A Look at Chase Utley's Controversial Slide and Others That Came Before It

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• published: 13 Oct 2015
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A Look at Chase Utley's Controversial Slide and Others That Came Before It A Look at Chase Utley's Controversial Slide and Others That Came Before It A Look at Chase Utley's Controversial Slide and Others That Came Before It A Look at Chase Utley's Controversial Slide and Others That Came Before It Major League Baseball suspended L.A. Dodgers infielder Chase Utley for two games after his slide broke N.Y. Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada's leg, igniting a controversy over what slides are considered “dirty.” The slide was in the bottom of the seventh inning in Saturday night's game, the second in the National League Division Series. Umpires at the time ruled it a legal play. "The determination of whether a base-runner has intentionally interfered with a player attempting to turn a double play is left to the judgment of the Umpire on the field, and that judgment call is not subject to review," MLB Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre said. "I should add that determining where to draw the line between an illegal slide and a legitimate hard play is an extremely difficult call for our Umpires." But Torre added, "After thoroughly reviewing the play from all conceivable angles, I have concluded that Mr. Utley's action warrants discipline." Utley was suspended for games 3 and 4. Utley's agent, Joel Wolfe, disagreed, saying Utley "did what all players are taught to do in this situation — break up the double play." 1. Pete Rose Utley's slide is a reminder of a decades-ago move involving another Mets player. In 1973, the Cincinnati Reds' Pete Rose ran into Mets shortstop Bud Harrelson while trying to break up a double play. It was game 3 of the National League Championship Series and sparked a huge fight between the two teams. 2. Brett Lawrie In April of this year, Brett Lawrie of the Oakland A's took out Kansas City Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar with a hard slide while breaking up a double play. Escobar was diagnosed with a sprained knee. 3. Chris Coghlan Just last month, Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Jung Ho Kang broke his leg and tore a ligament in his knee on a “clean” slide by Chris Coghlan of the Chicago Cubs. Coghlan slid into him while trying to break up a double play. Kang underwent surgery and was out for the season. Should the rules change? Tejada's broken leg this weekend has raised questions about safety and whether MLB fielders need protection from baserunners. New safety rules in the league have reduced the number of home-plate collisions to benefit catchers, but contact in other parts of the field remain a concern for many. "They protect the catcher," Houston Astros rookie shortstop Carlos Correa said, according to the Associated Press. "I think they should protect us middle infielders as well." But St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter said, according to the AP, "We're getting to the point now where it's like, are we going to wear shoulder pads when we play? I don't know. You never know how much is too much, changing the way the game is meant to be played." The Dodgers and Mets are tied in the NL Division Series. Game 3 is scheduled for tonight at Citi Field in New York.