Reds waiting for specifics on home-plate rule

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- A Major League Baseball rules committee voted in December to outlaw home-plate collisions. Final approval and implementation of the rule has yet to be completed.

At Cardinals Spring Training in Florida, manager Mike Matheny has already begun teaching his catchers new techniques in anticipation of the rule change that could require runners to either slide or avoid the catcher before touching the plate.

Thus far in Reds camp, there have been no new teachings for the catchers in advance of the potential rule change.

"I don't know if this is going to evolve into an accepted rule or not," Reds manager Bryan Price said Tuesday. "We understand that they're working towards that. What you'll find is there is definitely a huge appreciation for the fact that we want to keep our players healthy. The other side of that is now does that increase the chance of the baserunners getting hurt trying to zigzag their way out of catchers that come into the baseline because of an errant throw?

"We don't know what the ground rules will be for any type of rule that evolves with this. But I think it's going be, I think, very difficult to introduce and enforce. It would be interesting. I hope it doesn't evolve terribly quickly, myself."