Rizzo's Collision At Home Plate Has Everyone Debating The Rule

Last night, the Cubs pulled out a dramatic come-from-behind victory over the pesky San Diego Padres who if you recall, swept the Cubs less than a month ago in San Diego. The Cubs took the lead thanks to a go-ahead Willson Contreras home run that just so happened to fall on the one year anniversary of his first big league home run on the first pitch that he saw. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8z2205EwHQ Wade Davis slammed the door on the Padres in the bottom of the ninth and the Cubs took game one of the series. With the win, the Cubs are now two games above .500 and with the way things have gone thus far in the season, those two games feel like ten. The Contreras home run was the turning point in the game but it was another play that has everyone talking this morning. Anthony Rizzo collided with Padres catcher Austin Hedges in the bottom of the sixth inning in what turned out to be a very controversial play that forced Rizzo (and Cubs coaches) to defend themselves for playing 'dirty.' You be the judge.

If you watch that full clip you'll hear Padres manager Andy Green go on make the asinine claim that the play by Rizzo was a "cheap shot." The rule that appears to be in question is Rule 7.13, which notes: "A runner may not run out of a direct line to the plate in order to initiate contact with the catcher." The video doesn't really show if Rizzo ran off of a direct line to initiate contact with Hedges and clearly the umpire agreed with the rule. The rule was put in place to protect catchers from very violent and dangerous collisions at the plate to which Rizzo was very clear about what the rule was.

"I've talked to a lot of umpires about this rule," Rizzo said. "My understanding is if [the catcher has] the ball, it's game on."

Regardless of my love for the Cubs, I'm still able to be a relatively objective fan when it comes to plays like this. Meaning, I try not to let my fandom turn me into a blind fan when dealing with controversial plays but for the life of me, I just can't see how this would be seen as a cheap shot or dirty play. My fellow Sports Mockery writer, Dhruv Koul, put the play into pretty simplistic (but very true) terms.

"It's weird, it didn't look like the catcher blocked the plate but it also didn't look like Rizzo deviated either. The contact was probably unnecessary but I can't say it was a dirty. It was just a weird play."

Rizzo scoffed at the notion that the play was dirty and said he prides himself in playing the game the right way, running the bases hard, and doing everything with maximum effort. His manager, Joe Maddon, had his back as always.

"I loved it, absolutely loved it," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "That's part of the game. If the catcher's in the way, you hit him."

Green went on to imply that the Commissioners office should fine and suspend Rizzo for the play to set the example for future players who think about making contact with the catcher. I wonder how much of Green's comments stemmed from the fact his team just choked a game away and his level of saltiness may have been a bit high or maybe the fact that his catcher had to leave the game injured. I get it. You're standing up for your player but to make the claim that the play was dirty is a bit much. Shit, even his OWN PLAYER doesn't agree with his cry-baby bullshit. Here's Green's center field (and former Cub) Matt Szczur:

"I played with Rizz for six years, and he’s not the type of player that’s going to go out intentionally to hurt somebody."

Tonight's game two of the series should be very interesting to see if the Padres have the nuts to throw at Rizzo during his first AB in the bottom of the first. Even the Padres radio Twitter page is stoking the fire.

If that happens, I'm putting my money on the 6'3, 240 pound Rizzo versus tonight's Padres pitcher, Jhoulys Chacín. [poll id="63"]