Pics Prove Scott Cousins Ignored Home Plate To Demolish Buster Posey

A week after Florida Marlin Scott Cousins destroyed San Francisco Giants' catcher Buster Posey's season and perhaps damaged his career, there is still debate over Cousins' intent and whether MLB should look at rule changes to protect catchers.

For me it has been clear from the first time I saw the play  - Scott Cousins was not attempting to touch home plate, he went out of the baseline to intentionally hit Buster Posey. Furthermore, Cousins turned his body sideways to protect himself from the impact but deliver the most damaging blow possible to Posey.

Posey was in front of home plate and slightly up the first base line, as the pictures prove. The pictures also prove Cousins stepped inside the third baseline, away from home plate, towards first base, and dove into Posey, who was now in front of the plate and without the ball, after having dropped the throw from RF.

If Posey had been in the usual position, straddling the third base line and blocking the plate, and Cousins had collided with him in an attempt to score, I would have no problem with the play. Collisions at home plate happen regularly, and injuries also happen, it's part of the game. But it's not part of the game to go out of the baseline, ignore any attempt to score, and try to annihilate a defensive player, while attempting to shield yourself from injury.

Every other collision in baseball has been chest to chest, and the runner usually folds his arms in front of his chest and pushes them out as he collides with the defender and the ball in glove, hoping to knock the ball out of the glove. Cousins turned his body sideways to become a projectile. That alone should have gotten him called out.

Don't agree with me? Let's look at the pictures. Watch Posey's position in regards to the plate, and watch Cousins' feet before he hurls himself sideways into Posey. (Click on any photo for a larger view, use the browser's back button to get back.)

Cousins on outside of 3rd base line

Cousins begins to move inside 3rd base line to hit Posey

Cousins moves further inside 3rd base line and at Posey, not home plate

Posey in front of home plate, leaving room for Cousins to try and score, but Cousins moves further inside base line towards Posey (notice where Cousins' head is pointed, outside the umpires' right foot and up the 1st baseline)

Cousins has both feet inside 3rd base line, diving at Posey who is in front of home plate, side of plate is exposed. To touch home plate, Cousins should be aiming for the outside of the umpires' left foot, instead he is aiming for the outside of the umpire's right foot

Notice Posey is still in front of home plate as Cousins dives to Posey's right, not toward home plate

Cousins turns his body sideways, pointed towards 1st base dugout, and not towards home plate

Cousins' blow bends Posey backwards, breaking his leg and tearing ligaments

Brian Sabean, the San Francisco Giants' General Manager, ripped Cousins to the media this week, understandably so. The umpires should have called Cousins out for leaving the base path. Is it an attempt to injure? No one can presume an injury will happen, but baseball's rules do not allow runners sliding into second base to ignore the bag and launch themselves into the defender, even more so when the defender is giving the runner a clear path to the base. This was a cheap shot if there ever was one. Cousins went out of his way to hit Posey, ignoring the plate. If I were MLB, not only should the umpires have called Cousins out, but after watching him run inside the baseline to target Posey, then turn his body sideways as a projectile, I would have also suspended Cousins for the cheap shot. This type of behavior has no place in sports.