Head First Slides

[Jim Fainter]

Now that Derek Jeter's injury is a few days old, I keep thinking about what I said in another post right after the injury, and that is that head first slides are dangerous and unnecessay. Players think they are hustling, so their intentions are noble, but ill-advised just the same. Pete Rose started doing it in the 1960's and players are emulating him. A feet first pop up slide gets you there faster without exposure to injury, ala Jeter. So just yesterday on ESPN's Baseball Tonight they show Eric Young sliding into second, not head first, but face first. No serious injury, but a lousy slide nevertheless. Lots of times sliders hit the ground on their thighs first, and then come to a stop a foot or two short of the bag. Lots of hand injuries result, also.

 

Sliding head first into either home or first is Stupid.

 

We have had some similar sliding injuries, too. Remember that outfielder we eventually traded to Toronto in the Wells deal. The year before he won the centerfield job in ST, then hurt his hand in a head first slide into second. Now he's out of baseball. Last year a Dodger infielder (Cora) almost broke his neck sliding head first into second. I wish the Sox would make it a team policy to forego head first slides, period. Now the Cubs or the Twinkies............that is another matter.

 

So this morning, on ESPN's Sports Reporters, Bob Ryan said the same thing. Pete Rose and all. You heard it here on SoxNet first.

[Jim Fainter]

I forgot to add. The best sliders I have seen are Maury Wills, Low Brock, Willy Mays, and Joe Dimaggio. All feet first, pop up sliders.

[baggio202]

i disagree on head first slides into first..if you do it right its the fastest way int o the base...the key to slide late so you slide throught the bag...slide just to the foul side of the bag ,tap it with your outstretched hand then just slide right by the side of it...its very safe because you wont get you shoulder hooked up on the bag or the feet of the first baseman..

 

the very worst injuries ive seen are guys running to first base on a close play and lunging for the bag...jason kendall , ruben mateo come to mind..the teach players to run throught the bag but that takes perfect timing and when its a bang -bang play a player isnt gonna try and time it...if he is a little short of the bag he will lunge...thats when it becomes dangerous

 

on jeter...if you look at the replay of how the catcher came in to cover 3rd base had jeter gone feet first im pretty sure he ends up with a broken leg...the catcher was full spped in his gear and fell right on top of jeter with his shin gaurd with the full weight of his body..that was just a freak play...

 

remember ventura..he slid head first into home and broke his leg...you can get a serious injury on play there is contact...

 

i played baseball/softball until i was forty..i slide headfirst into everybase..would dive after everything..run into more than one chain link fence in my day..i played in some high level leagues for awhile but didnt have near thge talent of aslot of the guys i played with so i had to hustle my ass off if i wanted to play..the only major injury i ever suffered playing ball was i seperated my right shoulder and tore the rotator cuff...that was from swinging the bat...i hit left handed and usually lead off because had excellent speed (my only attribute because my power was worse than luis castillo )...the tird baseman was way off the line so i tried to slap the ball down the line..it was an outside pitch i was trying to run to first as i hit it...my right shoulder went towards 3rd and the rest of my body went to 1st and rip..right out of the socket..who'd have thunk it before i swung???..s*** happens...but you gotta play your ass off and if a player feels comfortable sliding headfirst like i did then i see no problem with it