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PEORIA, Ariz. Robert Malone . -- Joe Torre says Major League Baseballs playing rules committee leaned toward banning all home plate collisions but concluded it would be unrealistic because contact between catchers and baserunners is sometimes unavoidable. Torre, MLBs executive vice-president for baseball operations, spoke Tuesday at San Diegos spring training facility before meeting with representatives from eight clubs training in Arizona. Torre was there to answer questions and address concerns regarding the collision rule, which was announced Monday, and expanded instant replay for umpires. Torre said when it came to the collisions rule, he had to "put the uniform back on" because there is never a perfect play at the plate and throws can make contact unavoidable. Any rule change for 2014 required approval from the players union, which negotiated under new head Tony Clark. "The players association had their concerns, too, based on the fact that catchers ... instincts is telling them to do certain things," Torre said. "Tony Clarks concern was it would have been tough to get them use to a new rule in a short period of time. I think we both agreed on the fact we want to eliminate the vicious hit." MLB could not have implemented the rule this year without approval from the players association. In what both sides said was a one-year experiment, the rule allows collisions if the catcher has the ball and is blocking the runners direct path to home plate, and if the catcher goes into the basepath to field a throw to the plate. The new rule, 7.13, states "a runner attempting to score may not deviate from his direct pathway to the plate in order to initiate contact with the catcher (or other player covering home plate)." A runner violating the rule shall be declared out, even if the fielder drops the ball. The umpire crew chief can use the new video-review system to determine whether the rule was violated. Torre referenced the hit on Buster Posey that left the NL MVP with broken bone in his lower left leg and three torn ligaments in his ankle in a May 2011 collision with the Marlins Scott Cousins. That injury that helped intensify debate over plate collisions. "At the time I talked to Bruce Bochy several times, and I said I dont see anything we can change," Torre explained. Well, over the last couple of years Ive gotten letters from parents who have kids in the minor leagues, and weve seen some vicious hits in the minor leagues, and its got to get your attention." Posey said Tuesday he thought the rule change was positive because it should eliminate worry of a malicious hit. "Ive always said that the main thing is for everybody to be comfortable with it, that the catchers and runners are protected," Posey said. Torre said there is an onus on baserunners to eliminate a mindset of wanting to separate a catcher from the ball. "I think definitely the baserunner has to have a different resolve, so to speak, in rounding third or tagging up from third," Torre said. Clyde Gates . Ibrahimovic calmly slotted the ball into the left side of the net in the 52nd minute of a game that Sweden largely controlled but failed to dominate. Ola Toivonen gave Sweden the lead in the 23rd minute after a blunder by goalkeeper Branimir Aleksic, but Neven Subotic equalized just four minutes later with a header from a corner. Geno Smith . Michell Burger, a woman who lives on an estate next to Pistorius gated community, said she and her husband were awoken by the screams in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14 last year, when Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp by shooting four times through a door in his bathroom.Goaltender Tomas Vokoun is making strides to return to the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup. According to Josh Yohe of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Vokoun practiced with the Penguins on Wednesday and declared himself ready to compete. "Im medically cleared to do anything I need to for my job,"; Vokoun said. Muhammad Wilkerson. The 37-year-old has yet to play this season after being diagnosed with a blood clot in September. Vokoun posted a 13-4 record in the 2013 season in a back-up role to Marc-Andre Fleury. He also posted a 6-5 playoff record between the pipes for the Penguins. ' ' ' |
