Cubs' Joe Maddon Blasts Home Plate Collision Rule
(CBS) Cubs manager Joe Maddon has never been a fan of the home plate collision rule that was implemented in 2014.
On Saturday night, his disdain for it landed in the national spotlight.
Maddon was ejected in the seventh inning of the Cubs' 5-2 loss to the Dodgers in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series after he erupted when Los Angeles shortstop Charlie Culberson was ruled safe at home plate following a replay review. Culberson was initially called out and was clearly tagged without touching home plate, but the call was reversed when the replay center concluded Cubs catcher Willson Contreras illegally blocked home plate without having the ball yet.
Catchers aren't allowed to block the plate unless they possess the ball.
The ruling set Maddon off on the field and then in the postgame press conference, where he added the home plate collision rule -- which he's long criticized -- to the soda tax in place in Chicago to the policies in place that he despises in life.
"That was a beautifully done major league play all the way around that gets interpreted (wrong)," Maddon said. "It's kind of like it's tantamount to the soda tax in Chicago, for me.
"My point is that all rules that are created or laws aren't necessarily good ones."
Maddon expressed his anger with the existence of the home-plate collision rule in general and also disagreed with the interpretation of how it was utilized Saturday. Maddon believed Contreras didn't violate the rule, even as written.
"I don't think the rule was called correctly either," Maddon said. "From what I saw, the ball took Willson toward that lane. I disagreed with that. So I disagreed with that on both counts. Wrong."
Maddon acknowledged the play, the Dodgers' fifth and final run, wasn't a difference-maker in the game, but he kept going in on it. Maddon believes that as long as there's nothing "egregiously harmful" about a play, there's no reason to police it.
"I'm speaking on behalf of all the guys who have played this game and I'm speaking on behalf of all the umpires," Maddon said. "It puts them in an impossible situation.
"I know I'm going to get in a lot of trouble for saying all this, but I know a lot of dudes that have played this game. I was not fortunate enough to play at a major league level, but I was a catcher involved in a lot of collisions. That was a well-executed play that we got penalized for.
"Haven't seen it all year, by the way."
Maddon wasn't done, explaining he had to "stick up for my boys" when he got ejected. The umpires told him that Culberson was called safe because Contreras' leg was sticking out blocking the plate, Maddon said. Contreras' leg did prevent Culberson from touching the plate on his slide. After Culberson's momentum carried him several feet past the plate, Contreras scrambled over and tagged him, after which the out call was signaled.
"If you're concerned about Willson sticking his leg out there, what else is he supposed to do right there?" Maddon said. "I mean, you have to keep your balance, you have to hold yourself in place.
"There's nothing he can (do). He did everything right. There's nothing else he could've done. Nothing, nothing he could've done differently.
"Just imagine yourself in the position Willson was in, physically. And you're sliding toward your left. And your feet are kind of close together. At some point, that left leg has got to kick out or you're going to fall over. The other point is to not hurt yourself.
"There's all kind of awkwardness about that. Play the game, just play the game. It was just a perfect play that we got penalized on."
