Was Rizzo's Slide Illegal?

[GNG]

I bet my feet are tougher than yours too.

Well you got me there.

 

[Chewbaccer]

Well you got me there.

Candyass

 

[moxie]

If a rule sucks, change it.

And then hear you cry about it for years after??

 

[JohnU]

Let's put this in perspective.
1. It's not about Ryan Braun
2. Rizzo made a slide that hung a catcher out to dry.
3. That's the intent of the rule as to not injure players who aren't in a position to protect themselves.
4. Rizzo was aware of that when he slid. It wasn't a bang-bang play. He went out of his way to upend the catcher who had no play on him.
5. Rizzo is a fucking asshole.
6. I hope the Brewers plug his earhole.
7. Buster Posey isn't an asshole.

 

[Mebert]

Let's put this in perspective.
1. It's not about Ryan Braun
2. Rizzo made a slide that hung a catcher out to dry.
3. That's the intent of the rule as to not injure players who aren't in a position to protect themselves.
4. Rizzo was aware of that when he slid. It wasn't a bang-bang play. He went out of his way to upend the catcher who had no play on him.
5. Rizzo is a fucking asshole.
6. I hope the Brewers plug his earhole.
7. Buster Posey isn't an asshole.

As a Rockies fan I disagree with number 7. That jerk keeps on hitting...like a jerk

 

[Guy Incognito]

Catcher needs to get the hell out of the way.

Rizzo is a douche, but dude stood there like a statue and got lit up.

Rizzo didn't alter his path. He basically ran to about the spot the catcher wound up at (which is still in his rulebook basepath), made a slide, and easily touched home. This isn't exactly as bad as Ruben Tejada's dumb ass getting lit up trying to turn a double play when you have zero chance of getting it, but sometimes a fielder gets hurt because he does something dumb to get himself hurt.

 

[moxie]

Catcher needs to get the hell out of the way.

Rizzo is a douche, but dude stood there like a statue and got lit up.

Rizzo didn't alter his path. He basically ran to about the spot the catcher wound up at (which is still in his rulebook basepath), made a slide, and easily touched home. This isn't exactly as bad as Ruben Tejada's dumb ass getting lit up trying to turn a double play when you have zero chance of getting it, but sometimes a fielder gets hurt because he does something dumb to get himself hurt.

Dick. Move.


All of a sudden, his “base path” changes course! Dafuq?!

 

[Guy Incognito]

Dick. Move.

View attachment 180129
All of a sudden, his “base path” changes course! Dafuq?!

View attachment 180128

Photo #1: left foot is on the chalk. Photo #2: left foot is maybe a foot into fair territory. His base path is three feet in either direction of his position in photo one.

Catcher's back foot is practically on the RH batter's box. Which is less than a foot off the baseline chalk. Guy put himself in a position to get lit up.

Could Rizzo have not hit Diaz? Yes, he could have. Did Diaz do a terrible job of knowing the situation and getting the hell away from the plate so he wouldn't get busted up? Yes, he did.

 

[podsox]

It's illegal but I don't think it was dirty. I didn't realize there was so much hate for rizzo. I hate all things Cubs but rizzo is a good dude

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

I thought it was illegal at the time, but whatever. The Cubs have been on this shitty side of those types of calls plenty of times as well. Rizzo is still a great role model for kids and baseball players alike. He even checked to see if the catcher was Okay during his next at bat. Classiest guy in the MLB.

 

[Droopdog51]

Photo #1: left foot is on the chalk. Photo #2: left foot is maybe a foot into fair territory. His base path is three feet in either direction of his position in photo one.

Catcher's back foot is practically on the RH batter's box. Which is less than a foot off the baseline chalk. Guy put himself in a position to get lit up.

Could Rizzo have not hit Diaz? Yes, he could have. Did Diaz do a terrible job of knowing the situation and getting the hell away from the plate so he wouldn't get busted up? Yes, he did.

You want to blame Diaz? He is a good 2-3 feet in front of the plate and is out of the way of anyone that doesn't decide to make a dirty play.

Why is he even sliding? Was thrown out by at least 2 steps on a force out. It was a deliberate attempt to take the catcher out. If this wasn't a force out then, go for it. Slide in as hard as you want and the catcher hold on to the ball, but this was a force out.

