The Internet’s Angriest Reactions To Chase Utley’s Questionable Slide On Ruben Tejada

Where do you fall in the Chase Utley slide debate?

Because there’s no gray area here, at least according to baseball fans on the Internet. It’s very black and white. You either think Chase Utley is a gritty player, one who will do anything to help his team. Or you think Utley is dirty as hell, unleashing one of the dirtiest slides in the game’s history.

By now you’ve heard about the ugly result of the play, a broken fibula for Ruben Tejada that will keep him out of the 2015 playoffs. And of course, you know Utley was called “safe” despite never touching the bag because baseball rules make about as much sense as a Greg Hardy rap video.

The reaction on the Internet was unkind, especially from members of the sports media:

https://twitter.com/BartHubbuch/status/653058429028839424

Former Mets SS Jose Reyes also weighed-in:

But the most outspoken critic of the night was Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez:

“I have a hard time watching this play, not because of what happened to Tejada. But just watching Utley up close, it seemed to me like he never had the intention of sliding and breaking up the double play. He went straight after Tejada. And that is something that is mind-boggling coming from a second baseman. It kind of bothers me to see that.

He went to break up the double play, and I understand that. You have to play baseball the hard way and you want to break up the double play. But you also have to protect the players out there.”

Here now are reactions from baseball fans on the Internet:

https://twitter.com/erikmal/status/653062917139533824

https://twitter.com/RealKentMurphy/status/653058989824061440

https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/653064351486726144

https://twitter.com/los_mets/status/653064480641949696