Buster Got Busted.

As every baseball fan, adamant or casual, has heard by now, young catching phenom Buster Posey, reigning Rookie of the Year and member of the 2010 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants, will be sitting the rest of the 2011 season out after a nasty collision with Florida Marlins outfielder Scott Cousins at home plate a few days ago. This is a giant blow to a Giants team that already seemed unlikely to repeat as champions, but it also brings to light a serious issue regarding major injuries in the game, and how MLB and teams handle it.

A catcher always takes a certain level of risk when they man the backstop. They could always be the victim of a concussion due to a broken bat or charging runner, they're susceptible to more intense leg injuries (and a higher frequency of such), and they could still be hit by a 100 MPH fastball from their own pitcher. While their position and presence is essential to most defensive plays, it might just be the most dangerous to play in the game. They've got to go straight from kneeling to jumping to their feet to pick off a runner attempting a steal, to field a tricky pop fly, or to retrieve a missed pitch before a runner advances or scores. They've got to be conscious of the pitcher, runner and batter, often at the same time; neglecting to notice the actions of any of the three for a second could yield disastrous results of their own. And, of course, they're expected to abuse their body by blocking the plate from being touched by a huge professional athlete, who's also been given orders (either managerial or mental) to run like hell and slam into the defending catcher as hard as they possibly can to knock the ball loose and make the play. With this being such a necessary part of the game, it's almost surprising that the kind of injury Posey suffered isn't way more common.

However, it only needs to happen to one catcher, be it a high-profile one like Posey or Brian McCann, a veteran like Ivan Rodriguez or Jorge Posada, or a lesser-known backstop like Jarrod Saltalamacchia, whose entire career to this point has been heavily curtailed due to injuries suffered in the line of duty, to bring to prominence the dangers of being a catcher. After Twins first baseman Justin Morneau suffered a concussion while sliding into second base last season that ended his year, MLB instituted a 7-day disabled list especially for players who get knocked in the head, to see if they suffer further injuries or are cleared to resume playing. A weak, ineffective measure? Maybe. An attempt to solve a problem after it's already occurred? Perhaps. A sign that the league is beginning to recognize that more needs to be done to protect players who are put into high-risk situations? Possibly. But it begs the question: how do you protect a catcher, when using their bodies in such a way is a big part of a team's defense? Athletics GM Billy Beane recently told catcher Kurt Suzuki to avoid putting himself in such a position, but how else can he stop runs from scoring? Some former catchers have spoken out about how Cousins should have found another way to reach home plate, but how is the runner supposed to do that when the catcher knowingly puts himself in a dangerous position? How can the players, managers, and bigwigs change the game in such a way, when plays like this are so important?

The answer is, they can't. As much as MLB doesn't want to admit some things, they have to face the music: they can't stop plays like this from happening, just like they can't stop steroid usage. However, just like steroid usage, they can encourage the abolishment of it by way of fines and suspension. It may not be the most popular decision, but it may be the smartest decision. Both catchers and runners alike will know to guard the play, and attempt to take it, in safer ways: runners could slide or dive lower, catchers could defend the corners or the opposite side and still make a tag, et cetera. Playing smart isn't always easy, nor does it always work, but it can help to keep the kind of thing that happened to Posey, and has happened to others before him, from continuing at any pace.