Utley-Tejada

[USAFChief]

Setting aside the unfortunate injury...

 

I hope this provides the impetus for MLB to start enforcing rule 6.01 and/or 5.09 and declaring automatic DPs when runners clearly interfere rather than attempt to beat a force play with a "slide."

 

Utley's slide was a clear violation of an existing rule.

 

And the entire replay fiasco that followed was ridiculous.

[h2oface]

I really feel that Utley wasn't trying to hurt Tejada, but he certainly wasn't even trying to touch the base, and he never even did. The explanation of why he got to be safe by not touching the base at all and leaving the field was completely lame. While Utley's intent was not to break a leg, it was to jump into him without care of what happened. This, to me, is right up there with throwing at a batter intentionally as the most cowardly actions a ball player can do on the field. As a baseball fan, I don't agree with the interpretation of the rules here at all. 

[USAFChief]

I don't think he was trying to hurt Tejada, but that's not important. It isn't necessary to try to guess at that.

 

He was in violation of a written rule, that isn't typically enforced but should be.

[jimmer]

'I really feel that Utley wasn't trying to hurt Tejada, but he certainly wasn't even trying to touch the base, and he never even did. The explanation of why he got to be safe by not touching the base at all and leaving the field was completely lame. While Utley's intent was not to break a leg, it was to jump into him without care of what happened. This, to me, is right up there with throwing at a batter intentionally as the most cowardly actions a ball player can do on the field. As a baseball fan, I don't agree with the interpretation of the rules here at all.'

 

This will be addressed in Fall Ball and the rule will, rightfully, change for next year.  Should have been done at the same time as the catcher rule was implemented.  Both should have been done a long time ago.  Utley has been one of my favorite players for a long time, this ticked me off greatly.

[USAFChief]

This will be addressed in Fall Ball and the rule will, rightfully, change for next year. Should have been done at the same time as the catcher rule was implemented. P.

Concur.

 

Although I don't think they need to change a rule. Just enforce existing ones.

[h2oface]

The big deal was made about the "neighborhood" rule, which was one that was not reviewable during the regular season. Did that change for the post season?

 

Personally, even as a kid I didn't like the unwritten rule of you didn't have to touch second base and it was to protect the fielder from injury. Of course you have to touch second (at least you did last night..... but only if you were the fielder. i guess the runner doesn't have to). And the runner should never be able to not be clearly intending to touch the base first and foremost. I have always hated the acceptance of something that clearly was not the written rule here. Even as a child, it was clear it was wrong.

 

This was clear that the intent was to take out the fielder, and not touch the base and try to be safe. Tejada was even trying to give Utley a clear path to the base, and he did. Utley jumped into him, and took out the leg on the fly, with the base of no interest.

[biggentleben]

 

The big deal was made about the "neighborhood" rule, which was one that was not reviewable during the regular season. Did that change for the post season?

 

It was not a "neighborhood" play.

 

That's a play that needs to be removed from the game as well.

[USAFChief]

It was not a "neighborhood" play.

 

That's a play that needs to be removed from the game as well.

In what possible way was that not a "neighborhood" play?

 

He was attempting to turn 2.

[biggentleben]

 

In what possible way was that not a "neighborhood" play?

He was attempting to turn 2.

 

That was the ruling on the field - that it wasn't the neighborhood play, therefore, Utley hadn't been called out.

[Winston Smith]

The Utley slide was cheap and the umpires were brain dead. Black eye on baseball, imo. Well beyond playing the game hard and the "right way".

[biggentleben]

How is this different than Coghlan/Kang, though? This happens multiple times per year, but because it was on the playoff stage with one of the biggest market teams in the game, you'll hear talk this offseason about changing it.

 

Nothing changed about home plate collisions until one of baseball's golden boys, Posey, was lost for the season. I'm not sure if this will be enough. If it were a young up-and-coming star like Correa, Lindor, or Seager taken out like this, the outrage would be much larger, and you'd no doubt have changes made this offseason. I think it will be discussed, but I'm not sure there will be the level of outrage to make a change by the time we get to December winter meetings.

