Gus McGee, Tyler Wilson AoW: MLB Intentional Sliding
1. What is your opinion on intentional sliding?
2. What makes a takeout slide intentional?
3. What rules/punishments should be implemented for players who intentionally try to injure other players be? What should the MLB do about this to prevent it from happening again?
Personally, I think intentionally sliding is not bad if the player is sliding directly towards the base. As Long as the player stays on the base path and slides it is okay to intentionally slide to break up the play because the second baseman/shortstop is in the way of the runner. However, I don't think it's okay for players to slide outside on the basepath to break up the play. This is first of all very unnecessary and second of all it leads to many injuries and fights that could very well be avoided. What makes a takeout slide intentional depends on two things. The first thing is if the player is already out before the slide if he still slides after he is called out then I believe that it's intentional. The other way I believe a slide is intentional is if the player slides way out of the basepath. This makes it very obvious that a runner was planning on taking out a player. I think there is no way to punish this type of play. There is a way too much gray area and usually not enough evidence to prove whether it was intentional or not. If there was no gray area, I think an ejection and a one-game suspension would be a fair punishment for a player who tries to take out another player
ReplyDeleteIntentional sliding is kind of an important part of baseball. It can break up a double play by making the fielder off balance. However, there is a safe way and unsafe way to do this. Sliding spikes down for the most part is safe as long as it is directed at the base and not at the fielder. This still may break up the play without putting the fielder in harms way. But when a slide is made at a fielder spikes down or spikes up it is not safe. The fielder could sprain his ankle, be stabbed, or worse. Safety is one of the biggest problems in sports today. If players can't figure out how to safely break up a double play by sliding than there should be a rule change in baseball. But if everyone can walk away from the situation unharmed than the break up slide can still be used in today's baseball.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the rules, Tyler Austin's slide was illegal. He slid past the base, which with the new rule change is now illegal (runners who slide into second to break up a double play must be able to maintain contact throughout the slide and not pass it). However, I do not think that this was the worst part of the slide. Although it is technically not illegal, it is an unwritten rule of the game that if you slide with your spikes elevated then you're trying to pick a fight. If I were Brock Holt, I would not have taken kindly to that aspect of the slide and probably let the runner know similarly to what Brock Holt did. All of this being said, I do believe that the MLB has gone way too far to protect player safety. Speaking as a shortstop myself, I wish players would be able to take out middle infielders and run over catchers like they used to be able to. Click here to see what I'm talking about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIiYw53nGd0. If a runner does decide to slide maliciously, though, the middle infielder should be allowed to retaliate. One thing that I think everybody fails to mention about this topic is that infielders are taught how to avoid slides. The vast majority of the time that somebody gets hurt at second base, it is at least partially because the infielder had poor footwork to get out of the way. Take Ruben Tejada's injury in the 2015 NLCS as an example. On balls up the middle, shortstops are taught to catch the ball with their left foot on the base and then drop step with their right as they receive the ball to avoid the slide and throw to first. Ruben Tejada tagged the base with his right foot, leaving himself in a very vulnerable position to be taken out. Chase Utley did not do anything wrong. In conclusion, runners should freely be able to take out middle infielders as long as they can at some point during their slide touch second base, but the neighbourhood rule should be reinstated and infielders should be allowed to retaliate (they even teach us manoeuvres where we intentionally land spikes first on top of the runner).
ReplyDeleteI dont know much about baseball so I had to do some research but from what I've read I think that the slide that Tyler Austin did was foulplay just by reading and looking at the rule book because of him sliding past the base. Could the guy that Tyler Austin slid into jump out of the way? Is it his job to get out of the way of a slide or not...I'm not sure. I feel as though intentional sliding is a part of the game to get to a base faster and confirm safety. Punishments for intentionally sliding and injuring someone should be a hefty suspension but how do you judge if it was intentional to hurt someone... its nearly impossible.
