Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing executes a slide so illegal it would've made the 1980s proud
Los Angeles Dodgers' catcher Dalton Rushing reminded baseball fans of a simpler time with a perfectly executed slide Tuesday night against the Pirates.
Unfortunately, it was only "perfectly executed" from about 1930 through 2016. Nowadays, what Rushing did in the fifth inning of Tuesday's eventual win over Pittsburgh is deemed illegal.
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Sad. We used to be a proper country!
Anyway, take a look, and judge for yourself:
First of all, the slide itself would've been textbook in the 1980s. They would've shown that on overhead projectors in high school clubhouses across the country.
It's also genuinely funny that Dalton Rushing thought this would hold up in a court of law. What was he thinking here? I mean, he didn't even come CLOSE to the bag itself.
I'd wager to say he was closer to sliding into the outfield grass than he was to sliding into the actual base.
Amazing.
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For those wondering, Major League Baseball changed the sliding rules about a decade ago after Chase Utley famously tried to break Mets shortstop Rubén Tejada in half during the 2015 NLDS:
From MLB:
Rule 6.01 (j), the so-called "Chase Utley slide rule," has been clarified by Major League Baseball. In the process, the rule has been made more workable.
Under the new Rule 6.01(j), a runner will have to make a "bona fide slide," which is defined as making contact with the ground before reaching the base, being able to and attempting to reach the base with a hand or foot, being able to and attempting to remain on the base at the completion of the slide (except at home plate) and not changing his path for the purpose of initiating contact with a fielder.
That last one really hurts Rushing's case here, given the literal purpose of his slide was to take out the shortstop. Easy call for the umpires, I'd say. Pretty cut and dried stuff.
Anyway, it reminded this MLB fan of simpler times. Some would argue they were better times. Nothing like being able to absolutely wallop someone to break up a double play, or score a run.
Was it dangerous? You betcha. Did we love it? Absolutely.
How can you not be romantic about baseball?