Chicago Cubs: Both sides to Ian Happ’s slide-rule incident

Following their 5-3 defeat to the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday, an illegal slide has many in the Chicago Cubs clubhouse fuming over the “damn slide rule.”

While the Chicago Cubs take comfort in the impressive debut of outfielder Ian Happ, who recorded his first career home run, his illegal slide furthered the team’s preexisting discontent with the rule.

“I have no idea why these rules are part of our game,” manager Joe Maddon said (per abcnew.com). “There was an out created there. That was just one out they did not have to earn. I totally, absolutely disagree with that. It has nothing to do with safety and protecting the middle infielder.”

Here’s what happened.

Trailing 3-1 with Happ at first and Kyle Schwarber at third, Anthony Rizzo hit a soft ground ball back to Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez in the fifth inning. Martinez threw the ball to second with hopes of starting an inning-ending double play, but Happ’s aggressive slide prevented second baseman Aledmys Diaz from completing the play.

That’s the way second base umpire Mike Everitt saw it and called a double play on the grounds that Happ committed an illegal takeout slide. It was a similar slide by

of the

Los Angeles Dodgers

during the

2015 NLDS

that broke

New York Mets

shortstop

leg,

bringing the “Utley rule” into effect

.

Although the Cubs challenged the decision, the official ruling upheld the play and

did not hold back his irritation.

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On one hand, Lester raises a strong point. These players have been trained to play a certain way – to be aggressive on the bases and use sliding to break up double plays. Now, with the implementation of this new rule causes these ballplayers to change their game plans.

Yet, I suspect many baseball players, particularly in the Mets clubhouse, strongly support the enforcement of the slide rule. The Cubs prefer to write themselves as the victim, but one who is harmed because of a dirty slide is the victim. The rule was originally implemented to protect those on the field and prevent another injury similar to Tejada’s from happening again.

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So the question remains and must be taken into account when approaching this debate: What is more important? Breaking up a double play or breaking someone’s leg? Because I am sure the Cubs would feel differently if their shortstop, Addison Russell, took the brunt of a purposeful slide.