Utley Suspended for Games 3&4

[fan_since79]

Breaking: Utley will not be in the starting lineup tonight, even though he is eligible while his appeal is being heard.

 

Utley is hitting .333 lifetime vs Harvey (6-for-18). Kendrick is 1-6 against him.

[yk9001]

Utley turned around the game, quite possibly the series, the season, and the direction of the franchise.  It may well be the MVP play of the series.

 

He'd listen to you keyboard umpires all day, then say, "I'd do it again in a minute".

[mtangelsfan]

the ends justifies the means.

 

The basic problem with the country in a nutshell.

[floplag]

The ends do not justify the means, but when the ends happen every other day the selective outrage doesn't either... and that also is the problem with the country in a nutshell. 

[Angel Oracle]

If the slide was a normal one, instead of last second, that's one thing and perfectly clean.

You can't be doing that at the last second like that, AND at the same time come in high.

Edited October 12, 2015 by Angel Oracle

[Blarg]

The ends do not justify the means, but when the ends happen every other day the selective outrage doesn't either... and that also is the problem with the country in a nutshell.

flop you are entertaining but wrong. Not that MLB isn't wrong for not adressing this sooner but oft times something tragic gets more action than common sense.

[mtangelsfan]

When I was growing up in Seal Beach there was a stretch of PCH between Seal and Surfside that went over the wetlands.  It was curvy and people had said there should be a divider there for years.

 

Well, about 3 weeks after 3 teenagers were killed on that stretch the wall came up.  It wasn't right and it should have been done years earlier but I am still glad they put up the divider.

[yk9001]

the ends justifies the means.

 

The basic problem with the country in a nutshell.

 

it was so outrageous a play, that the umps (and the mlb office in NY) actually reversed an out call, and brought him back to second base.

[yk9001]

btw, dummy Met shortstop:

 

Dont do a frigging pirouette over second base when you KNOW the runner is coming in hard.

[yk9001]

When I was growing up in Seal Beach there was a stretch of PCH between Seal and Surfside that went over the wetlands.  It was curvy and people had said there should be a divider there for years.

 

Well, about 3 weeks after 3 teenagers were killed on that stretch the wall came up.  It wasn't right and it should have been done years earlier but I am still glad they put up the divider.

 

Were the teens speeding?  Drunk?  Distracted?

[Adam]

hardcore badass baseball. Sucks the dude got hurt. Pretty flukey he did. I feel like this is mostly reaction to the result not the play. 

[floplag]

flop you are entertaining but wrong. Not that MLB isn't wrong for not adressing this sooner but oft times something tragic gets more action than common sense.

 

Right or wrong in this case is 100% opinion, not fact.  

The fact is that the play is commonplace and happens virtually every day in MLB in some form.  The rest is opinion. 

[yk9001]

Idiot could have broken his leg if Utley was coming in at half speed.  He was facing the centerfield wall when Utley came through.

 

#notsmart

#itstheplayoffsdummy

[Blarg]

Right or wrong in this case is 100% opinion, not fact.

The fact is that the play is commonplace and happens virtually every day in MLB in some form. The rest is opinion.

The play is common place, the way Utley performed it wasn't. I think that is where we disagree. I fully support Utley getting suspended for blindsiding a player and would have been supportive of Odor being suspended for intentionally spiking Giavotella because that is the correct reaction to this kind of behavior.

[floplag]

The play is common place, the way Utley performed it wasn't. I think that is where we disagree. I fully support Utley getting suspended for blindsiding a player and would have been supportive of Odor being suspended for intentionally spiking Giavotella because that is the correct reaction to this kind of behavior.

 

I've seen waaaaaay too many images in the last 24 hours of similar plays to agree with you there.    Like I said, opinion. 

[gotbeer]

Interesting piece.  They delve into this topic since the Holliday incident.  Even goes back to a 2010 Utley slide.  Looks like this site has been talking about the take out slide for years.  With articles attached to past articles about this type of slide.  I just got to the Utley article, and looks like there is more.

 

http://thebaseballcodes.com/category/slide-properly/

Edited October 12, 2015 by gotbeer

[HaloMilliVanilli]

Tejada shouldn't have been trying to make that throw, especially from that place.  His priority should've been to get the forceout and get the hell out of the area.  That is a hardnosed, old-school takeout by Utley.  If MLB wants to look at it and change the ruling re: slides in the area of second base, that's fine.  And if they change it, that's fine too.  But if you're a SS and I'm the runner barreling down the line, you better know I'm taking you out so don't be lolligagging and make self-preservation your #2 priority after getting the forceout.

 

Tejada kind of reminded me of some dude wading waste deep into the ocean, staring at the sand and waving at his girlfriend.......and then getting plowed over by a wave.  He had to have known it was coming and needs to be more aware.  I know it's not the popular opinion but I'm sticking to it.  The shortstop has every right to leave his feet to avoid me....and land full force on me, even cleating me if that's what happens.  Second base is a warzone.

[Blarg]

I've seen waaaaaay too many images in the last 24 hours of similar plays to agree with you there. Like I said, opinion.

I guess you are desensitized to what is wrong in the sport and needs correction.

[yk9001]

Interesting piece.  They delve into this topic since the Holliday incident.  Even goes back to a 2010 Utley slide.  Looks like this site has been talking about the take out slide for years.  With articles attached to past articles about this type of slide.  I just got to the Utley article, and looks like there is more.

 

http://thebaseballcodes.com/category/slide-properly/

 

That was a great link, thanks.

 

Check out this one

 

 

I am assuming this is the 1972 World Series (looks like the Reds and A's, there are football llines.

 

I can't figure out who the Red is.

[Blarg]

HaloWHAM, Tejada had cleared the base so his was the correct part of the play. Had he stood behind second then a carryover slide by the runner is justified but Utley had to go out of his way, never touched second base and plowed him. This was not a second baseman making a fielding error.

[HaloMilliVanilli]

That was a great link, thanks.

 

Check out this one

 

 

I am assuming this is the 1972 World Series (looks like the Reds and A's, there are football llines.

 

I can't figure out who the Red is.

Looks like Joe Morgan.

[floplag]

I guess you are desensitized to what is wrong in the sport and needs correction.

 

Of course you would assume me to be a bad person for disagreeing but i could just as easily assume you are being overly sensitive about it and it would still be opinion, not fact 

[Glen]

That was a great link, thanks.

Check out this one

I am assuming this is the 1972 World Series (looks like the Reds and A's, there are football llines.

I can't figure out who the Red is.

That's just stupid. Baseball isn't football.

[Inside Pitch]

You play to win the game. It's no different than Weaver plunking someone.

 

Weaver plunkings are like playing patty cake, not baseball.

[Mark68]

Utley wasn't even in the same ZIP code as 2nd base. Then he went all soccer player and flopped down when TEJADA HAD ALREADY CLEARED THE BASEPATH. If you think this was a clean play, then, I'm sorry, you're blind or stupid.

 

This is not a play that happens every day, far from it. It would be understandable if Utley was trying to make a swipe tag at second but slid (SLID--NOT FLOPPED) toward Tejada, as this would be a solid attempt at breaking up the double play.

 

The fact that Utley flopped down, that he was nowhere near close enough to even touch second, and that he clearly had designs at knocking Tejada out of the play (maybe not breaking his leg--but that is clearly one of the possible outcomes of his play).

 

This was a bush league play. Period. Utley is a bush league player, and should have been suspended for the rest of the series (at least). There is no place for chop-blocking in the NFL and there is certainly no place for it in baseball...for this very reason.