Chase Utley slide breaks Rubén Tejada’s leg: confounding call on review, dirty play? (split from two threads) Latest: Utley suspended for games 3 & 4; will appeal

[Polish Falcons]

Can anyone explain how Utley is called safe on a play where he clearly never touched the base. That is the deciding factor in the game. Unreal.

[1992casey]

They just gave the official explanation from MLB, but I can't re-explain it. But given that there's been an explanation, we know that the clarification will be repeated and that it will become available in print.

[1992casey]

Fractured right fibula for Tejada on the collision.

[Polish Falcons]

I read the statement and listened to Joe torre's bumbling press conference and none of it explained why Utley was safe, despite not touching the base.

[1992casey]

Yeah, that's the part that's confusing me. According to the bits and pieces I'm picking up, it has something to do with taking away the neighborhood play.

 

Joe concentrated on Utley's late slide, which is a separate issue. That's certainly something to review, and because it could involve disciplinary action, it was appropriate to be vague about it at this point.

[1992casey]

Although this article is biased, it has the best explanation I've seen so far:

 

Chase Utley dirty slide on Ruben Tejada ends with Mets shortstop carted off field with broken leg in 5-2 loss to Dodgers

 

After a nearly five-minute review, the Dodgers added insult to injury as officials in New York ruled Tejada never touched the base. Replays also showed Utley never touched second base, but they put him back there, setting up Adrian Gonzalez’s two-run triple off Addison Reed.

 

Mets manager Terry Collins ran out to appeal, but because Murphy’s throw had pulled Tejada off the bag there was no neighborhood play and no interference by Utley, which would have negated the tying run, according to MLB.

[1992casey]

Another article…

 

Dramatic turn of events: LA gets even after hard slide

 

That's a judgment play. I'm still watching replays. They get one shot. There are a lot of things they're looking for.

 

The fact he was called out means he was not required to touch second base. When the play is overturned he's awarded second base. If they had tagged Utley before he went off the field he would have been out.

[WV Brew]

Chase Utley slide:

 

Story

 

Slide was very late and broke Tejada's leg. To add insult to injury, the umpires reviewed a play that is not supposed to be reviewable (neighborhood play) and called Utley safe as well. This turned the game for the Dodgers. Opinions?

[WV Brew]

My opinion on Utley:

 

That "slide" should never happen in baseball. There is a right and wrong way to do things. I will take Utley at his word that he did not deliberately set out to injure anyone but that was a football type tackle you might expect against Ron Dayne because the safety is too small to bring him down any other way. Should have been ruled interference since Utley was not attempting to make 2nd base and the "slide" was ridiculous. As far as I'm concerned, Dodgers are now evil like the Cubs and Cardinals. I hate to be put in the position of rooting for a New York team but there is no other option now.

[molitor fan]

Dodgers are evil? good grief....the slide was a post-season aggressive slide that was made many times worse by Tejada leaving himself wide open by doing his crazy piroutte...there is a reason why you do not see shortstops make that type of pivot - it leaves them wide open to a hard charging baserunner....though Utley never did hit the base, his hand would have hit it if not for the impact with Tejada....he was erroneously called out so he left the field...the umps made the correct call.

 

The vilification of Utley is comical to a degree, but it is verging into the downright stupid. The Mets would have wanted David Wright to make that same slide into Corey Seager, and you Brewer fans, would have wanted Ryan Braun make that same slide into the Diamondbacks shortstop the last time the Brewers were playing on this date. Tejada's injury is awful but the statements I have seen stating that Utley was intentionally trying to injure him are just asinine.

[WV Brew]

I think he hit Tejada before the ground. That isn't a clean slide in my opinion. So you think Tejada should just concede the base? No. I would expect the Brewers runner to take out the baseman in a clean manner by sliding into his feet not doing a football type block.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I'm not going to call the Utley slide "dirty", but he was nowhere near the base. I understand that a "takeout" slide has a purpose, and that's to protect your runner going to first base. Wasn't the neighborhood rule created to protect the fielder though?

 

And also....... as someone else said, that's not supposed to be reviewable, right?

[1992casey]

Since this topic was being discussed in two threads and it would seem to have implications beyond a single game, I've moved all the posts into this thread.

 

Like WV Brew, I'll take Utley at his word, but at the very least, the play was reckless.

