Jake Marisnick of the Houston Astros was suspended for two games on Wednesday for his role in a violent collision with Los Angeles Angels catcher Jonathan Lucroy.

It's a play Major League Baseball has tried to reduce or eliminate with a rule it implemented in 2014 in the interest of player safety. The main idea is that a catcher must give the runner a clear lane to the plate. In turn, the runner can't intentionally run into the catcher in an attempt to jar the ball loose. 

However … that wasn't the case before. Here are some memorable home plate collisions from the past.

Posey's broken leg

The play that gets credit for the rule change happened in May 2011, when Scott Cousins of the Florida Marlins tried to score in the top of the 12th inning of a tie game in San Francisco. 

Waiting for him at the plate: Giants catcher Buster Posey. Cousins lowered his shoulder and launched himself into the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year, knocking the ball away and violently contorting Posey into a crumpled heap. 

Posey suffered a broken bone in his leg and three torn ligaments in his ankle, causing one of the game's bright young stars to miss the rest of the season. 

Pudge hangs on

The baserunner doesn't always have to come out on top. In the 2003 National League division series, the Marlins and Giants were involved in another memorable play at the plate. 

With the Marlins clinging to a 7-6 lead and one out away from advancing to the NLCS, the Giants' J.T. Snow tried to score the tying run from second. Marlins catcher and future Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez stood his ground as Snow lowered his shoulder and made contact. 

It was the first of two collisions on the play. After the umpire signaled out to end the game, Rodriguez was mobbed by his own teammates in celebration.

Catcher vs. catcher

The rivalry between Chicago's two major league teams flared up on a play in 2006 when one team's catcher barreled into the other's. The always-polarizing A.J. Pierzynski of the White Sox came charging toward the plate after tagging up on a fly ball to left field,  while Cubs catcher Michael Barrett awaited the throw.

Pierzynski rammed into Barrett with both arms before the ball even arrived. Barrett showed his displeasure by punching Pierzynski, which caused both benches to empty.

1970 All-Star Game

Pete Rose might have been one of the most aggressive baserunners in history. He was also a fierce competitor. Even in an All-Star Game, Rose wasn't going to play any differently.

So when he rounded third in the bottom of the 12th inning as the winning run, he lowered his shoulder and crashed into American League catcher Ray Fosse. 

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Steve Gardner on Twitter @SteveAGardner.

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