ReplyDeleteIntentional sliding is not ok. Purposely attempting to injure players demeans the positive attitude of sports as a whole. Austin's slide was malicious. I looked at the play and I feel it was intentional. A professional player knows better than to slide like that, and if they truly don't, they should not be on the field. You can see Austin aiming for Holt's leg. It was dirty. Intentionally trying to hurt players is one of the least sportsmanlike and scummy things a player can do. In my opinion (and I know little to nothing about baseball), a slide is intentional when it is loosely directed at the base, and when the spikes are up. Even if a player unintentionally does this, they should still be punished. The MLB should penalize players who are intentionally sliding personally, and players who maliciously slide should be considered "out," and not be able to continue until their next at-bat or the next inning.
ReplyDeleteI think that sliding plays a huge role in how baseball is played. Sliding is a very important technique for any good baseball player to master. It allows a player to reach the base without having to slow down. I think that even though there are definitely some risks associated with sliding, there are not enough injuries to ban sliding. I think that every slide should be considered intentional unless the player had been tripped. However, if a player intentionally slides into another player with the intention of hurting another, then said player should receive some type of penalty. This is the only thing that I think should be implemented for players that intentionally slide, I do not think that they should create any rules about intentional sliding.
ReplyDeleteWhile intentional sliding has been allowed in the past I think it is important for us to crack down on a potentially very dangerous practice within the sport itself. while looking at Tyler Austins slide it can be deemed illegal with the new rule as he clearly went over the base looking to nail holt. In the replay in my opinion I feel as though it is safe to say the play had malicious intent as Austin went in studs up aiming for holts leg. Austin was not only trying to stop the double play but was also trying to injure holt in the process. I do not play baseball but In soccer I know that a studs up tackle is a straight red resulting in being ejected with a follow up of so sort of suspension. I believe that it should be no different in baseball if a player is trying to injure someone else with a slide like that.
ReplyDeleteI think that intentional sliding plays a big roll in baseball. It is a technique that has been perfected for so many years to benefit runners. Sliding serves multiple purposes; it helps runners avoid being tagged and it slows them down so they don’t overshoot the base. This makes fielders have to take more time to make better throws for the second or third baseman to tag runners on the ground, preventing double plays as well and making it harder to get outs. Sliding can be very effective, however, I do believe that some slides are unnecessary and players should be punished for intentionally trying to injure other players. For example, Tyler Austin’s slide was dangerous because he slid past the base with his spikes up and cut Holt’s calf. In other obvious situations where players slide far past the base or go out of the base line to injure fielders, players should have consequences. If it is unclear if a player intentionally slides to injure another player and the players are fine, I do not believe there should be any consequences interrupting the game and they players can move on like Holt did.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the history of baseball I believe that there has been a problem of intentional sliding with the intent to harm another player or to get into the way of them as well. I think that for many years before there were rules or calls made to prevent this from happening, intentionally sliding was used as a strategy to break up a double play or a play at a base. It could help make the baseman either drop the ball or come off the bag when someone slid in. Although in today's game it is still used partially with that intent, I also think in some cases it can be done in a more malicious manner. For example, rather than just trying to break up the double play, the runner slid in with his cleat up or slid out of the way of the base path to hit an opponent to prevent them from either catching or throwing the ball. in my opinion i believe that intentional sliding should be outlawed and enforced more strictly than it is now because this kind of play is wrong and in ways dirty and worst of all results in injuries in some cases. The league should take action and implement rules that punish a slider, whether it be a fine or ejection, to reduce the amount of occurrences in the future.
ReplyDeleteI think intentional sliding should have a consequence. Anytime a player intentional tries to hurt another player they should be penalized.In my opinion a takeout slide is intentional because they are trying to take out another player. Even if it helps break up a play it is not a natural part of how baseball should be played. Players should be fined, thrown out the game, and depending on how bad/ frequently the player has committed the intentional slide further action should take place.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion on intentional sliding is that it should be allowed as long as the person does slide into the base, but if the basemen happens to be in the way then it is ok. What makes an intentional slide intentional is when a runner hits the basemen when the basemen is not actually on the base but is outside of it. I think that a player should be ejected and receive a one game suspension, and I think the league needs to implement a rule on deciding whether or not a slide is in fact intentional.
