It was a double fucking play

[Centerfield]

From David Schoenfeld's article on ESPN:

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/64132/the-slide-that-ruined-everybodys-night-except-the-dodgers

Rule 6.05 reads:

A batter is out when --

(m) 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 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.

Was Utley trying to reach the base? No. Did he leave the baseline? Yes? Was it deliberate, unwarranted and unsportsmanlike? Yes. CALL THE RULE. IT'S ALREADY ON THE BOOKS.

Or you can use Rule 7.09:

It is interference by a batter or a runner when --

(e) 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.

Deliberately and willfully? Again, yes. CALL THE RULE. IT'S ALREADY ON THE BOOKS.

[Guest El Segundo Escupidor]

Hi I'm Doug Glanville, I played for the Phillies and I'm a twat. I became a twat when I played on a team full of twats. I get paid for being a twat. This makes me the luckiest twat in the world.

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/64112/saturdays-top-5-the-slide-heard-round-the-baseball-world

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

[Centerfield]

I don't know who that is between Wright and Utley, but he has a close up look at David's giant balls. Go David.

I slept like crap. I can't remember ever being more mad about something that happened in baseball.

Heartbroken, sure. Even sad. But as mad as I get watching the game it never takes me more than a few minutes to calm down.

8 hours later and I'm still fuming. That play was wrong on so many levels. It should have been a DP and Utley should have been fucking ejected with a suspension following today.

[Guest El Segundo Escupidor]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote:

"I'll show you Norfolk, VA, right here, motherfucker."

Centerfield wrote: I don't know who that is between Wright and Utley, but he has a close up look at David's giant balls. Go David. I slept like crap. I can't remember ever being more mad about something that happened in baseball. Heartbroken, sure. Even sad. But as mad as I get watching the game it never takes me more than a few minutes to calm down. 8 hours later and I'm still fuming. That play was wrong on so many levels. It should have been a DP and Utley should have been fucking ejected with a suspension following today.

For me, this is second worst playoff loss that hasn't involved elimination behind Game 1 of the 2000 World Series.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Utley's slide was way over the top but that was the kind of play we called "a hospital play" in frisbee. Even a "clean" slide might have injured Tejada with his back turned and twisting blindly like that. You wonder if Muffy feels some remorse.

To me the crime was what happened after the play. Wrong on every level.

[Centerfield]

Author is garbage and always will be. I'm pissed at the gutless umps, both on the field and in NY, who didn't have the balls to call interference.

Utley admitted his goal was to out a body on Tejada. This is why he ran right past the bag. That is, by rule, interference.

[Guest cooby]

https://www.change.org/p/major-league-baseball-suspend-chase-utley?recruiter=false&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=share_twitter_responsive

[Guest d'Kong76]

Now that the smoke has cleared and everyone has chimed in I really
don't see how MLB cannot discipline Mr. Utley. If they don't, it's just
another chunk of bat shard disguised as a ball being swept under rug
and MLB can go fuck itself.

[ashie62]

I am guessing Utley gets fined at that's it.

[Frayed Knot]

Meanwhile, five years plus 17 days ago

[Guest d'Kong76]

Ashie62 wrote: I am guessing Utley gets fined at that's it.

I don't care what the discipline is, just don't want it swept under
the rug. I'm not anti-roughhousing in baseball by any stretch. But
if you're going to be a dick about it, you should pay for it somehow.

[Valadius]

Centerfield wrote: I don't know who that is between Wright and Utley, but he has a close up look at David's giant balls. Go David. I slept like crap. I can't remember ever being more mad about something that happened in baseball. Heartbroken, sure. Even sad. But as mad as I get watching the game it never takes me more than a few minutes to calm down. 8 hours later and I'm still fuming. That play was wrong on so many levels. It should have been a DP and Utley should have been fucking ejected with a suspension following today.

Right there with you. I probably finally fell asleep at 3. I've never been this angry about a play in my life.

