How 'bout that Darin Erstad

[DGetz]

Anyone else see Erstad crush Estrada in last nights game? Absolutly crunched the guy at the plate. Personally I liked the play. How often do you see someone come in and make a half-assed attempt to run over the catcher which results in them just kind of falling down next to the plate? Not Darin, dude made full contact.

The Braves were upset about it I guess and on Baseball Tonite they disucssed whether or not it was a dirty play...to be honest I'm having a hard time figuring out why anyone would be upset about this. Erstad is coming on in the 9th inning of a close game, Estrada has the ball and Erstad hits him. I guess you could argue that they should change it so that it isn't legal to run over the catcher but as long as it's allowed you can't expect players (especially ones like Erstad) not to do it.

Anyhow, I just thought it was a great, gutsy play and I hope Estrada is okay, he didn't look so good coming out of the game last night.

[glucklich]

Re: How 'bout that Darin Erstad

Does anyone remember the time Bo Jackson ran over Rick Dempsey at the plate? Bo didnt even completely unload on him and Dempsey still looked like a sack of potatos. I think Dempsey also broke his hand on the play.

Im kind of curious to check out the Erstad play now. Ive been scaling back on my ESPN viewing.

[elicoleman]

Re: How 'bout that Darin Erstad

[CWood2]

Re: How 'bout that Darin Erstad

As a former catcher, my first impression was that Estrada was off the plate so Erstad should have slid. But if I'm up the first base line, the first motion I make back to the plate is with my left shinguard. And if Erstad is mid-slide by then, you might see a Jeter dislocation. Eddie Perez and the guys had a right to be mad and protect their teammate, but it's clean in my book. A hook slide probably would have scored him, but I think Erstad wanted to lay the wood to be safe...if that makes sense.

[nyisles16]

Re: How 'bout that Darin Erstad

not a dirty play at all.. i mean catchers all the time block the plate before the ball gets there.. & remeber Jeremy Giambi's "non- slide" in the playoffs a few years back??? na- i have no problem with that play... now Pete Rose in the All Star game taking out Fosse?? that was a dumb play.. the game was meaningless & Rose puts the guy out

[kweiss]

Re: How 'bout that Darin Erstad

There a link to the play on the Angels Website. It should be the first video that plays.

After watching the video, wow. That was pretty brutal. I'm not sure if you could call it a dirty play because it is legal, but wow. Estrada just got blind sided. Any news on whether he's alright?

[DGetz]

Re: How 'bout that Darin Erstad

not a dirty play at all.. i mean catchers all the time block the plate before the ball gets there.. & remeber Jeremy Giambi's "non- slide" in the playoffs a few years back??? na- i have no problem with that play... now Pete Rose in the All Star game taking out Fosse?? that was a dumb play.. the game was meaningless & Rose puts the guy out

I totally agree, taking someone out in an All-Star game or a spring trainging game or something like that is totally stupid.

[TheTruth916]

Re: How 'bout that Darin Erstad

I thought the hit was clean and I think Eddie Perez overreacted simply because he's a catcher, he was the only Brave that seemed to be really upset yelling at Erstad from the step of the dugout. When Eddie Perez puts on the gear tonight and if Erstad comes around 3B...all I got to say to Eddie is Watch Out!

[Karlos05]

Re: How 'bout that Darin Erstad

What a hit. I saw it last night. Erstad WRECKED Estrada, and even scored the run.

[SPTO]

Re: How 'bout that Darin Erstad

It was a clean play.

It really reminded me of the Pete Rose-Ray Fosse collision in (I think) the '75 All Star Game.

[BGarrett7]

Re: How 'bout that Darin Erstad

When I first saw it, it looked clean enough, and even after having seen it last night it still looked like Erstad was in the right. But, when I just watched it numerous times again thanks to the link provided, there are two things that stick out in my mind as being very wrong with the play:

1) Erstad totally blindsides Estrada on the play. Usually when you see a collision at the plate like that, almost always the catcher has had time to turn and brace himself for the impact. Not here. Erstad showed no concern for the fact that Estrada was not expecting it at all.

2) The collision wasn't even necessary. Take a look at these three different angles:







Erstad actually has to go out of his way in order to make that type of contact with Estrada. The only thing that is actually blocking the plate itself on the play is the left shinguard, not the full body that would warrant a collision of that magnitude. A slide would have more than sufficed in this situation.

Now, that being said, I can't fault Erstad for doing what he felt had to be done. Hindsight is always 20/20. He felt the plate was being blocked adequately enough that a collision was necessary in order to try and score. He was caught up in the action and intensity of the game, and that is the action that he took.

The only thing I can really hold against Erstad on the play is that he he should have realized that Johnny wasn't going to have time to setup and brace himself.

[SPTO]

Re: How 'bout that Darin Erstad

.

Wow thanks for that pic rattdaddee. I changed my mind that is definitely dirty tho as you said hindsight is 20/20

[skitch]

Re: How 'bout that Darin Erstad

There a link to the play on the Angels Website. It should be the first video that plays.

After watching the video, wow. That was pretty brutal. I'm not sure if you could call it a dirty play because it is legal, but wow. Estrada just got blind sided. Any news on whether he's alright?

I feel the same way you do.

You can't really call it a bad or dirty play, just b/c it was a legal move.

[TheTruth916]

Re: How 'bout that Darin Erstad

Its not a dirty play. Erstad being a former football player saw what exactly I saw and I would have done the same thing. Look the ball comes into Estrada, Estrada gets the ball makes a move to the left which is an attempt to possibly do a swipe tag if Erstad slides but, being a former football he saw movement and reacted by nailing Estrada. The Ball was there in Estrada’s glove when Erstad decided to leave the ground and blast him.

He didn't blindside Estrada. Estrada knew exactly what he was doing. When the hit came he was moving left and looking dead into the eyes of Erstad. He probably saw his life flash before his eyes or saw headlights from a truck.

Estrada might not have had time to completely plant his feet and stay but, really who is going to stay put when a man is coming full tilt at you. He isn't going to let you set no one would. Estrada made the move. Estrada new full well what was coming.

If Erstad slides arms first you are looking a dislocation of the shoulder because of the placement of the shingaurd of Estrada. He could probably of did a hook slide but, then again you are looking a possible out and Erstad wanted to win the game and by doing so he had to score the 3rd run to get the lead and that’s what he did.

If you don't want to see road kill implant the college rules and forget about making contact with players period. What Erstad did last night was legit and a lot more players should be hard nose players just like back in the day. There shouldn't be a lot of Outfield assist with these guys being thrown out at home that are huge and hard nose ball players. You are lucky that there isn't a lot more collisions with players at home. You see a lot of players scared to make contact when coming home. IE. The Giambi play against the Yankees, you nail the catcher and you are possibly safe but, no fear runs through and you get thrown out. Players are worried more about money then actually playing the game hard.

my 0.02

[CWood2]

Re: How 'bout that Darin Erstad

Erstad is a hard nosed, gritty ballplayer whom I respect a lot. Like I said before, a hook slide would have scored him, but I can't fault a guy who goes in head first a lot for putting his shoulder down instead. What bothers me a little is that it almost looks like he has his heart set on a collision the last third of the basepath when he should have been thinking slide right and drag your arm across the plate. Maybe with that big knee brace he wears it wasn't as much of an option for him?