[dangus]

Look at post #16 to see how well the gentleman’s agreement worked. Ty Cobb is pictured making a flying, feet-first leap into the crotch of the catcher, wearing actual, sharpened spikes (not just “spikes”) on his feet. How do you retaliate adequately? Drive nails into a bat and smash Ty Cobb’s brains out all over the playing field?

[dfwgator]

Meh, Eric Cantona did it to a fan.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

How do you retaliate adequately? Drive nails into a bat and smash Ty Cobb’s brains out all over the playing field?

Just a bat to both kneecaps.

The problem is that there are players like Cobb who like hurting other people in the course of a game. And that is where these rules come from.

[PieterCasparzen]

Look at post #16 to see how well the gentleman’s agreement worked. Ty Cobb is pictured making a flying, feet-first leap into the crotch of the catcher, wearing actual, sharpened spikes (not just “spikes”) on his feet. How do you retaliate adequately? Drive nails into a bat and smash Ty Cobb’s brains out all over the playing field?

Look at Cobb's actual position - he has jumped in the air, he is not in contact with the ground, he is no longer running. His body is nothing but a projectile at that point, because he is not a bird and can not change his direction by flapping his arms.

He does this, with spikes out front, to intimidate. But he leaves himself wide open for being tossed about 10 feet by a catcher who knew enough to stay low.

This catcher stupidly opted to simple stand their like a pincushion. In the face of the fearsome flying spikes, the only choices he could figure out where standing there like a brave moron and abandoning his post. The intimidation pressured him so he could not think of anything to do to counter the flying spikes, and the sportsmanship of the day prevented him from abandoning his post.

Ty Cobb's intimidation principle was simple: here I come, I'm comin' in spikes first, I'm getting to the bag if I have to slice you in half to do it. The implicit demand was for the fielder to get out of his way and let him have the base. And it all happens in a fraction of second, so Cobb succeeded where the catcher had no plan to counter Cobb's moves.

Skilled catchers and runners learn the mechanics of successful sliding and succesful countering of slides - and the all-important mechanics of protecting oneself from jerks who push the envelope solely to intimidate.

A key point is that the base is on the ground. So ultimately the runner needs to get to ground level to touch the bag. A skillful catcher will leave 1 "best" way to the bag for the runner, not completely block the basepath. Completely blocking the basepath - under the "real" "normal" rules - entitles the runner to collide with the catcher, since he's in the way, which greatly increases the likelihood of the catcher dropping the ball, which, as long as the runner touches the plate, allows the runner to be safe.

Of course faking is often used, like, in this case, the catcher could fake as Cobb is coming down the line like he's going to stand tall and block, luring Cobb to take to the air, then at the last second the catcher could get down on the ground and shove him from underneath as he flies through the air.

When the runner comes in feet first sliding low to the bag, even though the catcher can be hurt by the runner's spikes, the runner is extremely vulnerable to the catcher seriously hurting their legs by putting his weight on them, twisting them, getting his spikes into the runner's legs, etc. There certainly would be scenario where a smart catcher would allow a guy like Cobb to score a run but make sure to rip Cobb's calves to shreds with his spikes in the process, thereby trying to put him out of the game. Oops, in all that action, I guess I kinda stood on your calf and twisted, then fell on your leg and broke your leg or ripped tendons at the knee by crushing it with my other leg. Oh, and when I tagged you as your face ran into my glove, I guess my glove sort of broke your jaw, Mr. Cobb. Sorry about that. Walk it off.

Catching is no position for a man without a plan. But the best catchers are very, very difficult to get past if they get the ball in time.