PEORIA, Ariz. — Joe Torre says Major League Baseball’s 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, MLB’s executive vice president for baseball operations, 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.