[Edgy MD]

There's also the problematic execution. It seems that Colon working the guy away and he pulls one to the left of the bag, Tejada should have been the one in position to make the play. Good job by Murphy getting to it, but he deletes that by feeding a shovel throw when he's too far away from the bag to lead Tejada with a shovel throw. Tejada is forced to reach behind him to take the feed, making the double-play impossible (though he seemed to be hoping to execute some sort of mad pirouette), and exposing his blind side, leading to disaster.

[Edgy MD]

[fimg=600:255faqby]https://metsinpeace.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/screen-shot-2015-10-11-at-5-21-57-pm.png[/fimg:255faqby]

[Guest d'Kong76]

Utley: I thought his leg was the base.
Torre: Oh ok, that sounds reasonable.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I had to work brunch early this AM, and I didn't fall asleep until after 2, and that was after another bourbon.

It should probably be comforting that virtually every neutral observer seems similarly disgusted, each to varying degree. But frankly, the near-universal sympathy almost makes it worse, in a way... it underscores the egregiousness of it all.

[Frayed Knot]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: But frankly, the near-universal sympathy almost makes it worse, in a way... it underscores the egregiousness of it all.

Right! Like if the fry-chef, the check-out girl, and the priest all knew it was fucked up, why didn't six umpires?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Not to mention the butcher, the baker, and the people on the streets.

[Edgy MD]

But strangely, not the Hall of Fame Iron Man shortstop with a national youth baseball league named after him.

[metsmarathon]

Utley was just suspended 2 games for his illegal slide. Which will probably ensure that utley'sconcussion lifespan exceeds 2 more days.

Say, if the slide was illegal... How the ever living fuck was he safe!?

[Guest d'Kong76]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Not to mention the butcher, the baker, and the people on the streets.

Where do they go? To meet the Mets!!!
Two game suspension is a little severe, but the powers that be
got a lot of media heat today.

[Frayed Knot]

metsmarathon wrote: Utley was just suspended 2 games for his illegal slide.

Conveniently the length of the remainder of the Dodgers' season.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

d'Kong76 wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: Not to mention the butcher, the baker, and the people on the streets. Where do they go? To meet the Mets!!! Two game suspension is a little severe, but the powers that be got a lot of media heat today.

It's nothing. They fucked the play up so badly it ruined the whole series. Utley isn;t the only one who ought to be paying a price.

[Frayed Knot]

�After thoroughly reviewing the play from all conceivable angles, I have concluded that Mr. Utley�s action warrants discipline,� Joe Torre said.
�While I sincerely believe that Mr. Utley had no intention of injuring Ruben Tejada, and was attempting to help his Club in a critical situation, I believe his slide was in violation of Official Baseball Rule 5.09(a)(13), which is designed to protect fielders from precisely this type of rolling block that occurs away from the base.�

Utley, however, can appeal the suspension. If he appeals, the release says, the discipline will be postponed until the �process is complete.�



So Joe, had the short-stop's name been 'Jeter' how many months would he have been suspended?

[Guest d'Kong76]

I'm trying to be postive, let's take these two home games
and run with them and advance NOW!!!

[Centerfield]

Now suspend the umpire and the replay crew for not having the balls to make the right call. Fuck them.

[Fman99]

During the Jays game they've announced Utley is going to appeal the suspension. Well, of course he is.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Fman99 wrote: During the Jays game they've announced Utley is going to appeal the suspension. Well, of course he is.

MLB is going to be like "Dumbass, the only reason we're doing this is to protect you. Enjoy your paid vacation."

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Utley was just suspended 2 games for his illegal slide. Which will probably ensure that utley'sconcussion lifespan exceeds 2 more days. Say, if the slide was illegal... How the ever living fuck was he safe!?

CORRECTION: How wasn't it a double play, then?

Again, what should be a balm, feeling like a backhanded slap in the figurative balls.

Centerfield wrote: Now suspend the umpire and the replay crew for not having the balls to make the right call. Fuck them.

No, just award the DP, and retroactively give the Mets the win. That's the way it would have played out, had you made the right call, no, blue?