[notoriousgod71]

I miss Hal McRae.

[jimmer]

Torre said last night that they were already planning on working on making situations like this happen way less. So the change was coming even before last night. And this isn't something that would need to be approved by players and owners. It can just be done.

 

I also never remember there being an actual rule that stated a catcher not only had to tag a guy out on a fielder's choice but also had to keep hold of the ball after taking a crushing blow by a guy running full speed either.  They had to make a rule that mostly nullified something that had been accepted for years. I mean, yeah, the rule says a tag needs to be applied and controlled, but allowing the runners to plow through a fielder?  This isn't football.

[flpmagikat]

I was half cheering for LA and jesus I hated watching that, especially since the whole "safe, since he was ruled out and it was reversed" led to them winning the game. It doesn't matter if he didnt intend to injure tejada, though barreling into a guy like that with his back to him is cowardly enough on its own. In hockey if you high stick a guy it doesnt help that you didnt mean to, its almost worse because you had no control over what you were doing. Cheap, dirty.

[TheLeviathan]

If baseball just accepted it isn't a physical sport and stopped trying to force these moments, the game would be far better off. Baseball is such a beautiful sport, it doesn't need this crap and many of the other fake-tough nonsense.

[jimmer]

I wonder if the Mets will hit Utley right away with a high fast ball?

[Thrylos]

Not that different that what Swisher did to Nishioka.   I guess there needed to be a big market team on the receiving end to get national writers' outrage and call for rules' changes and suspensions.  Very unfortunate...

[Blake]

Look, these plays used to be taken care of by a baseball in the ribs.

 

As soon as that option was taken away, these things started happening.

 

 

[TheLeviathan]

 

Look, these plays used to be taken care of by a baseball in the ribs.

 

As soon as that option was taken away, these things started happening.

 

That's just false on every level.

 

If a baseball in the ribs had fixed it, it would've been fixed decades ago.  Yet it continually happens.  A baseball in the ribs literally "fixes" NOTHING.

[flpmagikat]

Even if they throw at utley, they still lost their starting ss for at least the rest of the playoffs and who knows after that. I am all ok with the way the pirates dealt with arrieta, considering he was wild and put their players at risk, and took the blowback himself. And in a relatively mild way. That whole fiasco was just terrible, from the slide to the injury(not to mention utley looked like he might've concussed himself in the process), to the just horrible call/rule/whatever that was. Torre seemed ashamed afterwards when discussing the "logic" that went into it. I was just in LA and went to see Grienke pitch last saturday, so like I said i was sorta pulling for them with no real interest in the other teams. But man that sucked.

[jimmer]

I'm not a fan of what happened to Nishi a few years ago, but in that case Swisher slid before 2B and Nishi his leg planted right there and he was facing forward where he could see it coming.

 

Utley didn't start his slid till he was next to 2B, never touched the bag (cause he didn't even try) and plowed a guy with his back turned

 

Really the only similarity is a guy got his leg broken.

[flpmagikat]

Suspended next two games.

 

http://deadspin.com/mlb-suspends-chase-utley-from-games-3-4-of-nlds-1735978393

[mnfireman]

The "black eye" here goes on MLB. Irregardless of anyone's personal opinions, he was called safe and at least 6 umpires deemed the slide legal (by not calling him out) and now he is going to be suspended. Everything was deemed legal and he is going to be suspended,somebody has been eating Stupid Sandwiches!

 

They can't do this. The MLBPA better jump in immediately. That or there needs to be a few more suspensions (Donaldson and Arrieta come to mind).

 

Yes it is sad that Tejada got hurt, but I guarantee you that 100% of MLB slides hard to take the SS out on that play.

 

 

 

 

[Squirrel]

 

Suspended next two games.

