Oct 10, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; New York Mets shortstop
Ruben Tejada(11) is carted off the field after a collision at second base during the seventh inning in game two of the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Last night Chase Utley violated two of the rules of the game. As a result of that Ruben Tejada has a broken fibula, Utley was awarded second base and the Dodgers won a game. Why were they rewarded? Because the umpires failed to enforce the rules.
A Personal Apology
First and apology for bad fact checking. Two weeks ago I wrote a piece about Jung Ho Kang being injured because of a bad slide. In that piece I quoted Rule 6.02 m and rule 7.09 (e) (f) and (g). Those rules were correct until this season when MLB removed them in what I suppose was a general cleanup of the rules after the introduction of the Posey rule.
I only found this out after I tried to link the rule and found the new version instead I have corrected that post and if you haven’t already I hope you’ll read it. The new rule is worded differently but the intent is still the same. That does not however excuse my failure to make sure I was using the latest version of the rules and for that I apologize.
Utley’s Slide Was Still A Rule Violation
MLB replaced the aforementioned rules with these two newly written rules.
Rule 5.09 replaced the rule I used predominantly in my previous post 6.05m.
"5.09 Making an Out (a) (6.05) Retiring the Batter A batter is out when: (13) A preceding runner shall, in the umpire’s judgment, intentionally interfere with a fielder who is attempting to catch a thrown ball or to throw a ball in an attempt to complete any play; Rule 5.09(a)(13) Comment (Rule 6.05(m) Comment): The objective of this rule is to penalize the offensive team for deliberate, unwarranted, unsportsmanlike action by the runner in leaving the baseline for the obvious purpose of crashing the pivot man on a double play, rather than trying to reach the base. Obviously this is an umpire’s judgment play"
Rule 7.09 cited above was replaced with Rule 6.01
"6.00–IMPROPER PLAY, ILLEGAL ACTION, AND MISCONDUCT 6.01 Interference, Obstruction, and Catcher Collisions (a)(7.09) Batter or Runner Interference It is interference by a batter or a runner when: (5) Any batter or runner who has just been put out, or any runner who has just scored, hinders or impedes any following play being made on a runner. Such runner shall be declared out for the interference of his teammate; (6) If, in the judgment of the umpire, a base runner willfully and deliberately interferes with a batted ball or a fielder in the act of fielding a batted ball with the obvious intent to break up a double play, the ball is dead. The umpire shall call the runner out for interference and also call out the batter-runner because of the action of his teammate. In no event may bases be run or runs scored because of such action by a runner; (7) If, in the judgment of the umpire, a batter-runner willfully and deliberately interferes with a batted ball or a fielder in the act of fielding a batted ball, with the obvious intent to break up a double play, the ball is dead; the umpire shall call the batter-runner out for interference and shall call out the runner who had advanced closest to the home plate regardless where the double play might have been possible. In no event shall bases be run because of such interference;"
I’m not sure how anyone watching last night – particularly the umpire at second base – missed the fact that Utley deviated from the baseline deliberately to crash into Tejada rather than try to reach the base. In case you missed it here’s the MLB video.
I’m not going to spend too much time on this incident but the official MLB response is interesting. if disgustingly political.