OC Register: Jake Marisnick suspended 2 games following collision with Angels’ Jonathan Lucroy

[AngelsWin.com]

Houston Astros outfielder Jake Marisnick was suspended for two games because of his collision with catcher Jonathan Lucroy on Sunday, breaking Lucroy’s nose and giving him a concussion.

Marisnick still has the right to appeal the suspension, which Major League Baseball announced Thursday.

“After thoroughly reviewing the play from all angles, I have concluded that Jake’s actions warrant discipline,” MLB Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre said in the announcement. “While I do not believe that Jake intended to injure Jonathan, the contact he initiated in his attempt to score violated Official Baseball Rule 6.01(i), which is designed to protect catchers from precisely this type of collision.”

Marisnick bowled over Lucroy while trying to score the go-ahead run in the eighth-inning of the Angels’ game in Houston, prompting Angels Manager Brad Ausmus to suggest the play warranted a suspension.

Marisnick was called out on the play because he violated baseball’s rules on home plate collisions. Runners are not permitted to deviate from their direct pathway to the plate in order to initiate a collision. Marisnick said he believed Lucroy was moving toward foul territory, so he was changing his path to try to avoid him. Lucroy remained in fair territory, though.

After the collision, several players from around the majors commented on the collision, with opinions split on whether Marisnick should be suspended.

The Astros play the Angels at Angel Stadium for a four-game series starting Monday.

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[eligrba4ever]

2 games is better than no games.

As a very biased person in this instance, I would stretch the Marisnick suspension for as long as Lucroy is on the IL. But that would probably violate all kinds of CBA clauses.

[ScruffytheJanitor]

In one sense, I actually think it was a genuine mistake by Marisnick-- I think he thought that Lucroy was stepping inside, tried to step outside (which is dumb, but understandable as a reaction), and ended up crashing into him hard. My proof is that he took a pretty hard hit to his own head-- it's not like he clothes-lined him or gave him a forearm shiver.

But the main issue is that he was barreling toward home plate like a complete jackass. It looked like he was trying to "run hard" rather than, you know, actually touch the plate. He looked more like my toddler trying to race me across the house -- all obstacles be damned--  than a professional athlete trying to score a sports point.

Running Backs dive to reach the goal line, NBA players use runners, floaters, reverse moves, and absorb contact when driving to the hoop -- and MLB players need to avoid hard contact with a catcher.

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

14 minutes ago, ScruffytheJanitor said:

In one sense, I actually think it was a genuine mistake by Marisnick-- I think he thought that Lucroy was stepping inside, tried to step outside (which is dumb, but understandable as a reaction)

If that true why didn't he even attempt a slide and instead lowered his shoulder and turned his head with his helmet colliding with Lucroy's face.

[Inside Pitch]

11 minutes ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

If that true why didn't he even attempt a slide and instead lowered his shoulder and turned his head with his helmet colliding with Lucroy's face.

Because while the rules changed we all grew up watching catchers get trucked in home plate collisions.  The play was ugly, and dirty by current standards but I actually do believe he simply made a bad decision and reverted to what he grew up viewing as the norm...

I mean if people are honest how many can say they remember being a kid nd visualizing themselves making the perfect slide at home on the outside of the plate.  Pretty much every time I played that situation out in my head as kid I was bowling the catcher over.

[Lou]

7 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

I mean if people are honest how many can say they remember being a kid nd visualizing themselves making the perfect slide at home on the outside of the plate.  Pretty much every time I played that situation out in my head as kid I was bowling the catcher over.

How many times did you actually bowl over the catcher? 

[Inside Pitch]

Just now, Lou said:

How many times did you actually bowl over the catcher? 

Played through college and never once had a play that was close enough for it to even cross my mind... Which is sort of why I believe he just freaked and reacted.   

[Claude]

3 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Played through college and never once had a play that was close enough for it to even cross my mind... Which is sort of why I believe he just freaked and reacted.   

So you never got on base. Got it. 

[Inside Pitch]

Closest I came to it was my sophomore year of HS when Jim Campanis Jr., stood right at the plate as I was going in and he had to go to his right away from the plate and I had a clear line to home but, I can't tell you what I was thinking going down the line other than oh shit, that dude is big.

 

[Inside Pitch]

5 minutes ago, Randy Gradishar said:

I have been wondering if DErstad would have received some suspensions under today's rules, or if his were all legitimate catcher-blocking-the-plate situations.

But I did actually always envision sliding around the tag; I was big on hook slides as a kid.

I think because I played SS, 2B and catcher, I always played it out in my head where there was contact.  Also that Rose/Fosse collision had been burned into my head as a kid.

[Inside Pitch]

17 minutes ago, Calzone 2 said:

So you never got on base. Got it. 

Oh, you stop...  As a kid in Canada your sports fantasies were probably about figure skating....

Edited July 11, 2019 by Inside Pitch

[Claude]

6 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Oh, you stop...  As a kid in Canada your sports fantasies were probably about figure skating....

