Catcher Perspective: Willson Contreras's Gruesome Injury | Foul Territory 

They're telling catchers to get as close as they can so they can frame low pitches as strikes. This is the result of that. Neither JD or Contreras was at fault, the Cardinals staff is.

Ex-catcher here (not close to these guy's experience. But) this was just a matter of time. Like them, i noticed the big, big uptick in catcher interface. I was really surprised how high up he got hit. I've never seen anything like that. Sadly the only one I can fault is Wilson. He's the only one who can control the distance and you know when it's to close for comfort. The backswing is another story but to get hit that high up on the front swing is crazy. Also I've been saying for about 5 year's that if I'm catching above high school I want wristbands with at a minimum some thin sturdy plastic inserts. Blocking a 100 mph heater is something to take pride in but doesn't tickle. If he had them on both sides around his arm it would have hurt but not that bad. Then again I don't anyone expected a catcher to get hit so high up.. Get well soon. This sucks.

the fact that an actual PROFESSIONAL ANNOUNCING TEAM repeatedly called it a "backswing" is beyond fathomable.

“It was nobody’s fault. Contreras was just too close.” Well, it’s Contreras who put himself that close. So I guess it’s technically his fault.

Seen more catcher’s interference calls in recent seasons more than ever before so thanks for this perspective. Feel bad for Contreras. Now what about batters hitting catchers on their back swing? That shit needs to be called out. It’s dangerous. Edit: wrote this comment before AJ addressed the back swing. Good for him for speaking out!

I've never seen this at any level, terrible injury. Robo Ump will solve the problem, then catchers can be back farther and they dont have to worry about framing.

Nobody thinks it is JD Martinez's fault. It's 100% the fault of the organization and staff who pushed Contreras 3' further, admitting it's putting him at risk, in order to maybe catch a low strike or two. Blame is easy to assign, and so is the fix. Batters have boxes, so should catchers.

They’ll need to make a catcher’s box. It’s stupid. This is little league stuff. First time you get hit, you learn quickly not to ever do it again

Analytics is becoming the biggest threat to player safety and heath in baseball.

Marmol should resign he is to blame for this injury and losing your best player!

Bro is literally in his bat path idk what Wilson thinking

Robo umps. No need for catchers to cheat up and frame pitches. Solved, you're welcome.

stealing strikes is cool but losing your best hitter for 6 weeks is brutal

Was Angel Hernandez the ump that called catcher's interference on the pitch out/ thrown bat thing?

Prayers for Contreras. He waa qay 2 close. He was told 2 move up closer so he can catch the low ball and frame it as a strike. Baseball has 2 make a rule or teach and train the catchers 2 stay at a safer distance.

Bro, he’s too close! I am former minor-league and major league player. Just that screenshot he is on top of him and the simple fact of the backswing allowance just is really crazy. Maybe he was just moving forward and was a breaking pitch and he was trying to cut it off. I don’t know, but this is crazy bro.

Enact Automatic balls and strike in MLB and then it should not matter if the catchers were 5 inches further back. Problem solved.

Get well soon Wilson!

And yet Marmol and Mozeliak are still employed hahahaha

Twins fan here. Still love AJ. ❤❤

Wilson was definitely close but they even said JD back foot was 2" past the box they were both too close nd a freak accident. It definitely sucks but hopefully Wilson will be ok.

Love this crew

Just happened to Bailey with the Giants. He was hit in the head with hitter's back swing in three straight at bats. That's what I says while we were watching. He was just too close.

I’ll trust what AJ says and that it was Wilson’s fault for being way too close to JD. Very unfortunate all around, for the Cardinals and for baseball as a whole. Wishing Wilson a speedy recovery.

This happened on my middle school team once, with our catcher taking the bat to his elbow.

J.D Martinez did it to his brother on the Brewers twice as well last year which is weird….

cannot blame martinez for this accident

As a former catcher, I have said this time and time again, stop setting up so close to the plate. That's straight up ridiculous. He was right on top of the plate, of course he's gonna get hit with the bat. Baseball has gone so far down hill over the last few years, it's crazy. I never once gotten hit with a bat. It wasn't even a thought in my head. How do these guys make so much money and not know the fundamentals of baseball?

Yadi framed as good as any...he wasn't up that close

The only thing Baez can hit now is the catcher on his back swing 😂

Soo, a batter scooting back past the back line of the batter’s box is no bueno..but a catcher scooting up to “steal strikes” is a a-ok...humm….”To blame someone else for your misfortune shows a lack of education. To blame yourself shows your education has begun. To blame neither yourself..or someone else shows your education is complete.”

Blame the cardinals for this. Stop forcing catchers to be that far up.

That’s about the 4th or 5th time this season alone, I’ve watched a catcher in Major League Baseball, learn a little league lesson.

Respect the bat

Jesus christ that looked bad

He is way too close to the batter. But it was only a matter of time until contreras got hurt somehow

Used to never see this. Now it's all the time. Mlb needs to do something about it. These are needless injuries and it's distracting from the game.

