Playoffs update: A broken leg leads to more debate!

Posted on October 11, 2015 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

With a runner on 2nd and 1 out and the Dodgers down by 1 run, Chase Utley was inserted as a pinch-hitter and promptly blooped a single to the outfield which sent the runner to 3rd.  Bartolo Colon had replaced Syndergaard and with runners on 3rd and 1st.  Kendrick hits a slow grounder behind 2nd base and Utley took out the shortstop Ruben Tejada and broke his leg. You can see it on the video:

http://m.mlb.com/video/v521590283/nymlad-gm2-dodgers-tie-game-after-hard-utley-slide/?game_pk=446246

After the game, the 1st question to Mets manager Terry Collins was about the play:

Hard to believe but Utley had taken out Tejada before, and 5 years ago on a Jayson Werth grounder, Chase Utley took out Ruben Tejada!

http://m.mlb.com/video/v12416779/nymphi-utley-slides-hard-into-tejada-at-second/?game_pk=446246

After the game, this was Utley’s response, “I was trying to put a body on the ball to break up a double play. You’re taught from a young age to try to break up double plays”.

David Wright after the play ended was seen with a stare into the Dodgers’ dugout had this to say after the game, “He’s a second baseman. If he wants guys sliding like that into him, then it’s perfectly fine.  He knows how to play the game. If he doesn’t mind guys coming in like that when he’s turning a double play, then we don’t have any problem with it. It’s a legal slide. It’s within the rules. But somebody is going to get hurt.”

How’s about this Tweet from Justin Upton.

Ian Desmond added clarity from his Tweeter on the rules on the play:

Desi correctly pointed out that the play was reviewable because Tejada never threw the ball to 1st base, and Mattingly confirmed in his post-game presser that he was immediately told by the umpire that there was no “neighborhood call” and he could challenge whether Tejada stepped on 2nd base which he clearly did not, and the call was over-turned and Utley was awarded 2nd base.

From last night, a strong reaction from Section222:

  • Section222 • 

    “That was totally a dirty slide by Utley. Worse than the Holliday slide that took out Scutaro. And a ridiculous outcome to call Utley safe. I get that it wasn’t the neighborhood play but the result is pretty hard to justify — and I’m rooting for the Dodgers in this game.”

 

Jerry Hairston makes a reference to Chess. Jerry took up for Utley but years ago had a problem with a similar play when it happened to him against the Diamondbacks:

This is the talk of baseball on a Sunday morning and will be covered in debate on ESPN’s Sports Reporters; however, feel free to debate it here.

And don’t forget to help Bryce win the 2015 Hank Aaron Award for the best hitter in the National League by voting for him on this page on the mlb web-site. You can vote up to 10 times a day thru Sunday, October 11 at 11:59pm.
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