Matt Harvey questions Chase Utley's history running the bases
Says that Utley's slide that broke Ruben Tejada's leg was more like a 'tackle'.
By
Dave Brown
•
3 min read
Matt Harvey did not come out and say Chase Utley was a dirty player, but that take seemed just below the surface Sunday at a press conference a day after Game 2 of the NLDS. In the wake of infielder Ruben Tejada breaking his right leg on an aggressive slide by Utley, the Mets and Dodgers worked out and talked to reporters in advance of Game 3 on Monday.
Harvey told reporters that Utley's slide into Tejada was more like a "tackle," and that Utley has a history of aggressive borderline activity on the bases -- even once against Tejada, in 2010. Harvey also said he hopes Major League Baseball punishes Utley in some way for the play.
Via NJ.com:
"I think history has kind of shown that he's kind of been in situations like that before," Harvey said. "I know personally, you know, after watching in 2010 and hearing about it with Ruben as well, you know, there's some situations that need to be taken care of. I think the league is going to do their best to do that and take charge.
"As far as where we were, it was kind of hard to see at first, you know, where exactly the slide started. But after obviously the replay, everybody saw that it was more of a tackle than anything. We're all feeling for Ruben."
Utley has apologized for breaking Tejada's leg, or for it being broken, but not for his slide, or his way of sliding. Here's another play in question, from 2010, when Utley slid hard into Tejada at Citizens Bank Park:
It's very similar -- except for Utley being in line with the bag this time. It's one of many examples anyone can find of Utley being extremely aggressive, but also within the rules. Utley has said it was how he was taught to play -- and how a lot of players do it -- and he's not wrong. And it's not without the range of the rulebook, if the umpire so judges. Going forward, it's a matter of: Is it something that MLB still wants to be in the game?
Also, take note in this angle, of Utley asking Tejada if he were 'OK'? It does not seem like Utley is going out there trying to hurt the opponent. But that's not the only issue, either.
As for what Harvey might do to have his teammates' collective backs, reporters at the scene tried to bait him several times with questions about "pitching inside," including this one:
Q. Terry didn't want you to hesitate to pitch inside and didn't advocate Major League Baseball having a warning before the game even started. How much of an impediment would it be if Major League Baseball were to issue warnings even before the game started?
MATT HARVEY: It's something that if you really start thinking about, then it might affect your approach and your game. For me it's I gotta go out there and stick with everything that I normally do. And whether it's a game plan against a certain guy to bust him in, that's part of baseball. That needs to be done.
So I'm not going to give up my game plan, my approach for something like that. It's unfair. If certain situations come up where, you know, I need to throw that pitch, I'm definitely not going to be afraid to go inside.
Harvey showed some maturity in not taking the bait. It's possible Utley wouldn't even be in the starting lineup; he's come off the bench in Games 1 and 2.
Besides, MLB issuing warnings to pitchers about "pitching inside" -- a euphemism for trying to hit the other team on purpose -- might be unprecedented, given that nobody was hit with a pitch in Game 2. Sliding warnings might be more appropriate.
