<
>
Menu
ESPN
- scores
Agent wants rule change after Posey's injury
San Francisco Giants
13yBuster Olney
NBA free agency 2024: Latest signings, news, buzz and reports
Atlanta Hawks
13hESPN
Durant again misses practice; Kerr unconcerned
Phoenix Suns
2hBrian Windhorst
Yanks-O's benches clear after Kjerstad hit in helmet
New York Yankees
9h
Brunson takes $156.5M to help Knicks' flexibility
New York Knicks
15hAdrian Wojnarowski
Sources: Nuggets top pick Holmes tears Achilles
Denver Nuggets
6hOhm Youngmisuk
Bielsa slams U.S., Copa organizers after fight
15hLizzy Becherano
Bronny: OK with any assignment after summer
Los Angeles Lakers
8hDave McMenamin
Skenes' success disrupting MLB betting market
Pittsburgh Pirates
13hDavid Purdum
UFC's Cortez makes weight after chopping hair
10h
Jasmine Paolini vs. Barbora Krejcikova: Who'll win the Wimbledon title?
22h
WNBA rookie tracker: Clark again ties franchise mark with 13 assists in Fever's win
Indiana Fever
8hESPN
Why the best player(s) in this MLB draft might not be taken No. 1 overall
Cleveland Guardians
47mJeff Passan
What is the NBA in-season tournament? Format, schedule, groups
7hESPN
Bengals' Joe Burrow is healthy and wants to 'give people something to talk about' in 2024
Cincinnati Bengals
2hBen Baby
Great at times, average at times: Keys to Liberty's chances for a WNBA title
New York Liberty
23hAlexa Philippou
2024 MLB Home Run Derby: The field is set! Who's the slugger to beat?
3dESPN
Spain vs. England tale of the tape: Who will win Euro 2024 final?
4hMark Ogden
Euro 2024 final preview: Spain vs. England, key players, predictions, tactics
1dJames Olley and Sam Marsden
Canada's Marsch: I've 'no interest' in USMNT job
12hESPN
Source: Sancho back with Utd after Ten Hag talks
19hRob Dawson
Yamal: Messi pic was hidden to limit comparisons
22hSam Marsden and Moises Llorens
Sources: Mexico set to replace Lozano as coach
12hCesar Hernandez
Cat Macario to miss Olympics with knee injury
20hJeff Kassouf
Tebas: Barça closer to affording Williams deal
20hSam Marsden and Moises Llorens
Golden Boot could be split if no Kane, Olmo goal
1dMark Ogden
Japan's Furue leads Evian; rain suspends round
16h
2024 ESPYS: Here is the list of winners
2dESPN
Midyear boxing awards: Best KO, fighter, fight and more
1dMike Coppinger and Nick Parkinson
Copa América final: Argentina or Colombia to win? How will Messi perform? Odds, more
1dESPN
LIVE Transfer Talk: Juventus won't give up on Sancho deal
1mESPN
Who should be the USMNT's new coach? Here are 16 replacements for Berhalter
3dMultiple ESPN writers
Why U.S. Soccer had no choice but to fire USMNT coach Berhalter
2dJeff Carlisle
Burmester cards 66, up 1 at LIV Golf Andalucía
9h
'He would start at every college in America right now': 16-year-old WR Chris Henry Jr. is making his own name
Ohio State Buckeyes
1dEli Lederman
2024 college football sleeper picks from each post-spring Top 25 team
Georgia Bulldogs
2dESPN Staff
What would be the impact of reduced roster sizes in college football?
2dMark Schlabach and Dan Murphy
Buster Olney, ESPN Senior WriterMay 26, 2011, 08:38 AM ET
Close
- Senior writer ESPN Magazine/ESPN.com
- Analyst/reporter ESPN television
- Author of "The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty"
Before the Giants learned catcher Buster Posey had a broken bone in his lower left leg, his agent had already started lobbying for change.
Posey suffered the injury while blocking home plate in the 12th inning of San Francisco's game against Florida Wednesday night. Last year's NL Rookie of the Year was placed on the disabled list. An MRI confirmed Posey had a fractured left fibula and three torn ligaments in his left ankle, Giants trainer Dave Groeschner said.
Posey's agent, Jeff Berry, said Thursday morning he reached out to Joe Torre, leader of on-field operations for Major League Baseball, and raised the idea of changing the rules regarding plays at the plate. He also spoke with the players' union about the play.
According to sources, the Major League Baseball Players Association has been in contact with Berry, about the concern Berry has expressed about contact plays. The MLBPA will consider internally the discussion, and if the players' leadership decides to pursue more action, it will then reach out to Major League Baseball to discuss changes.
Over time, it is has become accepted practice for catchers to block home plate, and for baserunners to launch themselves into catchers.
"You leave players way too vulnerable," Berry said. "I can tell you Major League Baseball is less than it was before [Posey's injury]. It's stupid. I don't know if this ends up leading to a rule change, but it should. The guy [at the plate] is too exposed.
"If you go helmet to helmet in the NFL, it's a $100,000 fine, but in baseball, you have a situation in which runners are [slamming into] fielders. It's brutal. It's borderline shocking. It just stinks for baseball. I'm going to call Major League Baseball and put this on the radar. Because it's just wrong."
When asked about that type of play, Torre told ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd simply such scenarios are a long-standing part of baseball that should not be changed.
Scott Cousins scored the go-ahead run in a brutal collision with Posey at home in the 12th inning, injuring the star catcher in a 7-6 loss to the Marlins.
"I don't know how frequent they are to warrant any rule change, and certainly sometimes when there is something that happens it is unfortunate, but I don't know if there's enough there to rewrite the rulebook," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia, a former major league catcher.
Berry, in a statement issued Thursday after he'd contacted MLB and the players' union, said Posey was in front of home plate and never blocked the plate, while Cousins, who had room to slide, lowered his shoulder as he approached home.
"At [the] point of impact, all of Buster's body is still two feet in front of the plate leaving all of the plate exposed for the runner," Berry said.
The play came after the Giants rallied from four runs down in the ninth in one of the wildest nights of their young season.
The deciding play came when Emilio Bonifacio hit a shallow fly ball to right-center off Guillermo Mota (2-1) for the second out. Cousins tagged from third base on the sacrifice fly, beating the throw from Nate Schierholtz and lowering his shoulder to slam into Posey for a clean -- albeit cringing -- hit on the reigning NL Rookie of the Year.
Cousins was safe as Posey never quite could corral the ball. Cousins, who attended the University of San Francisco, lives in the Bay Area and had almost a dozen friends and family in attendance, said he felt sorry for injuring Posey but believed it was a clean baseball play.
"I felt like he was blocking the dish. It's the go-ahead run to win the game, I got to do whatever I can to score," Cousins said. "I'm not trying to end anybody's season or anything like that. I just was trying to play hard and score the go-ahead run. He didn't say much and you could tell he was in pain.
"And when their manager, when Bruce (Bochy) came out, he was pretty frustrated. I didn't want to make things any more tense."
After several minutes of being attended to at the plate, with fans finally chanting "Posey! Posey!" he was helped off the field by two team trainers, holding his left leg and looking stunned.
"It's the toughest play in baseball. You hate to see it," Bochy said. "As a catcher you know what it's like, and you don't like it. Believe me. When I see him laying there, it's certainly not a good feeling."
Cousins said he felt for Posey and repeatedly mentioned that he wasn't trying to injure him. He said he would find a way to contact Posey to wish him well.
"It's a baseball play. I feel bad for Buster Posey, I really do," Cousins said. "I'm going to send a message over there to them."
Buster Olney covers Major League Baseball for ESPN The Magazine. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.