EditorialMLB

New Slide Rule: Week 1 Review

By Len Nunes
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While you may question an outfielder’s route to the baseball or that outfielder’s decision to dive or not dive after the fly ball, you generally understand that the fielder had a split-second to make his decision. When an infielder tries to bare-hand the slow-roller coming at him or the first baseman fails to scoop a throw out of the dirt, it is easy to defend the infielders due to how rapid fire plays happen. The advantage the players have is that when they make a mistake it is just that, a mistake. Baseball-reference.com calls them errors and we can all check on how many errors any given player has made during his career at any given time.

When an umpire makes a mistake, instant replay with its multiple camera angles and speeds has taken away the leeway which players get when they make an error. The issue here is how that even after review the implementation of the rules sometimes remains wrong.

This season the MLB has introduced new rules regarding slides (generally dubbed the Chase Utley rule). In 2014, the MLB introduced new rules regarding home plate collisions (generally dubbed the Buster Posey rule). It appears that Utley has not read either of the two new rules.

April 6, San Diego Padres vs Los Angeles Dodgers

Despite the harshly worded tweet, the man responsible for the new sliding rules does not seem to understand them. Clearly outside the base lines, Utley running on the grass destines him to be in a direct collision course with Padres catcher Derek Norris. Maybe it is the old school way of thinking that he will likely need to hit the catcher hard enough to jar the ball loose, but common sense suggests that beating the tag would have been easier if he were on the other side of the base line. Here is Cory Spangenberg showing us the correct way to go into home plate to minimize the risk of collision and injury.

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From the MLB.com article on February 24th, 2014 introducing us to the home plate collisions rules:

The catcher may not block the pathway of a runner attempting to score unless he has possession of the ball. If the catcher blocks the runner before he has the ball, the umpire may call the runner safe.

In this instance, Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis prepares himself to receive the incoming throw illegally. Replays clearly show that Ellis’ foot and shin are blocking Spangenberg’s path to the plate. A perfect illustration of the above rule being broken but somehow even after review Spangenberg was ruled out.

New Slide Rule Ends Two Games

April 5, Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays

April 8, Houston Astros vs Milwaukee Brewers

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The Toronto Blue Jays went from a 4-3 lead to a 3-2 loss in a matter of moments. The umpires called interference on Jose Bautista on his slide into second base to help attempt break up a double play. In terms of “takeout slides” this is a very tame example of an illegal slide. Bautista is seen putting his hand toward the feet of Rays fielder Logan Forsythe. What really got the call made against him was the fact he did not stay on the bag.

In the simplest explanation of the rule the runner must maintain contact with the base just as if he were trying to steal it. The video of Astros baserunner Colby Rasmus being called for an illegal slide is the perfect illustration. You can clearly see in the video that Rasmus does not even look toward, never mind try to put any part of his body toward, the fielder at second base trying to turn the doubleplay. Rasmus also makes zero attempt to actually stay on the bag. There you have it, an illegal slide!

Base Line Rules Also Need Clearing Up

April 5, Houston Astros versus New York Yankees

Carlos Correa of the Houston Astros never actually steps foot inside the base line provided to all runners on his path to first base. The argument is fair that the throwing error was caused by his accidentally-on-purpose grass laden route to first. The argument of the runner needing time to get into the path is not valid as Correa does not get off the infield grass until he is mere feet from the bag. Sadly it is widely believed that illegal baserunning is only enforced if the fielder tosses the ball directly into the runner’s back.

Yankees Manager Joe Girardi came out to argue to no avail. Before leaving the field Girardi let the umpires know the Yankees were playing the rest of the game “under protest”. After researching “protested games” and finding out the process is about as useless as fishing with a spoon, one wonders why this notion still even bothers to exist.

These two incidents lead to a perfectly word tweet by ESPN’s Buster Olney:

Dear heavens above, please do not let former MLB player turned commentator Gregg Zaun become the next commissioner.

Contrary to the sentiment by Gregg Zaun in the above video the rule changes are not reducing the level of play in this game. A fielder does not lose credibility as a fielder because he no longer has to worry about getting his knees taken out from underneath him. Zaun openly admits to screaming “finish him” from the dugout during his playing days when his teammate would be diving into second base to attempt to break up a double play. Zaun also openly admits being on Jonathan Papelbon‘s side from his in-game dugout fight with Bryce Harper (although he says he would have done it privately).

Baseball is not a contact sport! Sorry to disappoint anyone who enjoys the few collisions the sport offered but the game is doing the right thing with the few new rule changes. Now if only the umpires can consistently make the right calls!

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