WAAAA! WAAAA! WAAAAAAAA! Crybaby, cry!

What has happened in San Francisco? I've lived in the Bay Area for almost 3 years now and I have to say I'm very disappointed with Giants fans today.  Actually my disappointment level has been building over the past two weeks; it's been a trail of tears. Let's recap, on May 25th, Buster Posey was injured during a play at the plate when Scott Cousins, Marlins Outfielder, plowed into him to score the game winning run.  Buster suffered a broken leg and torn tendons in his ankle and will miss the rest of the season. Obviously Giants fans were upset at the loss of there star catcher, but this sense of loss turned into anger, bitterness, and downright tantrum throwing.  From the beginning, if you listen to anyone outside of the Bay Area, they are saying it's part of the game, and it's been this way for a hundred years, which I agree with.  But there has been a groundswell of fans calling for a rule change and even suggesting that the Cousins' hit was a cheap shot and that he was gunning for Buster. This sentiment was put on blast by Brian Sabean, Giants GM, when he called Cousins' hit "malicious" and said “If I never hear from Cousins again or he never plays another game in the big leagues, I think we’ll all be happy.” So with the GM behind them, the fans went to the phones and started calling there local sports talk stations here in the Bay Area and whined for 7 days about rules changes, and how barbaric it is on catchers, etc.  Oh it was sad.  But this isn't even the worst of it, some of the HOSTS AGREED WITH THESE WHINY PISSANTS! WHAT?! Who in there right mind, and with any knowledge of baseball, would possibly agree with a rule change at the plate.  The worst host, and I'm sorry to say this because I've always liked this guy as a player and an analyst and now a radio host, was former Major Leaguer Eric Byrnes. Byrnes hosts a nightly show on KNBR in San Francisco called "Sports Phone" and normally his insight is right on. His knowledge and passion for the game is obvious, but his take on a call for a rule change is absurd.  You're an ex-Major Leaguer dude, and I know you might be just playing to your audience, or you're a prisoner of the moment and you're only seeing through the eyes of the fans you entertain, but you have to be honest with yourself. Now I appreciate some of the stories he told on this subject.  He mentioned being involved in a few home plate collisions during his career where he hurt a catcher and hurt himself; that perspective is worth alot to this discussion.  But a rule change? What would you do, have the catcher step to the side and do this Oley! bullshit?  How about we do it schoolyard style and if the ball beats the runner he's out?  I mean where does it end? Take it from Johnny Bench, arguably the greatest catcher of all-time, who worked with Posey in the past; he weighed in on this over the weekend. "Buster put himself in such a bad position. First of all, my catchers don't sit in front of home plate. They stand away from home plate and work back to the plate. But we (catchers) are just fair game. You've got a guy running around third base at 210 to 220 pounds with 3 percent body fat and with sprinter's speed. I teach my kids to stay away from the plate when you don't have the ball so the runner actually sees home plate and his thought is, slide. But Buster is laying in front of home plate, and it's like having a disabled car in the middle of a four-lane highway. You're just going to get smacked. Show them the plate. You can always catch the ball and step, or step and catch the ball, as long as you've got the runner on the ground. And if you have the runner on the ground, there's less chance of any severe collision." Now I know what you're thinking, it sounds like Johnny is pro rule change, but to me it sounds like technique that got in the way here. I trust Bench when it comes to being a catcher.  Bench played for 15 years behind the plate and guess what, this type of injury never happened to him.  Why? Technique.

Now I understand and expect fans to react ignorantly and whine like petulant 3 year olds about their beloved Posey, but stop it.  You're hypocrites! That's right I said it! If this were Eli Whiteside (backup to Posey) you'd be upset initially, but all this drama would have been over by breakfast the next morning. And here's the real meat of this argument, (ready for this San Fran) I'm willing to bet that if that were a Marlins catcher lying in a heap at home plate, you would have cheered.  Not at the injury, or course, but the hard nosed play your player made to win you a game. Yes, you would have, STOP IT! I've actually heard you whiny bitch callers say on the air if it were a backup it wouldn't have mattered as much, and then in the next sentence demand a rule change. Crybabys! Where does this crap end? I have always held Giants fans in high regard as good, knowledgeable fans who far outshine those in LA, but this round of crybaby whining has really shed a new light on the orange and black faithful. You are the champs, ACT LIKE IT!
I will end with this, if a rule is enacted stopping the "play at the plate" as it is, it will be another irrational response to a star getting injured just playing the game.  Why not treat these plays like we would life; case by case. If a runner clearly guns for the catcher when there is no need, then you suspend him, otherwise let them play.  My second thought is if we make a rule like this, what's next?  A net in front of the pitcher, he's in more danger than anyone on the field. Football helmets for batters so they don't get hit in the head? How about clocking the catcher's throw to 2nd on a steal, because the runner could get hit in the head, right? PROTECT THE MILLION DOLLAR ATHLETES PLEASE! Or sliding. One on the most gruesome injuries I've ever seen was Robin Ventura sliding into 3rd, and popping up with his foot turned the wrong way (he like snapped his ankle and missed the rest of the season, it gives me the chills just thinking about it). So where does this end?
The bottom line is, Buster Posey knew what he was getting himself into when he strapped on the face mask. He's a man, not a pussy. Hey Giants fans, did you ever notice that the only guy not whiny and crying in his beer about this is Buster Posey?  Hmmmm, a real man. Perhaps Giants fans should quit there bitching and fall in line. As for Brian Sabean, it's a shame that a team that has great characters like Brian Wilson and Tim Lincecum, would put such a crybaby face on this thing. He has since apologized and said he was speaking out of emotion and anger, which leadership should never do. You know, I hope Scott Cousins takes him out next. If I never see Brian Sabean in a snooty douche bag suit again, I'd be fine with that, baby. Cry, cry, cry.