New Slide Rules Under Discussion

Middle infielders have become targets because existing rules aren’t enforced. Graphic created by Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

MLB Gathering Information About Slides?

Joe Torre said during an interview that MLB is “gathering information” about a possible rule change.  Someone needs to clarify what information they need because it seems that the rules already forbid such slide – in several places – even if they move it around every year or so.

Herewith extracts from the official rules which seem to say the only thing needed in enforcement. The number in parenthesis after the current paragraph number is where this rule was in the 2014 rules.

"Offensive interference is an act by the team at bat which interferes with, obstructs, impedes, hinders or confuses any fielder attempting to make a play. If the umpire declares the batter, batter-runner, or a runner out for interference, all other runners shall return to the last base that was in the judgment of the umpire, legally touched at the time of the interference, unless otherwise provided by these rules."

This clearly says that doing anything on purpose to prevent a defender from completing a play is interference. Okay, I got it.

"Rule 5.09(a) (6.05m) A batter is out when:. . . Rule 5.09(a)(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."

Here we are told that the runner cannot intentionally interfere with a defender. Yep I got that too.

"Rule 5.09(b) (7.08) Retiring a Runner Any runner is out when: (1) He runs more than three feet away from his base path to avoid being tagged unless his action is to avoid interference with a fielder fielding a batted ball. A runner’s base path is established when the tag attempt occurs and is a straight line from the runner to the base he is attempting to reach safely;"