I Might Be In The Minority, But I See Where Brian Sabean Was Coming From.

Now that I’ve had a good week or so too calm down and settle my emotions, I feel comfortable with myself now to finally speak about the Buster Posey/Scott Cousins’ collision at home plate, and then I’ll also touch on the comments made by the Giants’ General Manager (GM) Brian Sabean regarding the incident.  This may come off as a homerish piece, but why have a blog if you are not going to speak your mind or true feelings.  For the most part, I feel I’ve done my best at being objective with my views and look at things from different angles and prospectives.  I try to keep my passion for my own teams at a minimum, but every now and then, it’s always good to let people know where your allegiances are.  Just because you write about sports (no matter what forum), it doesn’t mean you stop being a fan. 

So by now we’ve all seen or heard about the collision at the plate heard around the world.  Scott Cousins’ tagging up and barreling down the thirdbase line on a shallow sacrifice fly to right, and then going shoulder to chest with Buster Posey, blowing him up as the throw was coming in, causing his left leg to bend in an awkward position from underneath him; ultimately breaking it and tearing ligaments in his ankles.  The one player the Giants couldn’t afford to lose, done for the year.  The mere thought of the play replaying through my mind still gives me the chills and shrinks my shoulders.  It’s my sports version of the zapruder film (ok, I know, too much too soon – trying to establish the level of passion I have for the Giants and Posey).  However, I will agree, the Posey/Cousins play at the plate was clean within the bylaws and rules (written or unwritten, however you see it or interpret it) with baseball.  And that is not the problem I have with it. 

The problem I have is that I feel the play was beyond unnecessary.  Scott Cousins had a path to the plate, and when a path to the plate is there for the runner, it is his obligation to take it and slide into home plate.  Players are taught different techniques on how to slide into a base in certain situations and on the play, there was an opportunity for Cousins to attempt a hook slide and tag the back of home plate with his hand, beating the tag from Posey and rendering a safe call from the home plate umpire.  Darren Ford of the Giants was in a similar situation the weekend before against the Oakland A’s where he was involved in a bang-bang play at the plate that was probably a closer call than the Posey/Cousins’ play was.  Coming around third in an attempt to score the game winning run, right fielder Ryan Sweeney of the A's made a spectacular throw to the plate that was right on target to almost nail Ford.  Ford, seeing a path to the plate as Oakland A's catcher Kurt Suzuki was positioned slightly in front of the plate to take the incoming throw, slide into home plate, under the attempted tag, and was called safe.  And while Ford suffered a mild sprained ankle on the play, nothing catastrophic occurred, and it was still an exciting play.  I understand that Cousins wasn’t trying to maliciously hurt Posey, but the mentality that a baserunner needs to barrel over a defenseless catcher in an attempt to break up a play at the plate needs to change.  And that’s what I think Giants GM Brian Sabean was trying to convey with his comments.  He was trying to make an example and argument to baseball for a rule change, and maybe even a mentality change.  He just went way over the top with it.  I might be in the minority, but I see where Brian Sabean was coming from.                 

Before everyone starts flying off the handle on me and argue about how I could possibly defend Brian Sabean and his comments, I would first like to clarify that while I stand by Brian Sabean and his comments, it is only to a certain degree.  I, in no way, condone his remarks regarding Scott Cousins not ever playing again or advocating any violent actions upon him, his friends, or his family.  However, I understand and empathize where Brian Sabean was coming from, and to a point, agree and feel the same way.  I will first try to clarify what I think Brian Sabean was trying to do with his comments, and the angle from which he was coming from.  

I think what he was trying to do is send a strong message to Major League Baseball that not only does the rule allowing a baserunner to cause a collision at home plate in an attempt to dislodge the ball from the catcher needs to change, and it starts with the mentality and teaching of the practice.  While Scott Cousins' intentions may not have been malicious, the act and thought process that went through his mind in considering going into home plate the way he did was a malicious act.  Scott Cousins has been programmed throughout his years of playing baseball to do what he did at the plate, and that needs to change.  And what I think Brian Sabean meant by calling the act pre-meditated, it's because ballplayers are programmed like they are.  I have long been an advocate of changing the rule so that neither the catcher is allowed to block the path of the baserunner to home plate, nor is the baserunner allowed to run into the catcher to cause a breakup in the play.  It's the simplest and easiest way to fix this problem (see my blog post title:  Mission Statement from Commissioner Keller).       

I will be honest, a lot of what Brian Sabean said was exactly how I felt the following day after the play.  There was nothing more I wanted then to have a Giants' pitcher put one in the ear hole of a Florida Marlins' batter as an act of retaliation.  It's commonly known as Baseball Justice, or Baseball players policing themselves, and no one would have thought twice about it if it happened.  I'm willing to bet good money that the Florida Marlins' players were probably surprise that it didn't happen.  I'm sure down the road, justice will prevail for the Giants in that form.  I know that we as Giants fans need to get over our lost and come to the realization that we are going to have to go at the rest of this season alone without our star kid behind the plate, but it doesn't mean that we forget.  

I understand the play was unfortunate and a freak accident.  And while this is somewhat of a homerish piece, I can honestly say that if this play happened to Eli Whiteside (backup catcher of the Giants) or any other catcher in baseball, I would still feel the same way and still be an advocate for a rule change.  Yes, my feelings and passion are magnified a bit because this unfortunately happened to a player and team that I deeply love and root for, but it could happen to any team and player at any time, and it's a worry that a manager or GM shouldn't have.  Scott Cousins to his credit did immediately confront Posey after the play and has repeatedly apologized for what happened.  But it should be the last time we ever see a play like that happen at the plate again.  

Mr. Armchair Speaking