[jerichoholicninja]

I wouldn't say that slide was dirty but it certainly wasn't clean either. There's probably about 100 slides like that during the regular season it's just that the fielder isn't in that weird position. If Tejada doesn't have his back to the runner he just jumps out of the way and gets knocked over. I don't think Utley should have been out for interference because he wasn't even that far from the base. Obviously he didn't slide to the base and it was really late but you just never see that called.

 

I think the bigger issue is the the umpires reviewing and then reversing a call that isn't even reviewable.

[1992casey]

I think the bigger issue is the the umpires reviewing and then reversing a call that isn't even reviewable.

 

I think that's the bottom line on the call. The replay umps should have said "We can't review this" and let the call on the field stand.

[QuevedosTongue]

Why has MLB outlawed the "collision at home plate" play but this kind of thing is still legal? Utley slid VERY late and came in rolling, not sliding. I don't fault any of the players here, Utley was doing what he's supposed to do. It just seems crazy that players are allowed to do this with no consequences.

 

And anyone who disagrees, please explain why this is different from someone blocking the plate.

[Baldkin]

What a ridiculous play.

 

1) Saying the SS caused the contact by his pirouette... I just can't buy that. He is 2 feet to the 3rd base side of second base, and is moving towards CF as he twists.

 

2) This slide was horribly, horribly dirty. He went in late, he went in high, he didn't come anywhere near 2B and he hit the SS on the 3B side of the bag.

 

The fact that the idiotic umps called him safe, is just.... ridiculous. He should've been out for interference, he should've been out because he was called out on the field, and he should've been out because the runner behind him passed him when he ran off the field.

[young guns]

They are saying it isnt a neighborhood play because it was a poor throw, making it reviewable. I just think utley should be out for that intentionally terrible attempt at a slide.

[clancyphile]

Shades of Marcus Lawton taking out Jim Gantner in `88 for me.

[trwi7]

I'd be hard pressed to call that a slide when there was no sliding actually involved.

[1992casey]

I'd be hard pressed to call that a slide when there was no sliding actually involved.

 

That's the whole thing. There wasn't a slide. But given the lack of a better word, I guess we have to call it a slide.

 

I think the pirouette is irrelevant as far as the runner is concerned. The fielder might be more susceptible to injury in that position, but that doesn't excuse the so-called slide.

[jerichoholicninja]

Why has MLB outlawed the "collision at home plate" play but this kind of thing is still legal? Utley slid VERY late and came in rolling, not sliding. I don't fault any of the players here, Utley was doing what he's supposed to do. It just seems crazy that players are allowed to do this with no consequences.

 

And anyone who disagrees, please explain why this is different from someone blocking the plate.

 

Exactly. Before the rule change how many catchers were getting hurt a year, one? If that. How many infielders are injured a year on plays like this one? There were two just in the past month. As soon as a middle infielder who's as big a name as Buster Posey gets hurt, there will be changes.

[molitor fan]

you have to look at the whole play - it was a remarkable play to even track down the ball from going into center field, and Utley positioned himself to the right of the bag so he could make the turn at 2nd base in order to get to third on the single to center. I think many on here think the players are automatons....the more I think about the play, the more I think the crowd that believes he was intentionally trying to injury Tejada is looking at it from a very limited scope, not realizing the holistic nature of the play

[superfly]

the slide was a post-season aggressive slide that was made many times worse by Tejada leaving himself wide open by doing his crazy piroutte

 

 

Post-season aggressive slide? What slide do you speak of...the part where he runs upright into the base until the last 6 inches to take a guy out? Utley's reputation of dirty slides goes far beyond this particular instance.

[Baldkin]

you have to look at the whole play - it was a remarkable play to even track down the ball from going into center field, and Utley positioned himself to the right of the bag so he could make the turn at 2nd base in order to get to third on the single to center. I think many on here think the players are automatons....the more I think about the play, the more I think the crowd that believes he was intentionally trying to injury Tejada is looking at it from a very limited scope, not realizing the holistic nature of the play

 

He dove completely ACROSS the bag. Never once touching it. He was AIRBORNE when he passed second base. There was no slide, his only intent was to hit Tejada as hard as he could to prevent the double play.

 

http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view5/20151010/5257493/dirty-slide-o.gif