Like beauty in the eye of the beholder, judgments on collisions at home plate (or to break up a double play) are clouded by the vantage point of the observer. This longtime Padres’ fan finds absolutely no gray area in Anthony Rizzo’s takeout slide of catcher Austin Hedges in the first game of the series against the Cubs in Chicago.
Neither does San Diego manager Andy Green, who vociferously stood up for his young catcher. “I think you look at that play and it’s a fairly egregious violation of the rule,” Green said. “The rule exists to protect the catcher.