NEW YORK — Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley was suspended two playoff games by Major League Baseball on Sunday night for his late takeout slide that broke New York Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada’s right leg.
Utley’s agent called the penalty “outrageous and completely unacceptable” and said there would be an appeal.
The Mets and Dodgers are tied at 1-all in the best-of-five NL Division Series. Game 3 is scheduled for Monday night at Citi Field.
In handing down the penalty, MLB executive Joe Torre called it an illegal slide. Umpires ruled it a legal play Saturday night.
Torre said after a complete review, he concluded Utley’s slide merited punishment.
Utley’s agent, Joel Wolfe, saw it differently.
“A two-game suspension for a legal baseball play is outrageous and completely unacceptable. Chase did what all players are taught to do in this situation – break up the double play,” Wolfe said in a statement.
The 36-year-old Utley, a six-time All-Star, has a part-time role with the Dodgers after they acquired him Aug. 19 from Philadelphia. But before the suspension was announced, Manager Don Mattingly said the infielder might start Game 3 because of his solid numbers against Mets pitcher Matt Harvey and the lefty-righty matchup.
With the Dodgers trailing by a run in the seventh inning Saturday, Utley slammed into Tejada at second base to make sure the Mets could not complete a double play that would have kept them ahead. Utley went in high and hard, crashing into Tejada’s legs and flipping the shortstop head over heels.
The tying run scored, Tejada was wheeled off with a fractured fibula, and the Dodgers rallied for three more runs, going on to a 5-2 victory that evened the best-of-five series.
“As I said after the game, the determination of whether a base runner has intentionally interfered with a player attempting to turn a double play is left to the judgment of the umpire on the field, and that judgment call is not subject to review. I should add that determining where to draw the line between illegal slide and a legitimate hard play is an extremely difficult call for our umpires,” Torre said.
“However, after thoroughly reviewing the play from all conceivable angles, I have concluded that Mr. Utley’s action warrants discipline. While I sincerely believe that Mr. Utley had no intention of injuring Ruben Tejada, and was attempting to help his club in a critical situation, I believe his slide was in violation of Official Baseball Rule 5.09(a)(13), which is designed to protect fielders from precisely this type of rolling block that occurs away from the base.”
The Mets quickly released a statement saying they “completely support the decision” and “feel this was the appropriate course of action.”
Torre said MLB has been talking with the players’ union this year about potential rules changes to better protect middle infielders.
“We intend to continue those discussions this offseason,” he said.
Utley batted .212 with eight homers and 39 RBI in 107 games with the Phillies and Dodgers this season. He hit .202 with three home runs and nine RBI in 34 games with Los Angeles.
Utley had a pinch-hit single in the seventh inning Saturday to help the Dodgers rally.
Reactions to the play varied widely
“It’s hard baseball, man,” said closer Kenley Jansen, Utley’s teammate on the Los Angeles Dodgers. “The game has started to become too sensitive.”
Of course, that’s not how the seething Mets viewed it after Tejada was carted off the field in an air cast.
“Before he could get the ball out of the glove, he’s getting tackled,” infielder Kelly Johnson said.
“Slide would be generous,” snarled an irritated Daniel Murphy.
“I hate the fact that people keep saying he plays the game hard. Everybody on the field plays the game hard,” said ESPN analyst Alex Cora, a middle infielder during his playing days. “There’s a way you should play the game, and this is not the way.
“There’s no way you can do that,” he added. “If Chase Utley doesn’t retire and he’s playing next year, he’s going to get drilled. He’s going to get one in the ribs.”
And Utley, an All-Star second baseman who knows first-hand the perils of turning two, showed contrition.
“I feel terrible that he was injured. I had no intent to hurt him whatsoever,” said Utley. “You have to try and break up the double play. That’s winning baseball.”
But did it cross the line?
Takeout slides are an accepted part of the game – always have been. The general guideline is they’re within the rules as long as a runner doesn’t go so far out of the basepath that he can’t reach second base.
But there’s also an etiquette to it because the later the slide, the more dangerous it can be.
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