ReplyDeleteIntentionally sliding is an awful idea for the MLB because it causes so many injuries to fielders who aren't expecting the runners to miss the bag by a foot and take out their legs. It has no reason to be allowed in the league and players who perform this dirty play should be fined and/or suspended. I think a slide is intentionally malicious when the players target is clearly not the bag, and instead is the baseman's legs. When a runner slides so late that his butt hits the bag and his feet take out the opposing players feet, then that is intentionally sliding at the player, not the bag. Or when a runner slides 1-2 feet to the side of the bag just to go for the fielders feet is also a good example of a runner intentionally going for the player and not the bag. I believe players, without a doubt, should be fined and/or suspended for actions such as this because that is not what baseball is. These players train for hours a day and definitely know how to slide correctly so it is obvious that this rule is being bent for the worse.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI believe that intentional sliding is just a part of baseball. It can break up a double play by making the fielder off balance which can be huge for the batting team. I do not think most players try intentionally to hurt other players when performing a takeout slide, rather the risky maneuver just leads to many accidental injuries. I believe that if the MLB wants to cut down on the injuries, the rules of a takeout slide need to be enforced. According to the rules, Tyler Austin's slide was illegal. He slid past the base, which with the new rule change is now illegal (runners who slide into second to break up a double play must be able to maintain contact throughout the slide and not pass it). If the MLB wants to protect players, then they should punish slides like Austin’s so players start to learn not to do that.
The MLB should do everything possible to take intentional sliding out of baseball. Not only is it dangerous but it sets a very bad example for young players. I think that in any sport, any action taken with the intent of injuring another player should result an at least an ejection, if not further punishment. Although this slide luckily did not result in any injury, slides similar to it have in the past, such as the slide the broke Ruben Tejada's leg a few years back. It is pretty easy to see whether or not a takeout slide is intentional, and this clearly was. He slid late and passed the base, clearly trying to take out the man on second and break up the play. I think players should be ejected from the game if they intentionally slide into someone. It is dangerous and could not only end someones season but could end someones carer if you injure someone seriously enough. Additionally, I think that if the slide is very bad, players should be further suspended and fined.
ReplyDeleteI believe that intentional sliding should be deemed illegal in professional baseball. While it can be used as a legitimate technique to break up a double play, it can also be used to intentionally injure other players. This issue with this is that it is very difficult to tell the difference between the two and consequentially punish a player for their malicious intentions. While you can use small specs of the slide itself, such as the direction of the sliders spikes, to determine if the slide is intentionally injuring another person, the small parts are not very concrete grounds for punishment. Because of this, all intentional slides should be illegal. This would not only eliminate the risk of injuries, but it would also minimize the room for discrepancies and inconsistencies in rulings on such plays.
ReplyDeleteI think that intentional sliding is a dirty trick that runners use to gain an upper hand on basemen. Sliding unintentionally however is a perfectly fine as long as there intent to hurt another player. A takeout side is intentional only if the baseman is knocked down or hurt by the sliding player. I think the resulting punishment for players who do slide intentionally, and do end up hurting their opponents should be suspended for at least one game. I think the players punishment should be varied upon the severity of the basemans injuries.
ReplyDeleteI believe that intentional sliding is something that is not done on purpose. this is because the player is trying to get to the base and be safe 90 percent of the time. Also when a player is sliding a lot of the time another player is right over the base so they can't get into it and then it ends up looking like they intentionally slid into the player to either try and hurt them or get them to drop the ball. But all and all i don't think that these professionally athletes are trying to hurt each other because they all love the game and they are just trying to do their job and when both of them are trying to do this it sometimes ends up in a conflict.
ReplyDeleteComing from a background of baseball and softball, I feel as though intentional sliding would be extremely detrimental to the game. Not only would it increase the risk of injury, but it would completely change the morality behind the sport and the way it's been played for years. The game would become more driven by competitive anger and more risks would be taken. It would also change the rule book, therefore forcing the umps to learn new things. Because of the grey area that is already there when considering the intent of a slide, making it legal would only increase the negative aspects that are already referenced with it. To prevent it from happening again, there should be a new rule implemented that regards the placement of an infielder on the bag/where he should be allowed to stand. Therefore, if he were to get hurt, the intention would be more obvious, allowing an easier decision from the umps/refs.
ReplyDelete