As baseball is getting ready to start, this seems like a good topic.
Listen, I know as much about the technical side of baseball as I know about the quantum theory of electromagnetism, Quantum Chromodynamics. On the other hand, I do know B@#@ $h1% when I see it and, those two pics above are B@#@ $h1%. Both slides resulted in significant injuries. One, of courses is the Pirates Jung Ho Kang getting taken out. The other is the Brewers’ short stop going cole-slaw-over-fries after getting his leg taken out with a slide.
In the meantime, baseball has rules where the catcher is protected better than an NFL quarterback with their don’t-even-look-at-pinch-or-wave-at-the-catcher rule as someone is trying to cross home plate.
Only one way to solve it…permit hockey-style checking in baseball.
Example:
A RIGHT-FIELDER IS RUNNING TOWARD THE WARNING TRACK TO CATCH A FLY BALL AND BOOM…A GUY FROM THE OPPOSING TEAM JUMPS OUT FROM THE WALL AND THROWS A HIP CHECK ON HIM.
THE SECOND BASEMAN, GETS TO WEAR CATCHERS GEAR AND CAN TAKE LOWER HIS SHOULDER ON THE INCOMING RUNNER…HOPEFULLY HE HAS HIS HEAD UP.
But, the deal is you only get to use 2 hits per game. The whole idea gives a different definition to “Designated Hitter” and, with his size, Pedro Alvarez would be fantastic at both.
As a final thought, I actually believe hockey-style checking would make sense in golf too. Each pairing gets one, unannounced check at the tee box per 18 holes of golf. You simply take a run at the golfer just as he’s swinging. Come to think of it, we should also permit hockey-style checking in grocery store lines too!
Hockey-style checking… a way of life, Ya Jagoffs!
