Bringing it all together
So let me get this straight, a throw in route to first base hits Freddie Freeman’s finger as he’s sliding into second and both runners are declared out but Chris Coghlan’s intentional slide shown below isn’t. Why, because the umpire didn’t think it was intentional?
"Neither is Jedd Gyrko’s slide in this game against the Mariners, presumably because no one was injured."
Even though Gyrko is clearly sliding at the player and not the base.
Sceencap for the MLB Video shown above by Fred Owens
And of course there’s the infamous Chase Utley slide.
Screen cap of Chae Utley slide into Jedd Gyrko
Oh wait that wasn’t the infamous one, this was.
Screen cap of the Utley slide into Ruben Tejada from the above video
In every case the player sliding in to second and his manager said the purpose was to break up the double play by forcing the defender to make a bad throw. In other words the player was not trying to reach the base safely but to hinder a fielder attempting to make a play on a batted ball. In no case was the runner within the 3 foot wide extension of the baseline – no, having his head and arms in that area does not count when the intent is to contact the defender. In none of these instances was the runner touching the base and in every case a collision was the probable outcome and severe injury a possibility.
In football clipping is the act of a “throwing the body across the back of the leg of an eligible receiver or charging or falling into the back of an opponent below the waist after approaching him from behind. It is prohibited because it has the potential to cause damage to the knees including collateral and cruciate ligaments and meniscus as well as to the hips and back. The NCAA banned clipping in 1916 but baseball still allows it even though there are rules in place to prevent 99% o rmore of collisions that would be considered clipping. Why?
This isn’t about Utely, Coghlan, or any of the other players who make these slides every year. I don’t believe any are intending to do harm to a fellow player. It’s about a system where the rules are bent a little bit, then a little bit more and a little bit more, until the rule is completely ignored. That’s down to the failure of MLB to enforce the rules.
Conclusions
Information gathering is spin for convincing the owners that they need to enforce the rules. The data – or information – is clear sliding anywhere but towards the base is not an attempt to reach base safely, it is interference.
Even if there is no intent, if the runner isn’t touching his legally acquired base it is interference. . .unless the umpire decides it isn’t. When is it not when the runners aim at the defender after they have already been called out?
There is no need for a change in the rules, simply enforce the rules as they exist. Slide toward the base not the player, it is easy to tell the difference. If you are reaching for the base with your hand for any reason other than to avoid the tag while your feet and/or body are aimed at the defender it’s interference.
Enforcing the rules means that the neighborhood play is no longer a thing. It was created out of the need to protect middle infielders from runners hell bent on making contact with them even thought they have already been called out.
This is an easy fix, it is not a rule change and doesn’t need to be collectively bargained although there is no reason – none, nada, zip, zilch, zero – the MLBPA shouldn’t readily accept the decision to enforce the existing rules as it prevents their members from serious and potentially career ending injury.