Daily Madden: No Excuse For Buster's Missed Tag
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - The throw to home plate from Giants right fielder Hunter Pence in the sixth inning beat the runner by a mile, but catcher Buster Posey missed the tag. Trailing 1-0 at the time, it was a key moment in the Giants' 5-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves Tuesday night.
"That had to be embarrassing," John Madden told the KCBS Radio morning crew. "When you get that throw, you have to make that tag."
It was Posey's serious injury in 2011 that led to a rule change aimed at reducing home plate collisions. But with Posey holding the ball and the Braves' Jason Heyward sliding low, the rule wasn't a factor.
"Buster Posey is a great player and a great guy," Madden said, 'But you can't make an excuse for him. There's no excuse for that."
Posey didn't dispute the call, but Giants manager Bruce Bochy asked for a review, which confirmed the run had scored. Posey acknowledged he needs to be more aggressive with tags. (6:55)
(Listen to the John Madden segment live weekday mornings at 8:15 on KCBS All News 740 AM/106.9 FM.)