Astros-Reds "Butt-Slide"

[ATPTourFan]

What I never understand is why baseball players try to apply a tag on the chest in this instance, when ALL you have to do is wait for the sliding player to bring his hand or foot -- TO YOU -- at the bag/plate you are defending. By reaching for this guy's chest, the play went from a no-doubt OUT to just barely out (just look at the slow mo replays).

The Philly player should have kept his glove right on the bag edge facing the approaching Astro to ensure that the play resulted in an out.

http://deadspin.com/every-glorious-angl ... 1340747499

[SGreenwell]

ATP, my baseball playin' days cut out in Little League around 10th grade or so, but if I remember correctly, you don't want to go for the hand because it's easy to move away, and obviously if you're going for the foot on a slide you can get spiked, either on purpose or inadvertently. So going for the chest makes sense to be, although you shouldn't wait for them to come to you in that case.

[ATPTourFan]

So this is a great example of how waiting for their chest to come to you when they have arms outstretched is just unwise. This play should have been absolutely a no-doubt OUT, but instead even in slow mo it sometimes looks like the runner's right hand hit the bag first. Of course, the umpire is poorly positioned to view the tag, and was blocked by the runner's body. Gotta love baseball... ugh.

I think it's unnecessary to worry about the approaching player moving their arm or leg because ultimately, we KNOW where they HAVE to place their hand/foot eventually to become safe. I'd prefer to defend a 15 inch wide plane (the edge of the base perpendicular to the path of the baserunner) with my big leather glove.

Baseball is full of antiquated techniques and methods that just get passed down from generation to generation.

If time honored stats like RBIs can be called "primitive" compared to more modern "sabermetric" stats, I think it's fair to take a fresh look at how certain parts of the game are instructed.

I think he was safe, upon further review. Check it out. Runner's right hand stops sliding a frame or two before the glove hits runner's chest.

[ace]

I do not recognize that butt... it's a Red (Brandon Phillips) not a Phillie.

It's been a rough year, but I'll take some satisfaction in the fact that none of my guys have actually stopped a baserunner with his butt. It's the small victories, people.

[ATPTourFan]

Shame on me, for sure, Ace!!