Violent Collision on Squeeze Play

[smddad]

It's not so much the collision here that bothers me, but what the catcher does afterwards. This is a high school game that someone sent me the link to. Thoughts on this catcher's actions? It looks like the PU stopped watching the plate after the run scored and turned his attention to 2nd and missed the secondary action.

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[dschreib]

Kinda hard to say with the BU in the way. Was it a just a reaction of the catcher when the runner stood up while the catcher was still somewhat straddling her, or did she push her down with brute force, as the video contends? I'd lean toward a less brutal version of the latter. The runner wasn't in a very good position, and the push probably wasn't quite as violent as described...but that's just an opinion from a video with a partially blocked view. The reaction of the batter coming up to the plate would lead you to believe it was out of line.

 

[Momo'sDad]

The runner did not see the safe call and was attempting to get back to touch home. Once the catcher retrieved the ball, she was trying to make a play to prevent the runner from advancing to 2B. From what we can see, she may have felt that the runner who'd already scored was interfering with her ability to make a clean throw to 2B.

If anything, the dirty part of the entire sequence was the forearm to the helmet on the slide.

 

[CoachKevin]

I can see where your coming from on this video. I don't believe the initial collision was a problem, it was a bang bang play and the catcher didn't do anything on purpose (forearm to the helmet). However AFTER she already threw the ball to 2B, she does shove the runner back down and then looks at her.

 

[dropball1]

Flying forearm and elbow are a big issue - neither of which appeared to be an attempt at a Tag!

 

[smddad]

The runner did not see the safe call and was attempting to get back to touch home. Once the catcher retrieved the ball, she was trying to make a play to prevent the runner from advancing to 2B. From what we can see, she may have felt that the runner who'd already scored was interfering with her ability to make a clean throw to 2B.

If anything, the dirty part of the entire sequence was the forearm to the helmet on the slide.

Mom'sDad,

The safe call doesn't mean that she scored, just that she wasn't out. The runner did not touch the plate until after the collision.

 

[John T]

I see nothing blatantly dirty about the tag...looked to me that she was trying to secure the ball with both hands and put the tag on. The push deserved a warning from the umpire and nothing more. Runner just as well could have been called for interference on the throw.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Good thread. I'm going to assume the poster of this video was for the offense.

I've tried to watch this a few times and place myself both in the runner's mind and the catcher's. Bang bang play for sure. A good hard collision is going to get both players adrendoline pumping.

From the runners mind I see the catcher was a "wall", even though I was the moving object she knocked me back and my helmet off. I probably didn't hear/see the safe call so I scramble to get back to the plate. I'm kicking the ball around under my legs/feet in doing so ( purpose or not? ) I then try to stand up and collide ( purpose or not? ) into the catcher and she shoves me down.

From the catchers mind I see a average size girl running full blast to slide. THERE IS GOING TO BE PHYSICAL CONTACT. I brace myself so I'm not a wet noodle. Bang we hit, and I'm trying to find the ball. At this point the runner is kicking the ball away from me. ( purpose or not? ) Because of the runner at the plate, I make a bad throw to 2b. Next the runner tries to stand up and collide into me. ( purpose or not? ) I give her a shove, probably out of frustration.


Here is my overall take.
Was it unsportsmanlike, yes.
Was it serious, no.
Should she be ejected or a game suspension, no.
Should she be warned, yes.

A lot of times with these "moment plays" is we as spectators/parents/coaches dwell on the event MUCH longer than the 2 athletes involved. They might have called each other a beyouch last night, but today they would probably both laugh about it and move on. Heck some of my best life long friends started out as a fist fight when we were young.

 

[David Carter]

I am with JohnT it looks like on the initial play she was thinking she had the ball and was reaching out with both hand to apply what might have been a hard tag, although in slo mo it looks like she does extend the forearm, it was such a bang bang play I don't think she was doing anything but reacting and as the PU I am not sure there is enough there in real time to call anything one way or the other. The thing I think that makes this play look weird is that the runner looks like she is basically going to plow over the catcher then at the last second changes her mind (maybe they have must slide rule?) she is half up and half sliding maybe the catcher was preparing to get plowed over but the runner does half slide.

Now after the play, while the catcher is acting out of frustration the runner should just be thankful she was not called for interference, she is on the ground touching the plate, then as the catcher comes forward with the ball to try and make a play at second she begins to stand up then even though the catcher is standing right over her continues to stand up in my opinion the catcher is just saying "hey I'm right here why don't you wait until I'm out of the way and stop trying to knock me over while the ball is still live since you are out of the play"

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I think that it was just a play in the heat of the moment. With the runner down and rolling around, the catcher might have lost her temper, a little. And I mean very little.

I have a problem with someone posting this and proclaiming the catcher a dirty player. The same thing happened to Callista Balko (U of A) in the world series. She gave the runner an extra smack with her mitt, out of frustration. It was really nothing, in the whole realm of things. But, she was labeled a dirty player on You Tube. She is nothing of the sort.

I see much worse than this incident, every day. It is a contact sport. The Uof A vs ASU game, got a little dicey on Saturday. Play on.