re: Pirates Kang out for year; Does MLB need to revisit takeout slide?

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ETA: I might take a couple of stars going down before the owners address the issue.

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I'm not going to argue clean or dirty on the play, it's within the rules. Seems like Kang was pretty far of the bag when contact was initiated.

But there are 2430 MLB games. Even if take out slides only happen once every other game we're talking about an even that happens a thousand times a year without serious injury.

But that doesn't mean they shouldn't review it.

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But there are 2430 MLB games. Even if take out slides only happen once every other game we're talking about an even that happens a thousand times a year without serious injury.

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it's happened twice to the Pirates this year. Jordy Mercer was taken out by Carlos Gomez and missed two months. It's what led to Kang getting significant playing time when he filled in.

Mercer's situation was slightly different in that he fielded a ground ball to the right of the bag in the shift and ran toward Gomez to tag then throw on to first. Gomez started is slide about 10' from the bag, but deliberately trying to make contact w/ Mercer's planted leg. Mercer was fortunate in that there wasn't any tear and it didn't require surgery, but he stilled missed significant time.

In both instances, the Pirates said something along the lines of "hard play, unfortunate result". what else can you say? I get that you have to go in hard and go in w/ speed, but in both instances it's when contact was made at the knee of the defender. Gomez had hit foot down but knee up to draw contact and Coughlan had his right leg up to draw high contact.

The game has to evolve a bit on this, as it does, slowly. Look, 70 years ago Coughlan would have had his spikes up and you never see that anymore.

I know this board is full of cub fans congratulating each other over taking 3/4, but this is a devastating injury for us Pirate fans to see. Kang is not just out for the year, he's likely going to miss time early in next season as well.

...and the slide didn't break up the double play.

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This is your answer to the problem. You want to break up a double play? You are going to risk injury to yourself too, not just the other player. How bad do you want that play broken up?

This would be the perfect rule change.

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what if you want to slide around tag?


not a perfect rule change. try again

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You slide head first? You aren't sliding around a tag feet first anymore.

Baseball purists crack me up.

They're ok with some dude blatantly sliding in an unnatural way in an attempt to breakup a play, but they're not ok getting plunked and throw players out for that.

If I'm commissioner I'd immediately make the following rules:

1. You want to plunk some dude, so what. Go ahead and plunk the entire team. If you hit him above the middle of the back (protecting the head), you're out. You stick him on the arse, IDGAF.

2. If you slide outside of the basepath for any reason other than to avoid a tag you're ejected and suspended. That means on a force play you better slide right at the bag you dirty cheap mofo.

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Ok.

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Glad that you agree that Kang needs to learn how to catch and throw on a DP without standing right in the baseline. Common sense usually wins out except in politics

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You need to be more subtle.

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just stay outta my way when I'm sliding somewhere. Heads up for you only.