I actually played ice hockey for two seasons but got Lucroy’d too many times so I had to stop playing. 

[Inside Pitch]

9 minutes ago, Calzone 2 said:

I actually played ice hockey for two seasons but got Lucroy’d too many times so I had to stop playing. 

I just wanted to put that Blades of Glory gif up...  I'm sure Hockey was your first love... And poutine.

[Claude]

5 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

I just wanted to put that Blades of Glory gif up...  I'm sure Hockey was your first love... And poutine.

Well poutine more. lol 

Blades of Glory was hilarious. Nicely done. 

[Jeff Fletcher]

1 hour ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

If that true why didn't he even attempt a slide and instead lowered his shoulder and turned his head with his helmet colliding with Lucroy's face.

It looks like he was trying to do a head first slide and touch the plate with his hand, but when he began to go down, Lucroy was still there, so there was no place to go but into him. 

Edited July 11, 2019 by Jeff Fletcher

[Claude]

24 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

It looks like he was trying to do a head first slide and touch the plate with his hand, but when he began to go down, Lucroy was still there, so there was no place to go but into him. 

That’s exactly what I think happened. The only real thing that went wrong is Koles’ throw came in a little too much towards third base. It kinda forced Lucroy to move forward towards the oncoming Marisnick. It probably momentarily confused him. If it was a perfectly launched throw to the plate we’re not even discussing this play. I think Marisnick, Lucroy, MLB and the fans will all learn from this. Bad things can happen. Hopefully Lucroy recovers fully. 

[Angel Dog and Beer]

I don't know, still feels intentional to me.  I don't think the intent was malicious, it just wasn't an accident as he's claiming it to be. 

He runs pretty much straight down the line until he gets here, this is where he pivots towards Lucroy, who is setting up and doesn't even have the ball yet. Yes, his leg is slightly in the direct path to the plate, but his body is inside the line, giving up the outer part of the plate. 

I don't buy that Marisnick thought Lucroy was going to move to the outer part of the plate, when he's setting up way inside, and doesn't even have the ball yet. 

[Jeff Fletcher]

4 minutes ago, Angel Dog and Beer said:

I don't know, still feels intentional to me.  I don't think the intent was malicious, it just wasn't an accident as he's claiming it to be. 

He runs pretty much straight down the line until he gets here, this is where he pivots towards Lucroy, who is setting up and doesn't even have the ball yet. Yes, his leg is slightly in the direct path to the plate, but his body is inside the line, giving up the outer part of the plate. 

I don't buy that Marisnick thought Lucroy was going to move to the outer part of the plate, when he's setting up way inside, and doesn't even have the ball yet. 

That’s a still photo. It’s not moving. 

[Angel Dog and Beer]

5 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

That’s a still photo. It’s not moving. 

https://i.imgur.com/dfb15yp.mp4

 

[popo85]

Jackass is appealing it, Eduardo Perez said it was a dirty play right now on ESPN.

[Troll Daddy]

After looking at all angles MLB determines it wasn’t intentional . 

[Jeff Fletcher]

1 hour ago, Angel Dog and Beer said:

https://i.imgur.com/dfb15yp.mp4

 

I think I see the second shooter on the grassy knoll

[Fish Oil]

11 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

I think I see the second shooter on the grassy knoll

To me it looks like he steps two feet to his left, lowers his shoulder, and intends to knock the ball loose.

[Jeff Fletcher]

this is the one that I think shows how Lucroy starts shuffling his feet and reaches his glove toward the 3B line. I can see how Marisnick (who has a totally different view than any camera shows) may have read that as Lucroy getting ready to go that way. So he was going to Matrix and dive the other way (away from Lucroy’s glove side).

Still, what he should have done is just aim a little farther toward foul territory and if you end up being too far to touch the plate, then you can argue that Lucroy didn’t give you a lane. 

That, to me, is why it’s just a poor decision, and negligence, rather than being malicious. That’s why he got suspended for 2 games instead of 10 or 15.

You can be held responsible for something that’s an accident. Happens all the time with drivers. 

[Fish Oil]

3 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

this is the one that I think shows how Lucroy starts shuffling his feet and reaches his glove toward the 3B line. I can see how Marisnick (who has a totally different view than any camera shows) may have read that as Lucroy getting ready to go that way. So he was going to Matrix and dive the other way (away from Lucroy’s glove side).

Still, what he should have done is just aim a little farther toward foul territory and if you end up being too far to touch the plate, then you can argue that Lucroy didn’t give you a lane. 

That, to me, is why it’s just a poor decision, and negligence, rather than being malicious. That’s why he got suspended for 2 games instead of 10 or 15.

You can be held responsible for something that’s an accident. Happens all the time with drivers. 

The top video: In which world was this "A very normal, direct, and unaltered path to home plate"? Not the one I live in.
The bottom video: Okay, now I see what you're referring to. I hadn't seen this before. This looks like an accident.

On a side note, why did the text turn green?