Time to Overcome Adversity

Dear Dodger's Fans,

Chase Utley’s Slide… Was it legal? Heck no.

I am going to try to look at the slide while putting my passion for the Mets to the side. It will be hard, but as a middle infielder for much of my baseball career, I will explain why the slide was dangerous and should have been called obstruction which would have resulted in both Utley and Kendrick being called out, inning over. I will also try to disprove all the arguments Dodgers fans seem to have.
    I 100% believe that Utley had no intention to injure Tejada. He was absolutely just trying to break up the double play and get the tying run score. BUT, that still doesn’t make the slide legal. Utley did not start his slide until he was practically on top of the 2^nd base bag. Sure, he didn’t go cleats up but since his slide was so late, he didn’t even have time to get a front leg out that you typically hit the bag with when sliding. Instead, he hit his knees, high up on Tejada’s leg, effectively fracturing Tejada’s fibula. Sure Utley was close enough to the bag to reach out and touch the bag, but that was clearly not his intention as he completely bypassed the bag and aimed directly for Tejada and NEVER touched the bag. Here is the rule that should have ruled Utley and the batter out:

5.09 (a) (13) (Rule 6.05, 2014)

A batter is out when --

(m) A preceding runner shall, in the umpire's judgment, intentionally interfere with a fielder who is attempting to catch a thrown ball or to throw a ball in an attempt to complete any play

                                                  CLEARLY LATE AND WENT IN HIGH

The umpire apparently judged that Utley did not intentionally interfere with the fielder. He simply judged wrongly. There are no if, ands, or buts about it. Utley’s attempt of a “slide” was not an attempt to injure Tejada, but it was an attempt to interfere with the shortstop. Now there is a proper way to do this without being called for interference. It is done just about every day during the baseball season and middle infielders rarely got seriously hurt.

This brings me to the point of the Dodger fans arguments as to why the slide wasn’t dirty

    1. “Utley was just playing hard-nosed baseball, trying to win the game!” 

You’re right! That’s exactly what he did, but he did it illegally. I have already addressed this multiple times. The slide was just way too late. The media, all over the country (except for some in LA) are calling the play a tackle rather than a slide. Multiple MLB shortstops took to twitter to display their anger at the slide including Jose Reyes who said it was a pathetic attempt at a slide. Justin Upton said that if that Tejada was a superstar shortstop like Tulo out there, the next day the MLB would have a rule called the “Tulo Rule.” He’s right, but we already have that rule (look above at rule 5.09). If this was soccer, Utley would have been given a Red Card for that slide tackle, not a warning, not even a Yellow Card, but a big ole’ bright RED CARD. He would have been kicked off the field immediately because that slide was, intentional or not, malicious.

    2.  “It is Tejada’s fault. He shouldn’t have turned his back to the runner!”

Hahahahahaha. This argument makes me laugh, a lot. This is the classic “scapegoat” for the Dodger’s and their fans. People who say this, know Utley did wrong, but are still trying to justify it. These people have also never played baseball. Yes, a typical double play would be turned without a “spin-o-rama,” but this wasn’t your typical double play. The ball was hit up the middle and Murphy fielded the ball directly behind the bag. He flipped the ball to a Tejada (a LITTLE behind him). Tejada decided that the quickest way to get the ball to first was to keeping coming across the bag, spin to get as much power as possible behind the throw, and fire to first. Believe or not, this play is taught to middle infielders of all ages. The idea is that by coming across the bag and spinning, the fielder would get out of the way of the slide and get the ball to first with as much velocity as possible. Tejada correctly tried this play, but as he finished his spin, Utley was right on top of him. The spin did not put him in a bad position, but rather it put him in the correct position at the wrong time. Even with a perfect feed to Tejada, he likely still would have spun, and if he didn’t spin, he still would have probably broken his leg because Utley was clearly aiming for Tejada. Maybe Tejada would have gotten the throw off, but he still would have been taken out by Utley and we would still be having this argument. The only way Tejada would have avoided that slide was to either jump over Utley as he ran to right field and forfeit the double play, which was not an option on that critical play. Turning his back to the runner did not put him in a bad position, simply playing the game of baseball with an out of control runner did.

    3.  “Tejada never touched the bag, so Mets fans need to stop complaining. It’s irrelevant.”

Um I guess you’ve never heard of the “neighborhood play.” Which this play certainly was despite what MLB may say. The throw did not pull him off the bag. Tejada never had any intention of making 100% sure he touched second due to the fact he thought he would be protected by the neighborhood rule. In trying to turn a double play, the middle fielder does not need to technically touch second so that he could get out of the way as quickly as possible and protect himself against the slide. Well that didn’t happen because Utley slid so late. 

a.       “Ok but they wouldn’t have turned the DP anyway. Kendrick was going to beat it out.”

Ehhh… you can’t prove that. And if every double play that wasn’t turned was reviewed, many many many calls would be overturned because middle infielders are taught to not worry about touching second, just be close. That was Tejada. He was maybe an inch away, maybe. If that is not in the “neighborhood” of second, then Mr. Rodgers did not teach me the correct meaning of that word. 

ALSO: The ump called Utley out. Utley never touched second, ever. After the review, they decided to reward Utley the bag even without touching the bag. Was Tejada supposed to tag Utley or touch second with a broken leg after he had already been told Utley was out and time had been granted time to treat his injury?? Was he supposed to assume that there could be multiple outs by one guy?? I am still very upset about the decision to give a guy a base who technically could be called out for 3 wrong doings: out because of obstruction, out at second on the neighborhood play, and out on giving himself up on the play after never touching second and heading to the dugout. 

Final points: David Wright, one of the most respected, even keeled players in the league was not happy whatsoever about the play. That says something, a man who rarely argues and always "takes the positives out of the negatives" could not find a single positive from this play. The fact is, Utley slid late and broke the Mets' starting shortstops leg. He has rightfully been suspended but that is only to cover the fact that the umps screwed the Mets and ultimately cost them the game. I can't say the Mets would have won the game but we certainly would not have lost it in the 7th. The Dodgers got a giant reward for an illegal play. That is why Mets fans are so upset. Get it? Got it? Good. And if you don't, you're blind. Sorry.

Well you can't change the past and so it is time to move on and overcome adversity. Good luck to both teams and let controversy stay out of the rest of the series and let the best team win. #LGM #WinForRuben #HappyHarveyDay 

-A crazed, die hard Mets fan