and one that we in baseball have to address as well as other sports. So that’s part of the impetus for this rule change as well.”

The deal won’t be official for the 2014 season until the MLB Players Association approves it, but that is the final hurdle and MLB can compel a move if not approved by the MLBPA in time for the 2015 season. The rule will be formally presented to the MLBPA in January, but, again, even if they vote it down, MLB can unilaterally implement the rule for the 2015 season.