Saw this on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuXhCn_ORRw/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

This was game two of the 2015 NLDS. New York ended up winning the series 3-2 and went to the World Series.

Couple things:

  1. We’ve all watched this play a hundred times. Not sure if Tejada can even avoid turning there. The ball is scooped and thrown behind him, so it would have been a pretty athletic play to side step against his momentum and throw to first.
  2. Chase has been on the record talking about this plenty of times before. He’s called it an “unfortunate” play and said there was nothing intentional about it. He’s also said that he tried to let up a bit once he saw that the contact was going to be harder than he thought.
  3. The discussion here in Philly always seemed to center around the distinction between playing hard and playing dirty. At that point in time, breaking up a double play was the routine thing you did in that situation.
  4. Obviously RAJ is gonna go to bat for one of his former players.


This play resulted in a ban on rolling block slides the following season. MLB and the players’ union got together to determine that runners must attempt “bona fide” slides, which essentially meant you need to hit the ground ahead of the base or reach with a foot or hand. You would be called out if you diverted your path in an effort to clatter into a fielder, or if you had your spikes too high in the air.

At the time, Utley was suspended two games, but appealed and remained active for the rest of the series. Ultimately MLB dropped the suspension because it was determined that he had not violated any rules. He was ruled safe on the play despite not touching the bag.