Should MLB rules be changed to protect the catcher?

[1HotBoss70]

I never like seeing anyone get hurt in any fashion, but Posey was illegally blocking the plate, the catcher has no right to impede the baserunners path to the plate, too many catchers set themselves up in the base path before they have the ball in their possession and this is illegal...the runner then has the right to run him....Posey should have set himself up a few feet up from the plate and then with the ball in his possession block the plate and in doing so he would have been able to brace himself for any possible impact. If any rule should be changed is that if the catcher impedes the runners path to the plate it prior to having possession of the ball it should be deemed interference. You don't see a first baseman blocking first base prior to having the ball...why should the catcher be allowed to do this...He deserved to get run, it was a clean play...

[Cru Jones]

Originally Posted by 1HotBoss70

but Posey was illegally blocking the plate

that's actually something i would like a little clarification on.....is blocking the plate obstruction and against the rules, technically speaking? but, it's tolerated? or, are the rules a little different for catchers as compared to other infielders? or, is it a fine line open to interpretation?

[clew84]

Originally Posted by Cru Jones

that's actually something i would like a little clarification on.....is blocking the plate obstruction and against the rules, technically speaking? but, it's tolerated? or, are the rules a little different for catchers as compared to other infielders? or, is it a fine line open to interpretation?

If it's a rule, it's a rule that is NEVER called. Can you imagine a catcher blocking the plate making the tag and the runner gets awarded home based on that? I seriously doubt in MLB rules that blocking the plate is illegal.

I've been a catcher for years (little league, high school, tried in college, a little semi-pro summer ball, and now a 35 and over league). I have been bowled over a few times and while it's preferable to deliver the hit instead of take one, or be back on your heals, it's not easy to make the transition to do those things when you are also waiting for the ball to get there. Sometimes the ball takes you into a runner, sometimes you have to go down to catch a ball on the hop up or down the line. I take pride of blocking the plate so that the runner doesn't touch the base even if it's a bang-bang play. But I'm kind of dumb like that and luckily I haven't been seriously injured.

The rule shouldn't be changed, IMO.

Edit - If the catcher has the ball in MLB, the catcher can block the plate. If the catcher doesn't have the ball it is illegal and called "obstruction". But again, I have never seen it called. Then again, most catchers are not going to block the plate for several seconds waiting and fighting off the runner to get to home plate. In most situations when technically obstruction occurs, the catcher will go down and block the path to home and the ball arrives on the second "bang" of the bang-bang play.