Smith & Barnes have both had a few C.I. calls. This was part of the whole " Mr. Irrelevant" fiasco. Profar ( allegedly) Jacob Ellsbury(ied) into Smith's glove, so he could get on base. Profar say's " nah, Smitty trying to steal a strike"! ???? Im a LAD fan, but im not normally biased. So i keep an open mind. I think Profar has priors' tho

Speaking of Donnie Sands, he's still unsigned. Maybe the Cardinals should sign him for AAA depth. They have a need now...

But wait didn’t MLB move the Pitchers mound back a foot last year

I'm suprised Mikolas didnt throw another temper tantrum.

Accidents happen It sux but it's life

Get rid of these fucking umpires and go with the electronic strike zone and you won’t have catchers trying to “steal” strikes

I predicted these catching injuries once they started teaching these new ridiculous mechanics. I reiterated the problem this past April. These metrics aren't accurate regarding balls and strikes. They are based on a fallacy. Umpires call the pitch before it reaches the catcher's glove. Catching mechanics can only lose you strikes 99% of the time. The only exception is when the batter or catcher's set up obstructs the view. Any movement of the catcher's glove once it's caught is going to most likely cause a ball call if the ump can't see where you caught it. I put the blame on the coaches teaching this nonsense just like I blame them for the pitching injuries teaching compact pitching motions and legwhip kick finishes. The funny thing here is that you give the umpire a pass in a rare show of objectivity. But, you're actually wrong by rule. The umpires are actually allowed to instruct rhe catcher to move back and should recognize when a catcher is dangerously close as Contreras was. However, umpires are reticent to do that because they run into catcher's like AJ Ellis who are too stupid to know when an umpire is trying g to help them and get themselves ejected instead. Common practice except at levels below high school varsity is to not get involved until someone complains. That is because the only penalty that can be applied is ejection or was. NFHS can warn and restrict as of the last 2 decades. However, MLB can only eject for for ignoring an umpire's order. In MLB, I'm sure umpires are hesitant to tell a MLB catcher "how to play." That being said, Contreras' potion was ridiculously close. I would have at least given him a heads up before an official warning. So, you could put some of the blame on the umpire here if he didn't notice this or at least say something to Contreras.

The batter was in too close as well

Backswing …. Not whatsoever .. catchers you gottaaaa measure yourself to EVERY BATTER..

Sadly, all Wilson's fault.. he put himself too close... I caught.. I umpire.. many times I'm asking young catchers to move back.. Yeah, it makes my job easier when they are close... but watching things like we just saw with youth players... it made me sick to my stomach to watch it here.. it's worse when it's a kid... it sucks.. but it's the choice as a catcher you make... getting up close.. but Kratz is right.. you have to find the line and work on your technique... getting too close can get you a few more strikes.. but it also gets you a few more bruises.. or in this case.. broken bones.

this is coaching to blame. it's not just the cardinals preaching this but it can't happen. stealing strikes is cool but losing your best hitter for 2 months is devastating

You can fix the issue of strike-stealing with robo-umps… just saying

If we had robo-umps this framing and reaching up to the plate nonsense would finally end. It's the dumbest part of the game.

Wrong! It's every teams fault for trying to gain in advantage on the player by catching potential balls early and turning them into strikes

I know it won't fix the problem, but what about teams being more open to using left handed catchers? It would still be the same problem, but possibly lesser of one with the catchers arm being on the opposite side of the body

My problem is the stupid trainer always running out with a fucking towel? A towel isn't going to fix a broken arm or a hit by a pitch! They always look so damn clueless

Marcel Ozuna hit both Dodgers catchers. Smith twice and Barnes just a few days ago

pushing the limits and went too far

The catcher needs to stay further back from the plate to me this is bad coaching

This sport is getting stupid the over framing is one thing, why don't they just crouch in the batters box? I'll be watching overtime thrillers in the NHL playoffs

JD Martinez’s foot was outside the batters box in the back. He is also also to blame.

You guys are not looking at this in the big picture at all, this isnt just a catchers issue. for those confused why Contreras was so close to the plate, you haven't been watching baseball for the past 6 years. this isn't a Contreras problem its another baseball problem. as pitching has gotten where it has with velocity batters are way farther back in the box and to be able to catcher these wicked breaking balls somewhat close enough to the strike zone to frame an ump, catchers have moved up close. like ozuna hit like 5 catchers and i think will smith twice last year, its been a problem for a while and its a shame no one will acknowledge. and it has been shown already, jd WAS out of the batters box, and its pretty clear that he was so you cant JUST blame contrares here.

That’s catchers interference and also Wilson Contreras is a idiot for being to close to the batters box you have to scoot back a inch or two and for the umpire to understand that to so accidents don’t happen of losing a good player on the IL plain and simple!!!

His entire foot was behind the line! Stop with the bullshit

You better not talk bad about HR leader Marcel Ozuna from the Braves

IDK, jd has hit that family like 4 or 5 times only and his foot was CLEARLY out of the box. wilson was too close, i agree, but jd was the only one who was straight up breaking a rule.

Ok but it IS partially JDs fault. On purpose or not he was illegally standing outside the back of the batter box. Don't tell me hes innocent. Same goes for the umpire, it's on him to enforce the batters box