If this play happens at second it's a clear cut call, but the idea catchers are supposed to be different and plays at home have special rules comes into play.

 

[Guy Incognito]

You want to blame Diaz? He is a good 2-3 feet in front of the plate and is out of the way of anyone that doesn't decide to make a dirty play.

Why is he even sliding? Was thrown out by at least 2 steps on a force out. It was a deliberate attempt to take the catcher out. If this wasn't a force out then, go for it. Slide in as hard as you want and the catcher hold on to the ball, but this was a force out.

If this play happens at second it's a clear cut call, but the idea catchers are supposed to be different and plays at home have special rules comes into play.

1) Diaz starts the play with his right foot on the back corner of home plate. Terrible. Can't clear out from the plate starting there. He's supposed to be on the front.
2) When he steps out in front of the plate, he's like a foot from the plate. Not directly in the path, true, and Rizzo could have easily not did what he did. But Diaz put himself there by starting in the wrong spot.
3) If Diaz played it right, and was out near the first base side of the plate and near the cut-out, I'd say it was a dirty play by Rizzo. But when a fielder fucks up and puts himself in a position to get hurt, it's on him.

 

[Droopdog51]

1) Diaz starts the play with his right foot on the back corner of home plate. Terrible. Can't clear out from the plate starting there. He's supposed to be on the front.

He was plenty out if front when Rizzo hit him.....

2) When he steps out in front of the plate, he's like a foot from the plate. Not directly in the path, true, and Rizzo could have easily not did what he did. But Diaz put himself there by starting in the wrong spot.

If Diaz foot was on the batters box line, he was a minimum of 21.1/2" from the plate. Clearly, his foot is further away than the batters box. He was easily 2' from the plate. Leaving plenty of room for Rizzo to not be a dick.

3) If Diaz played it right, and was out near the first base side of the plate and near the cut-out, I'd say it was a dirty play by Rizzo. But when a fielder fucks up and puts himself in a position to get hurt, it's on him.

That's a load of crap and blaming the victim there.

Again, if this play happens at second, it an obvious call.

 

[Judge Fudge]

No defense.

He made a move for the catcher not the plate

 

[Chewbaccer]

You want to blame Diaz? He is a good 2-3 feet in front of the plate and is out of the way of anyone that doesn't decide to make a dirty play.

Why is he even sliding? Was thrown out by at least 2 steps on a force out. It was a deliberate attempt to take the catcher out. If this wasn't a force out then, go for it. Slide in as hard as you want and the catcher hold on to the ball, but this was a force out.

If this play happens at second it's a clear cut call, but the idea catchers are supposed to be different and plays at home have special rules comes into play.

If the play happened at second, it would have been legal because Rizzo could touch the base.

Tardo catcher should learn to clear down the first base line and eliminate the possibility.

Such a candy assed rule.

 

[Chewbaccer]

No defense.

He made a move for the catcher not the plate

Then why was he easily still able to touch the plate, and why was he by rule still in the baseline?

 

[Judge Fudge]

Then why was he easily still able to touch the plate, and why was he by rule still in the baseline?

Hand or foot?

 

[Chewbaccer]

Hand or foot?

Doesn't matter.

 

[Judge Fudge]

Doesn't matter.

I meant what hit home good sir.

 

[calsnowskier]

If the play happened at second, it would have been legal because Rizzo could touch the base.

Tardo catcher should learn to clear down the first base line and eliminate the possibility.

Such a candy assed rule.

The second baseman is in a MUCH better position to protect himself.

1) The bag itself can be used as protection since it is elevated and can dampen the hit if the defender places his foot behind the bag. Home plate offers no such protection.

2) The second baseman/shortstop has more visibility on a play at second than a catcher. When the throw comes from second, the defender is facing 1st which is where the runner is coming from. The entire play happens in front of him. The catcher only sees the entire play in the event of a bang-bang play from left field (or 3rd base/SS). Every other play requires the catcher to put himself in a dangerous potion. This play, specifically, had Diaz focus on 1st base, which was more than 90 degrees away from Rizzo. He could not protect himself from what he couldn’t see.