 

http://deadspin.com/mlb-suspends-chase-utley-from-games-3-4-of-nlds-1735978393

He should be suspended for as long as Tejada is out.

[notoriousgod71]

 

 

 

He should be suspended for as long as Tejada is out.

 

That is ridiculous.

[USAFChief]

Suspended next two games.

 

http://deadspin.com/mlb-suspends-chase-utley-from-games-3-4-of-nlds-1735978393

I'm not sure how MLB could have handled this any worse.

 

They have ignored the interference rule for decades now, giving runners a free shot at middle infielders. These are force plays at second base...anything other than a direct slide into second slows the runner, so there can be no claim the runner is doing anything other than deliberately interfering. All they had to do....years ago...was enforce the rules. Slide as hard as you want...directly into second.

 

The "neighborhood play" is a ridiculous invention as well. Force plays require contact with the base everywhere else, why not second base? You just open yourself up to impossible situations when you start intentionally ignoring rules, and this is no different. Enforce the interference rule, and the neighborhood play isn't necessary anyway. Middle infielders have three "safe" sides of the bag to bail to.

 

All that said, you can't really single out Utley for much blame, this has been going on forever. The blame lies with MLB.

 

And now they want to suspend him?? For what? He was ruled SAFE on review, for Pete's sake. MLB is going to overturn the out call, say there's no interference and no neighborhood play, and then turn around and try to suspend him?

 

Does anybody think this could have been handled any worse?

[kab21]

It seems that the MLB went down the NFL/Goodell road with this ruling.  Stand by a ruling until social media outrage is so loud that they reverse course and issue a suspension.  This kind of policy is going to hurt the NFL big time in the future.  You can't run a league/business by gauging fan reaction for an appropriate punishment.

 

The problem here is not Utley although he shouldn't have done that.  The problem here is with the MLB for never addressing this and letting these unwritten rules (like take out the MI) be part of the game.  The way baseball should be played is that a baserunner slides through the bag with his feet down on obvious force outs where the MI is trying to turn two.  There is no reason that a take out slide where the baserunner can touch 2B with a fingernail (Utley didn't try) should be legal.

[flpmagikat]

 

I'm not sure how MLB could have handled this any worse.

They have ignored the interference rule for decades now, giving runners a free shot at middle infielders. These are force plays at second base...anything other than a direct slide into second slows the runner, so there can be no claim the runner is doing anything other than deliberately interfering. All they had to do....years ago...was enforce the rules. Slide as hard as you want...directly into second.

The "neighborhood play" is a ridiculous invention as well. Force plays require contact with the base everywhere else, why not second base? You just open yourself up to impossible situations when you start intentionally ignoring rules, and this is no different. Enforce the interference rule, and the neighborhood play isn't necessary anyway. Middle infielders have three "safe" sides of the bag to bail to.

All that said, you can't really single out Utley for much blame, this has been going on forever. The blame lies with MLB.

And now they want to suspend him?? For what? He was ruled SAFE on review, for Pete's sake. MLB is going to overturn the out call, say there's no interference and no neighborhood play, and then turn around and try to suspend him?

Does anybody think this could have been handled any worse?

It kinda epitomizes adding insult to injury. Utley's play(not even gonna call that a slide) was bs, the call on the field was bs, the review was bs, all of it.

[Pius Jefferson]

My rear if Utley doesn't deserve blame because MLB allows it to happen. How about playing the game hard and fair because it's the right thing to do not because you have to. 

[TheLeviathan]

My rear if Utley doesn't deserve blame because MLB allows it to happen. How about playing the game hard and fair because it's the right thing to do not because you have to.

 

That's a fair point, but this is still on the league. They haven't had much backbone to push back on this nonsense. They know what they should do but there is a ton of pressure to keep this "old school" silly crap so they ignore it until a situation demands action. Like Chief said, they actually invented the stupid neighborhood rule just to facilitate this BS.