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Ruben Tejada: Dodgers’ Chase Utley “knows what he did”

Ruben Tejada is inactive while his New York Mets are playing in the World Series and it’s because of that infamous slide from Chase Utley. When asked about how he feels about that play and how he’s dealt with it since, he sounds like a person who was knocked out of the biggest games of his professional life.

In an article run on ESPN by Adam Rubin, Tejada had this to say:



“He’s a veteran guy,” Tejada said about Utley. “We know he plays hard. It’s different when you play hard, and you try to do something else.”


— Chase Utley Wants To Play in 2016 —


Utley apologized to Tejada via a message left with captain David Wright. Asked if he accepts Utley’s apology, Tejada said: “I did, because you know I’m really a good person, but I can’t do anything. He knows what he did, and he has to do something to figure out how to play the game the right way.”

I can’t help but feel for Tejada here. The play was dirty, but occurred because of an antiquated culture guys play in. Now, as his team is down two games to one in to the Kansas City Royals, any competitor would naturally feel as if he could help his team if only he was healthy.

That Tejada is injured because of a specific play at the hands of another person has to be almost impossible to get over. His quotes and effort that he appears to be putting into trying to move on are pretty admirable to say the least.

Dodgers Credits: Tampering, Trade Speculation

 

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9 Comments

  1. I believe Utley when he says he didn’t intend to injure Tejada. It was Tejadas fault he got injured. You know as a shortstop that you have to jump when a runner is coming to second to avoid getting hit. He knew that and failed to do it here and in the regular season. Utley went high on purpose to catch him off guard but not to hurt him.

  2. But it’s OK for their pitcher to pitch inside toward a batter’s head at 100 miles per hour. Fans really should be fairer in their assessment of what’s “dirty”. Big league players in high stakes games play very hard. Everyone should expect that .

  3. Read a wasn’t hurt because of a dirty play. That’s ridiculous! He was hurt because he was trying to make a play when there wasn’t any to be made. His spin move was just a dumb thing to try. Hard nosed baseball isn’t antiquated. It’s how the game should be played at that level. You criticize Utley but seem to enjoy all the silly bat flips and other showing off. The whole thing is ridiculous. It was an accidental injury caused by Tejada and the 2nd baseman, not Utley.

    1. Finally, somebody that agrees with me…Tejada knew exactly what he was doing when he spun back around to his left to make a throw. He saw Utley going for that slide out of the corner of his right eye before he pivoted left to attempt the throw.I watched that play well over 100 times. With that toss by the 2nd baseman, Tejada should have just ate the rest of the play. It lead him into right field. Great read of the play the way it happened BC…

  4. As a Dodger fan living in NY I had numerous discussions with my friendly Mets fans including … Utley was nowhere near the base, Utley intentionally was trying to hurt Tejada, Utley went way out of the base path to break up the double play, Utleys’ slide started way beyond second base and this was a dirty play!! and finally torre suspending him for 2 games when NOBODY has ever been suspended for any play around second base!! What BS!! While I do think the slide was late, Not once did anybody mention when Tejada turned, he put himself in harms way AND initiated the contact!! and there was no chance he could make a double play!! and then they beat us in game 5, ugh!!

    1. I have had similar experiences. Utley was right by the bag, his hand passed above the base, and the only reason he didn’t touch it was that Tejada kicked him in the face. The camera from the Third Base angle shows Utley going down with a foot of dirt between his knee and the base. Maybe it was late, but it was NOT after the bag. Furthermore, during the Mets-Dodgers game on July 26 (the one Uribe won), there was a double play on a grounder to A-Gon, who threw to Rollins at second. Daniel Murphy came in with a slide that took him well-outside the basepath into Rollins’ leg. Murphy never made contact with the bag at all, he slid out and away from it aiming for Rollins. It was a far more egregious attempt at hitting the baseman, except Rollins didn’t spin or turn his back on Murphy, and as a result, there was no comment. Mattingly was right – if it had been David Wright sliding into Cory Seager, Ron Darling and the Mets fans would be singing a different tune.

  5. Tejada needs to stop crying like a baby. “I’m a good person, so I forgive him.” Ohhh get over yourself. Tejada shouldn’t have turned his back to the runner. What did he expect Utley do with the season in the line? You know the runner is coming, why take your eyes off him? That’s like turning the other way when you know a punch is coming.

  6. que no llore tejada, el sabe bien como jugador profesional que es, los riesgos y peligros que conlleva el jugar base ball, sobre todo al nivel profesional de grandes ligas, ahora si el señorito no quiere ensuciarse el uniforme o salir raspado o lastimado, entonces que se valla a su casita a ver base ball por tv
    Muchos jugadores profesionales d ebase ball han salido lastimados , todos y cada uno de ellos saben bien a lo que le tiran y se arriesgan, lamentablemente a el le toco salir lesionado y ni modo, que demuestre mejor su profesionalismo y acepte que la cago jugando mal su posición y se deje de andar buscando culpables o de echarle la culpa a utley, y en efecto utley sabia bien lo que hacia, y era jugar base ball con garra y romper el doble play , eso cualquier jugador de base ball lo sabe lo entiende y lo acepta y lo pone en practica, ya deja de estar de mariquita y estar haciéndote el mártir, porque de mártir no tienes nada , al contrario ponte a reflexionar en que estuviste mal , que hiciste mal para salir lesionado y deja de estar LLORANDOOOO MARICOOONNN !!!!!!

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