Chase Utley Denies Intent To Hurt; Issues Apology To Ruben Tejada
Through two games of the NLDS between the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers, the seventh inning has been the key.
In Game 1, Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw walked the bases loaded and was removed from the game. Reliever Pedro Baez came in and allowed a two-run single that made the game 3-0 in an eventual 3-1 loss for the Dodgers. In Game 2, Chase Utley created controversy with a late slide into second base trying to break up a double play. The play ended up sparking a rally for the Dodgers and left Ruben Tejada with a fractured right fibula.
After the game, Utley expressed remorse and explained his intention. “I feel terrible that he was injured,” the veteran infielder said. “There was no intent to injure him whatsoever, but I did have the intent to break up the double play.”
He went on. “Any time you have an opportunity to break up a double play, you do your best to do that. It was an awkward, awkward play.”
Utley added the play was “fast” and he had seen the replay. He was asked what he considered to be a dirty slide. “I guess it really depends who you’re talking to, but again, there was no intent to injure Ruben.”
One member of the Mets who was visibly upset was third baseman David Wright, but Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports that Utley reached out to Wright in order to apologize to Tejada:
Just exchanged texts with #Dodgers’ Utley. Here is what he said: “In no way shape or form was I trying to hurt Ruben…
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 11, 2015
“… I slid in hard like I have for 12 years. I feel terrible about the outcome. I've reached out to Ruben via David Wright.”
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 11, 2015
The series takes a day off on Sunday for travel across the country to New York where Games 3 and 4 will take place on Monday and Tuesday. Utley wasn’t sure if the Mets would seek retaliation, but Monday’s contest now has more intrigue than before.
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bad result in slide but class act in your apology
It wasn’t a slide. It was a rolling block, a tackle. And he didn’t sound very apologetic when he was interviewed postgame, he sounded defensive–I saw the video. Yes, he spoke the words quoted in this above story, but they hardly sounded heartfelt. His actions have been found to be against the rules by MLB, and if they had been called correctly by the umps, the inning would have been over, with the Mets leading, 2-1.
As for asking Wright to tell Tejada he’s sorry, that would seem to be the bare minimum he might do. What, he can’t pick up a telephone or arrange to visit him in person?
Where was the call when the mets did this to us?