PEORIA, Ariz. Willie Cauley-Stein Warriors Jersey . -- Joe Torre says Major League Baseballs playing rules committee leaned toward banning all home plate collisions but concluded it would be unrealistic because contact between catchers and baserunners is sometimes unavoidable. Torre, MLBs executive vice-president for baseball operations, spoke Tuesday at San Diegos spring training facility before meeting with representatives from eight clubs training in Arizona. Torre was there to answer questions and address concerns regarding the collision rule, which was announced Monday, and expanded instant replay for umpires. Torre said when it came to the collisions rule, he had to "put the uniform back on" because there is never a perfect play at the plate and throws can make contact unavoidable. Any rule change for 2014 required approval from the players union, which negotiated under new head Tony Clark. "The players association had their concerns, too, based on the fact that catchers ... instincts is telling them to do certain things," Torre said. "Tony Clarks concern was it would have been tough to get them use to a new rule in a short period of time. I think we both agreed on the fact we want to eliminate the vicious hit." MLB could not have implemented the rule this year without approval from the players association. In what both sides said was a one-year experiment, the rule allows collisions if the catcher has the ball and is blocking the runners direct path to home plate, and if the catcher goes into the basepath to field a throw to the plate. The new rule, 7.13, states "a runner attempting to score may not deviate from his direct pathway to the plate in order to initiate contact with the catcher (or other player covering home plate)." A runner violating the rule shall be declared out, even if the fielder drops the ball. The umpire crew chief can use the new video-review system to determine whether the rule was violated. Torre referenced the hit on Buster Posey that left the NL MVP with broken bone in his lower left leg and three torn ligaments in his ankle in a May 2011 collision with the Marlins Scott Cousins. That injury that helped intensify debate over plate collisions. "At the time I talked to Bruce Bochy several times, and I said I dont see anything we can change," Torre explained. Well, over the last couple of years Ive gotten letters from parents who have kids in the minor leagues, and weve seen some vicious hits in the minor leagues, and its got to get your attention." Posey said Tuesday he thought the rule change was positive because it should eliminate worry of a malicious hit. "Ive always said that the main thing is for everybody to be comfortable with it, that the catchers and runners are protected," Posey said. Torre said there is an onus on baserunners to eliminate a mindset of wanting to separate a catcher from the ball. "I think definitely the baserunner has to have a different resolve, so to speak, in rounding third or tagging up from third," Torre said. Alec Burks Warriors Jersey . The kind he has every so often. The kind he has when Dwyane Wade sits. James scored 43 points -- 25 in a bewildering first-quarter shooting display -- and Chris Bosh added 21, leading the Miami Heat to a 100-96 win Tuesday night over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who played their first game without injured All-Star guard Kyrie Irving. Alfonzo McKinnie Jersey . Trailing by a goal after 20 minutes of play, Joe Pavelski responded with three goals and an assist as the Sharks snapped a two-game losing skid with a 5-2 victory over the struggling Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. https://www.warriorsrookiesshop.com/Nick-Young-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Dirk Nowitzki scored 25 points, Shawn Marion had 22 and the Mavericks beat undermanned Philadelphia 124-112 Friday night, handing the 76ers their 10th straight loss.ATLANTA -- Freddie Freeman insists the Atlanta Braves have no special insight when playing the Washington Nationals. "I dont know if its about getting in their heads," Freeman said. "You just want to go out there and win series. It doesnt matter who its against." Freeman and Justin Upton each hit a two-run homer off Gio Gonzalez and the Braves completed a three-game sweep of the Nationals with a 10-2 victory on Sunday. Beating Washington for the 18th time in the last 25 series matchups, Atlanta is hoping to use another fast start against the Nationals to win a second straight NL East title. The Braves have won five of six against the Nationals this year. "We have a 19-game stretch against division opponents," Freeman said. "This is where you can get off to a good start and get off to a good lead and hopefully well keep playing well when we get to" Philadelphia to begin a four-game series Monday. Washington began the day by placing third baseman Ryan Zimmerman on the 15-day disabled list with a broken right thumb. Hell be out four to six weeks. With Zimmerman and leadoff hitter Denard Span sidelined, the Nationals lineup managed just five hits off Aaron Harang (2-1), who allowed one run, one walk and struck out five in six innings. Gonzalez (2-1) continued his struggles against the Braves, giving up nine hits, six runs and four walks and striking out six in six innings. Despite ranking second in the majors among left-handers with 34 wins since the start of 2012, Gonzalez is 2-7 with a 5.31 ERA in 10 starts against the Braves during that span. He hasnt received more than one run of support in any of his seven winless starts against Atlanta. "We were catching bad breaks," Gonzalez said. "We were making some big mistakes, and as a starting pitcher youve got to learn to adjust and keep the ball down." Harang, making his 322nd career start and third with the Braves, improved to 2-4 with a 3.72 ERA in 10 starts against Washington. Gus Schlosser, Atlantas fourth pitcher, gave up Adam LaRoches third homer in the ninth to make it 10-2. Ross Detwiler, Washingtons second pitcher, allowed four unearned runs in the eighth on Freemans RBI double and Andrelton Simmons first homer, a three-run shot that put the Braves up 10-1. Gonnzalezs struggles began in the first. David West Jersey. . After walking leadoff hitter Jason Heyward, Gonzalez made an errant underhanded throw to first baseman LaRoche on B.J. Uptons bunt single. The ball rolled away from LaRoche, allowing Heyward to advance to third and B.J. Upton to second. Freemans sacrifice fly scored Heyward, and Justin Upton homered to make it 3-0. Over his last six games, Justin Upton is hitting .590 with four homers in 22 at-bats. "We know what were capable of and what we want to achieve," Justin Upton said. "If everybody can contribute every day, I think well be fine." Atlanta added three more runs in the second. Tyler Pastornicky led off with a triple and scored on Heywards RBI double. Freeman followed with his fourth homer to give the Braves a 6-0 lead. Washingtons first run came on Jose Lobatons RBI groundout, scoring Kevin Frandsen from third to make it 6-1 in the fifth. Freeman, who has hit .470 in his last 34 at-bats, avoided a scare in the fourth when Gonzalezs 92 mph fastball hit the outer right side of his right hand. Like the rest of the day, everything seemed to go Atlantas way. "It pinched my pinkie into the bat," Freeman said. "It was more a scare than an injury. I got really lucky. I think if I didnt choke up, Im done. By choking up, it got some fat right there. I kind of lucked out, I think." NOTES: Washington RF Jayson Werth returned after a sore groin forced him from the lineup on Saturday. Werth went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts and stranded three runners. ... Simmons hit in the No. 5 spot for the first time in his career, going 2 for 5 with three RBIs. ... Nate McLouth was supposed to start in CF and bat second for Washington, but manager Matt Williams said he tweaked his left knee while shagging flyballs during batting practice and was held out. ... Nationals LF Steven Souza Jr. made his major league debut in the seventh as Frandsen moved to second base and Danny Espinosa left the game. Souza struck out in the eighth. ... The Nationals called up INF Zach Walters from Triple-A Syracuse to take Zimmermans spot on the 25-man roster. Walters struck out as a pinch-hitter to end the game. ... Span, on the seven-day DL with concussion symptoms, missed his second straight game. ' ' '