Baseball to eliminate home plate collisions by 2015

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Yankees’ Mark Teixeira collides with Angels catcher Bobby Wilson at Angel Stadium. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers’ Alex Cora scores on a wild pitch, colliding with Pirates’ catcher Jason Kendall in the seventh inning in a May 2003 game. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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Angels’ Peter Bourjos, left, collides with Kansas City Royals catcher Brayan Pena as Bourjos scores on an Eric Aybar triple in the eighth inning of a game at Angel Stadium. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Philadelphia Phillies baserunner Chase Utley crashes into Dodgers catcher Russell Martin, knocking the ball away in the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium on June 4, 2006. Utley was safe on a hit by Ryan Howard. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Dodgers catcher Danny Ardoin collides with the Colorado Rockies’ Ian Stewart after making the tag at home to end the second inning of an August 2008 game at Dodger Stadium. (Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times)

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Florida Marlins’ Scott Cousins, top, collides with San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey as Cousins tried to score on a fly ball hit by the Marlins’ Emilio Bonifacio during the 12th inning of a May 2011 game at San Francisco. (Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)

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Dodgers’ Delwyn Young, left, is out at home plate as he collides with Colorado Rockies catcher JD Closser during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Denver. (Jack Dempsey / Associated Press)

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Oakland Athletics’ Dan Johnson, left, collides with Seattle Mariners’ Kenji Johjima at home plate but was out on the play as Johjima held onto the ball in the ninth inning at Safeco Field in Seattle in September 2006. (Kevin P. Casey / Associated Press)

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Brewers center fielder Scott Podsednik collides at home plate with Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Jason Kendall in the first inning on July 7, 2003, in Milwaukee. Podsednik left the game after getting cut under his right eye during the collision. (Mary Jo Walicki / Associated Press)

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Angels’ Jeff Mathis, right, is out at the plate as he collides with Kansas City Royals catcher Matt Treanor, who tried to score on a hit by Peter Bourjos during the eighth inning of March 2011 game. (Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)

By Houston Mitchell

Dec. 12, 2013 11:55 AM PT

Remember all those time Mike Scioscia blocked the plate when he was with the Dodgers? The time Jack Clark almost knocked him unconscious when barreling over him during a Dodgers-Cardinals game? The time Dave Parker blasted into Steve Yeager (who held onto the ball, by the way)? Remember when Pete Rose ruined the career of Ray Fosse during the 1970 All-Star game?

Hold on to those memories, because you won’t be seeing many more collisions.

Major League Baseball announced on Wednesday that it intends to eliminate home plate collisions by 2015.

“I think everyone is in agreement that the mindless collisions at home plate where a catcher is being targeted by a runner, that needs to be addressed,” Scioscia told the Associated Press.

“When I was growing up as a kid in Philadelphia, it was a badge of honor. You were expected to hang in at the plate, and the runner was expected to do everything he could to tag the plate. We’re going back 40 years ago, but the mindset has changed a bit.”

Rose thinks it’s a bad idea.

“What are they going to do next, you can’t break up a double play?” Rose said.

“You’re not allowed to pitch inside. The hitters wear more armor than the Humvees in Afghanistan. Now you’re not allowed to try to be safe at home plate. What’s the game coming to? Evidently the guys making all these rules never played the game of baseball.”

The change could go into effect for next season if the players’ association approves. If the players balk, the change could be implemented without their approval in 2015.

“Ultimately what we want to do is change the culture of acceptance that these plays are ordinary and routine and an accepted part of the game,” New York Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson, chairman of the rules committee, said. “The costs associated in terms of health and injury just no longer warrant the status quo.”

Details, including the punishment for a violation, need to be worked out.

“The exact language and how exactly the rule will be enforced is subject to final determination,” Alderson said. “We’re going to do fairly extensive review of the types of plays that occur at home plate to determine which we’re going to find acceptable and which are going to be prohibited.

“I think there will be two levels of enforcement. One will be with respect to whether the runner is declared safe or out based on conduct. So, for example, intentionally running over the catcher might result in an out call. So I think that the enforcement will be on the field as well as subsequent consequences in the form of fines and suspensions and the like.”

Alderson said the language of the rule was still to be determined. When the wording is completed, the rule will be submitted to ownership for approval in January, and then to the players union.

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