Major League Baseball's new slide regulations have already caused a controversy this season. The "Chase Utley Rule," which was adopted after the veteran's aggressive takeout slide on Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada during last year's playoffs, has resulted in two unlikely rulings by the umpires.
Is another change coming to the takeout slide rule at some point this year if the current rule continues to be a bit vague and exaggerated?
"As we've seen early this season, it might be more complicated in practice than it is on paper," ESPN's Buster Olney said of the rule.
"All around baseball, people are asking questions about this rule, and you do wonder if there will be a time, in which there may be a revisiting of this rule on the fly, during the season, to make it more simple, perhaps to the point where baseball could essentially mirror the rule that's used in college where they require the baserunners to slide directly into the base. They're not to that point yet. In talking to sources, they say that for now it's early and they're trying to make sure that everyone is appropriately applying the rule as written."
The call on Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista last week was perhaps the right ruling under the new regulations, but many have argued that such a call is making the sport "soft," as seen by the comments of various players and coaches throughout the league. Bautista grabbed the foot of Rays second baseman Logan Forsythe, which clearly showed no intent of injuring the fielder, but his arm went out of its way to disrupt the motion of the fielder, which is now illegal.
Instead of the Blue Jays scoring two runs to take the lead in the top of the ninth, both runs were taken away and the umpires ruled it a double play, which ended the game.
Then the call on Astros outfielder Colby Rasmus really got everyone going because it ended another game with a controversial double play. Rasmus slid into second base to avoid having Brewers shortstop Jonathan Villar from turning two. Rasmus never touched Villar and Villar never attempted to turn the double play, yet it was ruled that Rasmus slid outside the basepath (beyond the bag) and he was deliberately trying to interfere with the fielder's throw.
That game ended in a double play that was never attempted.
All in all, the rule needs a bit more time for everyone to adjust to. However, if it doesn't start to fix itself as the year progresses, we could see changes again fairly soon.
