Atlanta Braves Morning Chop: ESPN, MLB Get it Wrong
Nick Markakis called out via Utley Rule after wide slide into second
ATLANTA — Major League Baseball’s new “Chase Utley Rule” cost the Atlanta Braves a baserunner in their 4-3, 10th-inning opening loss to the Washington Nationals.
Max Scherzer walked Nick Markakis to lead off the seventh inning Monday. On Hector Olivera‘s grounder to third base, Markakis slid wide into second base and upended Daniel Murphy after he took the throw from third baseman Anthony Rendon.
Murphy’s throw to first base was late, but Olivera was ruled out at first for the double play because the slide by Markakis took him too far inside the bag. The slide was ruled too wide, even though Markakis initially touched the bag. Murphy pointed to Markakis immediately after the play.
Ed. note: whoever wrote this didn’t really see the play in question. In case you missed it, here is a link to the video of the play involved.
This was not a case of sliding “wide“. With that kind of language, the writer seems to have you believe that Markakis did a full-on Chase Utley and wasn’t even aiming for second base. In fact, the reason we now have this new sliding rule is because Utley truly never actually slid on that play: he more-or-less tumbled into Miguel Tejada.
In this case, Markakis perfectly executed what we used to call a “hard slide”… and until February, that slide was legal. A genuine slide, spikes down, player in easy reach of the base, and it forces the fielder to “crow-hop” over the sliding runner. No problem, nobody gets hurt on these plays when they’re done correctly. This was textbook. Well, except for Daniel Murphy’s crow-hop, perhaps.
Except now it’s illegal. It’s illegal because Markakis’ effort and momentum carried him about four feet past the second base bag. Seems that this new rule – which Fred discussed at length as it was rolled out this year – includes the phrase “bona-fide attempt to reach and remain on the base”.
The thrust of the new rule – as Fred pointed out strongly – was to prevent runners from either (a) leaving the baseline to go after a fielder; or (b) changing their path to do so. But even so, Fred indicated that it didn’t seem to be much of an actual change in the rule.
Guess again. Markakis did everything right – even under the new rule – except for that last bit… the “remain on the base” clause.
While that phrase is in the rule, it’s apparent that Markakis wasn’t fully aware of it, as he requested an explanation from the umpire.
I am for anything that reduces injury… but if this is how the rule is to be implemented, then I believe you’re going to end up with one of two results this season:
- Runners will have to slide earlier so that they end their slides at second base and not beyond… which will certainly add to their travel time in reaching the base at all. Or…
- Runners will do what they’ve always done, but now – to avoid having their teammates automatically called out at first base – they will dig in and do everything possible to stop early.
I’ll be waiting to see which player is the first to break an ankle from cutting a slide too short in an effort to implement this rule.
Frankly, this should not have been a hard rule to write – or interpret: if a player is (a) out of the baseline, (b) going in with spikes up toward a fielder or (c) barreling in with the “roll block”, then yes – he’s interfered. But a genuine slide – like Markakis did yesterday – should not be penalized.
Baseball wasn’t content to change up the game years ago by putting in a rule to modify how runners behave between home plate and first base (must stay in the running lane – even though first base isn’t in the lane). They now have expanded around the diamond. The Posey Rule is still subject to interpretation for plays at home. The Utley Rule now finishes the job – adding requirements for second and third base.
I’ll just add this to my list of common sense detachments that baseball has written into law.