Please, no head-first slides

by ExGiantsFan on Jul 11, 2008 10:41 AM PDT

I love Ryan Sweeney. In ANY other year besides the season of Longoria he would be a Rookie-of-the-Year for his 2008 performance.

And you have to love the competitiveness and passion that drives a player to launch themselves like a human projectile into a head-first slide.

Having said that the head-first slide is a really dumb idea. Doesn't buy you any advantage and exposes you to injury, sometimes serious injury. Its your head and neck exposed. If you are "lucky" its only your fingers and arms.

When Mike Piazza virtually ended his his career on a head first slide into third base for the A's, I was thinking "hopefully the A's organization will lean something from this in the long term."

Testosterone and aggressiveness is much better when filtered by the higher mental facilities. You might win a few battles with your wreckless abandon, while you lose the war which requires great players being ON THE FIELD, NOT ON THE DL.

Go A's.

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I totally agree with you.

Itll be hard, however, to get some guys to stop bc theyve been doing it for years and rely so much on instinct.

by put em in a body bag johnny on Jul 11, 2008 10:50 AM PDT reply actions

It actually does provide an advantage

Although you’re probably right that it isn’t worth the injury risk.

Sliding headfirst gets your body lower to the ground, so you’re harder to tag.

by nevermoor on Jul 11, 2008 11:28 AM PDT reply actions

And it's a lot easier to slide around a tag when sliding headfirst

Considering this type of injury happens oh so rarely, especially compared to other injuries (how many “sliding headfirst injuries” have happened to the A’s in the past few years? Isn’t this the first?), it’s probably not a horrible idea if you know what you’re doing. Just don’t do it into home.

Piazza’s injury wasn’t caused because he slid headfirst. It happened because Lowell fell on top of him.

Sliding headfirst is not “reckless abandon” any more than a guy pulling a hamstring because he’s running hard is.

Also, I’m pretty sure that Sweeney was a few days past ROY eligibility for 2008 anyway.

http://bocropleasestopswingingatbadpitches.blogspot.com/

by thejd44 on Jul 11, 2008 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions

does anyone remember rajai davis's slide?

It was earlier this season – he was stealing second, and the ball beat him to the bag, but because he was sliding headfirst, he was able to pull his hands back and avoid the tag. I believe he ultimately snagged the bag. I don’t quite remember who they were playing…
I agree though – it is quite the injury risk – but there are some advantages…

by spiffyjwc on Jul 11, 2008 11:38 AM PDT reply actions

I'm in Cincinnati, so I get to see a lot of Reds games

Brandon Phillips does this as well as anyone I’ve seen. It’s quite an art.

"To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there's no music, no choreography, and the dancers hit each other." - Jack Handey

by JJ on Jul 11, 2008 12:13 PM PDT up reply actions

Tell it to Rickey Henderson

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by Flashfire on Jul 11, 2008 11:41 AM PDT reply actions

telling Rickey not to slide headfirst is like telling Cust to not K looking

... arousing men to burst the chains under which monkeyish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves ... @('.')@

by monkeyball on Jul 11, 2008 11:48 AM PDT up reply actions

Rickey says

Rickey doesnt like internets because of posts like this.

by oakinboston on Jul 11, 2008 11:55 AM PDT up reply actions

Rickey doesn't like internets

Because there’s nothing you can steal by being freakisly fast

by nevermoor on Jul 11, 2008 12:42 PM PDT up reply actions

Other than a computer, I suppose

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Jul 12, 2008 1:13 PM PDT up reply actions

Odd that it was a dislocated finger.

I heard on some broadcast probably an A’s broadcast a viewer question asking why players hold their batting gloves while running the bases. The answer was that it forces the player to keep his hands in a fist thereby preventing jambed and dislocated fingers when sliding.

by Donner on Jul 11, 2008 11:58 AM PDT reply actions

doesn't sound like something people who slide headfirst would do?

seems like if you slide headfirst having crap in your hand would make it a lot easier to get hurt.

Jeremy was safe. He jumped over the tag.

by mrrickyg on Jul 11, 2008 12:04 PM PDT up reply actions

trust me: never run with crap in your hand

Also: never crap with runs in your hand.

... arousing men to burst the chains under which monkeyish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves ... @('.')@

by monkeyball on Jul 11, 2008 12:25 PM PDT up reply actions

awesome.

I was at a Starbucks once, and this little 3 year old came running over screaming “Look Daddy, pooooop!”
You’ve never seen more people running in different directions in your life. Hilarious.

I needed a team so I wouldn’t turn into one of the eighty million pink hat-wearing Bud Light-drinking mulleted idiots at Fenway.

by Vacafan on Jul 11, 2008 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions

LOL

... arousing men to burst the chains under which monkeyish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves ... @('.')@

by monkeyball on Jul 11, 2008 2:54 PM PDT up reply actions

haha

Great story. 3 yr olds are something. I am a nanny 6 days a week and the kids are 3,3,2, and 7 weeks. There have been many occasions the 3 year olds have made me want to run lol

Anyways, it will be hard for Ryan to NOT slide in head first. Going to have to teach that boy a better way. It is instinct and that’s a hard thing to change. I am sure a hurt finger and a few smacks in the back of his head he’ll learn to NOT slide head first

by ilovegregsmith on Jul 11, 2008 4:00 PM PDT reply actions

Sliding headfirst into first base

is the worst.

As was mentioned, Rajai Davis showed how to avoid getting tagged out, which a feet first slide won’t do.

Plenty of people have broken ankles and other dire leg injuries with feet first slides. With the base firmly anchored, the idea is to never hit the bag hard, whether feet first or head first.

Henry Aaron got his break with the Braves, because in spring training, Bobby Thomson slid into second (feet first) and broke his leg. Aaron took his spot.

"I never predict anything, and I never will." Paul Gascoigne, English footballer

by One won lost won on Jul 11, 2008 9:54 PM PDT reply actions