I think his suspension should last as long as Tejada’s out.
I agree, garland. I hope the league rules on his appeal before the game. Although I’d love to hear how Mets fans respond to Utley, I don’t think he should be allowed to play. He’s also had success against Harvey, so if he’s allowed to play, it’s as if the league is saying they want the Dodgers to win. The umps helped the Dodgers win game 2 with their non-ruling, so I hope the league doesn’t give them an advantage in game 3 by allowing Utley to play.
musicprnt, you perplex me. You don’t like an aggressive slide into second to break up a double play, but you do advocate a 100 mph fastball to the head as payback?
^Huge Mets fan here, and I do not approve that message. Yikes! Just keep him out of baseball. He’s a goon, he’s always been a goon, and it’s perplexing how under the radar he’s flown in that respect.
@youdon’tsay:
What I don’t like is the inconsistency of baseball rules, for example, if a pitcher hits someone and the umps think it is deliberate, they immediately warn both benches, so what they have done is given the first pitcher to hit someone a free reign to do so. Likewise, while I am glad they are suspending Utley, in the case in question where it was clear to everyone but the umps on the field Utley was not focused on getting to second base but rather in taking out Tejada, he never even attempted to get to the bag (and don’t give me the drivel that he heard the ump call him out, if you watch the replay he never even attempts to touch the bag).
In 2007, on a similar play, Marlon Anderson was called out by the ref for going after the fielder covering second base, calling interference, and they not only ruled Anderson was out, but they also ruled that the guy going to first was out as well, that had Anderson not done what he did, it would have been a double play. The crew chief later reviewed this play (unfortunately, to this day this kind of call is not reviewable, I don’t know why) and said that it was obvious that Anderson was deliberately trying to slide into the covering fielder, not get to second base.
The rule in question 6.05m reads “The objective of this rule is to penalize the offensive team for deliberate, unwarranted, unsportsmanlike action by the runner in leaving the baseline (not path, mind you, but baseline, the rhumb line between first and second in this case)for the obvious purpose of crashing the pivot man on a double play, rather than trying to reach the base”. It goes on to say it is up to the umpire, but it doesn’t take an expert in baseball to see what Utley was doing (not to mention that Utley has done this plenty of time before), it was a deliberate hard slide, with his legs up, into Tejada and he was not on the baseline, and he never even tried to reach the bag.
If baseball really wants to protect players, then this kind of high slide should be banned, period, the same way that if they suspect a pitcher threw at someone deliberately, the pitcher and the manager should both be thrown out, the whole warning of the benches is idiotic IMO, it allows dirty pitchers and in this case, players, to act out without any real consequences. One of the things that plenty of players have pointed out is that as bad as the bad old days were, pitchers thought twice about throwing at players, or players thought twice about dirty plays, because they knew they would get it back. Baseball claims that they do this to protect the players, yet time and again, as with Clemens throwing the piece of bat at Piazza or hitting him, they get away with it because the umps after the fact make it so they won’t face retaliation, they know they can get away with it.
I also will add there is a difference between a good, hard slide into second to break up a double play, and the way Utley did it, a good hard slide into second disrupts the players footwork, it doesn’t mean going in high the way Utley did, as late as he did. It is telling that Utley said “dirty is going in and spiking the player”, there is a lot more than that that is dirty. I don’t think he intended to hurt tejada, but I think he basically didn’t care and the slide itself was late and way away from the base, but he knew he would get away with it. Ty Cobb was a dirty player,but he also took plenty in retribution, he knew it would be coming, people like Utley hide behind the rules and I despise that, the same way that pitchers in the AL can hit batters and know they won’t face retribution at the plate (it doesn’t mean I am necessarily against the DH, just saying it makes it easier for dirty pitchers to get away with crap).
And of course I am bloodthirsty, been a Mets fan far too long not to be (and it is amazing, because I am not a very big Tejada fan). I also despise Utley, I think he is a dirty player and he has hurt plenty of other players, whether he sets out to hurt them or not is not important, his style of play gets them hurt and at least from what I have seen of him, he is reckless, then cries when he gets the consequences of his actions, if you are going to be a tough guy player, then you also accept the consequences of it. Baseball wants it both ways, they want the kind of play you saw from Utley, but then pretend like they care about protecting the players, one of the reasons they do the warning stuff is because they are afraid of someone getting hit by a fastball at 100mph, but they also don’t prevent the first instance. If Utley was thrown out of the game and he and the batter were called out, I would consider it even, but the umps basically condoned what he did, and what is worse is that there is no consistency with the rule. BJ Upton made a great point, he said if Utley did that to Tulewitzky or some other premiere shortstop, if someone like a Dereck Jeter had his knee ripped or a bone broken by a play like that, there would be hell to pay, but because it was tejada they let it go and consequently, helped cost the Mets the game.
