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Atlanta Braves and MLB Having A Hard Time Adjusting To New Slide Rule

By Jeff Schafer

Apr 4, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy (20) is taken out by a slide by Atlanta Braves right fielder Nick Markakis (22) after turning a double play during the seventh inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 4, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy (20) is taken out by a slide by Atlanta Braves right fielder Nick Markakis (22) after turning a double play during the seventh inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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New Slide Rule Causing Havoc With MLB Teams

We’ve seen the new “slide rule” appear twice now in the first four days of the 2016 MLB season.  The first was when Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Markakis slid into Daniel Murphy in the 7th inning of their opening game.  The second time was when Jose Bautista slid into second baseman Logan Forsythe.  Bautista was called out following an umpire review of the play, that ultimately ended the game.

The so-called Chase Utley rule has caused quite the stir this week.  Utley made an awful attempt to slide into second base during the 2015 NLDS and broke Ruben Tejada‘s leg.

With the new rule for the 2016 season, teams are having a hard time adjusting to MLB’s new slide rule.  Rightfully so, guys who have played the game their entire lives have been thrown a huge curveball and it may slip your mind when in the heat of the game.

Sporting New’s MLB writer Jesse Spector talks about this subject…

Under the new rule 6.01(j) runners have to make a “bona fide slide,” which involves contact with the ground before reaching the base, attempting to reach the base with a hand or foot, and being able to remain on the bag at the completion of the slide.

Though both players made an attempt to slide before the bag, the issue with both plays were that the players slid past the bag…well, and JoeyBats grabbed Forsythe’s ankle.  The strange part is that Bautista still feels as though he didn’t do anything wrong.

"“I feel like I respected the rule,” Bautista said after the game.  “I feel like it was an absolutely clean slide.  It’s disappointing and somewhat embarrassing to lose a major league baseball game (like this).  There’s so much at stake every single day here.  We put so much hard work and dedication into this.  We grow up playing the game a certain way, since we were little kids.  All of a sudden, to have everything taken away…I don’t know, it’s strange.  I felt like I was still in those boundaries.  Player safety should always be a big concern.  I just don’t see how my play was unsafe.”"

If you haven’t seen the plays here they are…

So the MLB and umpires have had to enforce this rule twice already and this probably won’t be the last time.  I think teams and players needed these occurrences to happen to open eyes on this rule.  Once the smoke calms down, I’m thinking we won’t run into this too many times this season.

That’s my take, what’s yours?

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