There have been some sweeping changes made by the MLB to the game of baseball for the 2023 season. The implementation of the pitch clock and the banning of the defensive shift have added some interest and intrigue to the game, but there’s an older rule that some teams and players are still bitter about.
Padres Upset With MLB Plate Blocking Rules
The Giants get the run due to a blocking the plate call on the Padres. It was originally ruled an out.
Right call?pic.twitter.com/YEoj8g9R9I
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) June 22, 2023
By MLB standards, the rule about catchers blocking the plate is rather new. It was put into effect roughly 10 years ago, and states that the catcher may not block the pathway of the runner unless he is in possession of the ball. It was put into the game in order to cut down on injuries due to unnecessary collisions, but it certainly has its effect on the play of the game.
There have been two incidents of the plate blocking rule making its mark on the game. On Tuesday, the Texas Rangers were robbed of an out on what seemed like a perfectly legal and perfectly placed tag at the plate, which allowed the White Sox to score the winning run.
It happened again the next night, when the San Diego Padres had a run scored against them by way of the rule. The incident in their game was more of an obvious call than the one that the Rangers fell victim too, but the sentiment was about the same.
Texas Rangers Fell Victim, Too
This was ruled a blocking the plate violation on the Rangers and the White Sox would take the leadpic.twitter.com/QOohIyvRJu
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) June 21, 2023
Bob Melvin, the Padres manager and a former catcher himself, had this to say after the game:
“The base runner’s way down the line towards their dugout. At some point in time, you have to go get him. The throw took (Sánchez) up the line as well. You have to have some feel for that. You got to also understand the impact and where the runner was. And to me, it was just one of the worst calls I’ve seen this year.”
It was an overly frustrating situation for the Padres given how their season has gone thus far. They were one of the favorites entering the 2023 MLB season, as they had one of the most talented rosters in the game ready to compete.
But they currently sit in 4th place in their own division, a full 9.5 games back of the first place Diamondbacks, and we have yet to each the All-Star break. They’ll look to avoid getting swept in today’s matinée in San Francisco before heading home to play the lowly Washington Nationals.
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