“Huge Mets fan here, and I do not approve that message. Yikes! Just keep him out of baseball. He’s a goon, he’s always been a goon, and it’s perplexing how under the radar he’s flown in that respect.” The answer is that MLB is much like the NFL was on dirty hits for years, they pretend like they are concerned, but on the other hand think that people like Utley show “good, hard play” that “makes fans happy”. Among other things, according to the MLB rules Utley’s slide was illegal, because it is clear he had no intention of getting to second base and his slide was well outside the baseline, yet they leave it up to the umpires, a call like that cannot even be reviewed (that the slide was legal or not)…why? And why is it legal one time, and not another, when the rules clearly state that a slide outside the baseline is interference. Put it this way, Clemens for all his roid rage (and he was known for throwing at batters all through his career, and less than stellar behavior) rarely if even got penalized for what he did, because MLB thinks such things are ‘good for the game’. If they aren’t going to protect players, then I also think that the other team has the right to protect their players and make clear you throw at us, or do something like that, you’ll pay the price. To tell you how fouled up MLB rules are, it is likely that the appeal of his suspension will not happen until after the series is done, so he will be eligible to play tonight. Call me old guard, but the current rules are half a**ed and basically protect the dirty players and make it so they don’t have to fear anything. Like I said above, if the umps had made the right call and called Utley and probably the guy at first out, which the rules do allow, and then he got suspended, I would think he got his due, but in a sense he was rewarded for a dirty play.
This was an awkward and unusual play all around. Tejada is running to make the play at 2B and suddenly turns and attempts to pivot to make the throw to 1B. Meanwhile Utley makes a late decision not to slide with the correct foot so he has to slide on the wrong foot. As Utley is reaching for the bag, his head hits Tejada’s turning foot so hard that his helmet pops off, and Tejada’s leg is broken from the collision. Neither player expected the other to do what they did.
In Torres’ opinion Utley chose to try and break up the double play. The umpire may have been focusing on the bag and I don’t know if he asked for help or not.
This is playoff baseball. Controversial calls will be made in every single playoff game. Some of you will still be complaining about this play 20 years from now.
Can I just say one word today? ROYALS!!!
Nah, even better that the Cubs pounded on the Cardinals (my avatar is not my love for the Cardinals, it is to remind me of my chief nemesis, the resident cardinal in my back yard),then I got to watch the Mets pound the crap out of the Dodgers, including getting to watch Colon come in in relief and get the side. Sometimes the best revenge is to kick the crap out of the other team, maybe the mets will run it up even more.
So much for a sweep, the Jays’ bats are finally back and they have tied up the series. Am travelling so haven’t seen the games but it sure is nice seeing those scores.
That awful slide and fracture of the mets’ leg was horrible. Really didn’t need to see it shown over and over and over. At the trainers today they had on a sports channel and they must have replayed it 5 times in a row. Maybe six. Good grief.
Had to chuckle at the Texas governor congratulating Houston for advancing to the ALCS. Only problem is that the Royals came back and won the game. It ain’t over til it’s over, Gov. Or is this another instance of a premature “Mission accomplished”? 
Let’s go Royals! That’s the way to come from behind.
Go Cubs!
Too afraid to say anything else.
me, too, @gloworm I grew up a Cubs fan, my dad grew up a cubs fan, my grandmother and uncle were cubs fans. My H is a cubs fan. My siblings all married into Cardinal families and became Cardinal fans. (the traitors!) My extended family went to a cubs/cards game the day before H and I were married. My in laws don’t shut up about the Cardinal successes of late. I am trying hard to not be giddy after the last two games.
I won’t be able to contain myself if the cubs win tonight.
bajamm,
In 1984, after the Cubs were up 2 games to 0 against San Diego, the Cubs put WS tickets on sale. There was a phone #, and one had to just keep trying and hoping. Well, after about 8 hrs, I got through, and was fortunate enough to get 4 SRO tickets. We know what happened. But I still have the tickets. Refunds were offered, but I passed on that. Now I’m waiting to see if I’m going to be lucky in the lottery for tickets again.
YES!!! on to either NY or LA. Don’t care who it is.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! (and I am hoping for the Mets, I don’t care if we don’t face Utely)
We’re singing now
Go, Cubs, go
Go, Cubs, go
Hey, Chicago, what do you say
The Cubs are gonna win today!
This feels so good!! 
Can’t help thinking about how Ron Santo and Ernie Banks would be celebrating.
And it was the Cards!!! #SoSweet!!
They are celebrating, looking down!!