Buster Posey Gets Back On The Field; Told Not To Block Plate

It was a lovely sight for Giants fans to see Buster Posey participate in baseball activities over the weekend as pitchers and catchers reported for Spring Training. After tearing three ligaments in his left ankle and breaking a bone in his lower leg from a collision with the Scott Cousins of the Marlins on May 25th, the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year lost the chance to help San Francisco reach the postseason and defend their World Championship. That injury not only gave the Giants backstop plenty of time to think about his baseball career, but it was a long road to recovery for him to get to this point in 2012.

Since Posey was sidelined last year with that horrific injury, he has not once spoken publicly about whether or not there should be any rule changes for plays at the plate, mostly because his manager, Bruce Bochy, has been doing plenty of talking on that topic for the entire organization. On Sunday in Scottsdale, AZ, Bochy told the media that he spoke with Posey and they have advised their young catcher not to block the plate anymore, but to use other techniques to avoid contact and make the play. Obviously, this is for Posey’s well being, and it was pretty clear how badly the Giants offense missed him when he made his untimely exit from competition in 2011.

It’s very unique to get the type of production that the Giants received from Posey in 2010; he was a leader behind the plate with both the San Francisco pitching staff and the defense, while being a cog in the middle of their line-up, producing clutch hit after clutch hit. He was called up to the Big Leagues in mid-May, and proceeded to hit .305, slug 18 home runs, and drive in 67 runs on his way to winning not only the aforementioned Rookie of the Year award, but to also bring the city of San Francisco their first World Series championship since the organization moved out West. In 2011, he was off to another good start (.284/.368/.389) in his sophomore season, but once his season was cut short, the Giants offense became anemic.

So, I can see why Bochy and the Giants front office have advised Posey to not block the plate any longer; however, I feel that ordering him to do so is completely illogical. All athletes have their own way of playing the game, and executives and coaches need to respect that. It’s fair to tell Buster to use caution on plays at the plate because they don’t want him in harm’s way, but it’s a tough to tell a player not to do something when they have been doing it one way their entire career. Sure, Buster Posey wants to be a catcher for years to come and not switch to first base because of his injuries, but those types of plays are based on instincts and reactions. Now, he will be second guessing himself when a runner is rounding third and a throw is coming in from the outfield.

In my experience from playing the game, the more I had to think about a particular play while it was happening, the more open I was to getting hurt, and this is what I fear for Posey and the Giants. Instinct could put him right in front of the plate, but then he remembers that he’s not supposed to be doing that any longer, so he then tries to get out of the way before it’s too late…it is a potential disaster. I hope that Posey (and anyone else for that matter) never has to deal with that kind of injury, and I certainly hope that it’s not caused by a manager or general manager putting that thought in the back of the mind of any particular player.

Do you think Buster Posey should continue to block the plate, or should he follow the advice of his manager?

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