High School Baseball fight

Interesting you made the comment about the catcher when it was the runner that initiated it. No issue had he decided to slide rather than run over the catcher. Did he really think he could run over that catcher?

If the hitter/runner had hit the ball over the fence there wouldn't have been an issue. I don't fault the catcher for the tag given the runner didn't slide. By staying up, the catcher had no idea if the runner was going to truck him. BUT, after the tag the catcher should have walked away rather than hovering over the runner.

My question would be, "Are these two school big rivals?" It doesn't justify the result. It does explain the length of the fuse.

Look how far the catcher was up the line. The runner really didnt have a chance to slide he was so far from the plate. The catcher was way up the line when he caught the ball and the runner was right on top of him when he caught the baseball. I would say this is just one of those situations where neither player was at fault it was just one of those plays. The catcher should not have walked over to him and stood over him. He made the play "legal imo" the runner was not out of line at all imo because the catcher was so far up the line. jmo

The coaches for both teams should have had more control over their teams no way anyone should have left their dugouts.

I can't tell but did the catcher throw his mask at the runner when the runner was on the ground?

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Originally posted by dad43:
I can't tell but did the catcher throw his mask at the runner when the runner was on the ground?

If you watch slowly it appears the catcher slammed his mask on the runners's face while he was down. You can see the blur of the mask if you click on and off quickly at the 48, 49 second mark. The runner was face up. Then he was face down holding his face.

Well if thats the case "its time to throw down" and they did.

The play was clean to me. When the catcher threw the mask down on the runner's head that was the issue. You could see the runner holding his face right after the catcher threw it down.

That is what I thought...I was wondering why the runner's teammates caming charging on the field. Not saying it was right but at least there was something that set them off.

I didn't see the catcher throw his mask during my first review. Clearly uncalled for. It sure looks like the home plate ump was on top of it. Wonder if the catcher was suspended?

After watching it about 10 times and stopping it real quick, it does look like he threw his mask at him, can't really see if it hit him.
What I didn't notice was a baseball. I keep looking for it in his hand or glove. After the the runner went down, his hand came right up with nothing in it to grab his mask all in one quick move. You can see for a split second the inside of the glove with nothing in it. Never saw a ball on the ground. I think the catcher tried to "dink" the runner into thinking he was going to get tagged out.

Maybe someone else can see the ball, but I never saw it.

I looked at it and the helmet hit him in the front of his face which apparently hit on his nose because that is what he grasped.
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Don't most catchers remove their mask if a ball is hit into the outfield with runners on? How is it coached?

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Don't most catchers remove their mask if a ball is hit into the outfield with runners on? How is it coached?

More and more are keeping it on. I personally think it's smart to leave it on. I always kept mine on with the exception of pop flies straight above me.

That catcher should have been booted from the team. There's NO reason to do what he did... You made the play, you got the out. Go in the dugout.

But don't throw your Helmet and Mask in another player's face while on the ground... You want to say something, fine. You want to hover over him for a few seconds, I can even somewhat understand that, slightly - in these days and times... But you don't do what he did. NEVER.

Lucky for him, and unfortunately, it looks like he became well protected by his teammates quickly and really avoided most of the ****ed-off opposing players coming off the bench... He could have been beaten to a pulp for that BUSH move.

Seems to me: runner AND catcher should be tossed. And runner needs to have more than his nose examined, trying to truck the catcher without even a helmet on!

The catcher made a good play, up until he tossed his mask down. The guy tried to run him over and the catcher didn't let him enter his office without knocking. That is as it should be.

Personally I love seeing some punk try to take out a catcher and end up on his keester, with the catcher left standing. I'll bet the kid plays football, because he put a pretty good hit on the kid, in perfect power position.

Too bad he chose to punctuate the play with his toss of the mask - but you know what? I do understand it. In the heat of the moment, a kid gets a little miffed in that situation.

But he should be tossed for it, for sure. This is HS baseball, after all.

The video said five players were suspended. I'll start with the runner for coming in high, the catcher for throwing the mask in his face, the first two off the bench from each team and the player who got in the fight with the catcher. The catcher should be suspended for several games if not the season.

The catcher should have just walked to the dugout. His point was made when the runner bounced off him and was out. Throwing the mask lands the blame squarely on him. That should have been the last play he was in on for that season. He turned his mask into a weapon, the same as if a player struck an opponent intentionally with a bat.

This pains me to say, but the catcher screwed up big time with the mask throwing. At that point, he becomes the punk.

Agree with Coach May in that this was a "throw down" moment. While the HS association will lay out punishment as they see fit, I somehow don't believe the blue/purplle team's coaches were that upset with their team leaving the dugout after seeing a teammate get nailed by the mask. Personally, I'd be upset if the team didn't leave the dugout in defense of a teammate in this particular situation.

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The video said five players were suspended. I'll start with the runner for coming in high, the catcher for throwing the mask in his face, the first two off the bench from each team and the player who got in the fight with the catcher.

I know it's not the way it actually happened, but I believe the rule is any player leaving the dugout or their position is supposed to be ejected. Game should have been ended right then and there especially since there was at least one police officer on the field to get things under control.

The base runner must avoid contact. The catcher made a good play but acted like a fool after making the play. The runner should have been tossed for not trying to avoid contact. The cather should have been tossed for starting the fight. All players & coaching staff that left the dugout area should have been tossed. Everyone that is tossed must sit the next two games.

Runner should have been Tossed for attempting to take out the Catcher...Catcher should have been Tossed for throwing his helmet at and standing over the Runner like Ali after a KO!

BTW, I was more impressed that they had 3 umpires for a HS game! You don't see that until the playoffs in our state.

The catcher's tag was fine. Catchers are taught to tag them firmly so they know they are out. What I have a problem with is him throwing his mask off and standing over him. That's bush. He should have kept his mask off and run to his dugout to try to get that run back.

The runner should have attempted to avoid contact, either by sliding or avoiding the catcher. He knew what he was doing.

The runner and catcher should be tossed as well as anyone who left the bench.

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Originally posted by Vicarious Dad:
Don't most catchers remove their mask if a ball is hit into the outfield with runners on? How is it coached?

No reason to remove the mask. The sightlines is the hockeymasks are great. I'd rather protect my catcher than have him take it off.

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Originally posted by Coach_May:
Look how far the catcher was up the line. The runner really didnt have a chance to slide he was so far from the plate. The catcher was way up the line when he caught the ball and the runner was right on top of him when he caught the baseball.

Some have posted its the runners fault for not sliding. But does what coach states here hold true? If the runner slides there would be no way he could reach the plate. If he avoids the catcher he would be out of the run path?

5 were ejected?!?

This isn't pro ball. There was cause for enough ejections to be unable to continue the game.

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Originally posted by LAball:
...If he avoids the catcher he would be out of the run path?

Not in my opinion.

Regarding "out of the basepath"---
A runner is entitled to any path he would like to take as long as he touches the bases in order. His basepath is not defined until the moment a tag is attempted. During the tag attempt(s), he must not deviate more than 3 feet from a line connecting his position and the base he is trying to get to.