Can anyone show me a link to the MLB rulebook in which it states that Utley's slide last night was illegal?

No one can point you to a rule that says it's illegal and should result in an out, because there isn't one. Not in the Official Baseball Rules, anyways.

Some are saying that that Utley had to slide directly to the base, but that's the high school "force play slide rule" which doesn't apply to MLB.

A lot of people are saying that he began the slide late. That wouldn't result in Utley being called out.

A lot of people are saying that Utley didn't touch the bag. He didn't, but if, in the umpire's judgment, he COULD have reached the base, that's a legal slide. That appears to be what was ruled in this case.

There is a rule about a runner who has been put out interfering with a following play, but Utley wasn't put out because Tejada never touched the base. The "neighborhood play" doesn't exist as it once did. These days the umpires make the fielder at least tag the base, though the timing may be off a little. Tejada did not tag the base, so Utley was ruled safe.

Here's an excerpt from the MLB Umpire Manual, which provides authoritative interpretations of the Official Baseball Rules:

"In sliding to a base, the runner should be able to reach the base with his hand or foot. (It was ruled that Utley could have reached the base.)

"A runner who, in the judgment of the umpire, contacts or attempts to make contact with a fielder with a slide or roll block that is not a bona fide effort to reach and stay on the base may be called out for interference and, when appropriate, a double play may be called. (Because Utley could have reached the base, it's a bona fide effort to reach the base.)

"Any definite change in direction by the runner to contact the fielder would be considered interference. (Utley didn't do this.)

"If a runner hits the dirt, slides, and rolls, it does not constitute a rolling block unless the runner leaves his feet and makes contact with the fielder before the runner slides on the ground. If the initial contact is with the fielder instead of the ground for the purpose of breaking up a double play, it is a roll block." (This is what Utley did, so it was not a 'roll block'.)"

So, the result of all of this is that the batter was not out because Utley was judged to have no obviously interfered with the intent to prevent a double play" "did not interfere with a play after he was put out'.

Now as far as it being potentially unsportsmanlike, it was judged to be that on the field. Joe Torre is doing a double-check. But unsportsmanlike conduct doesn't result in an out, it results in an ejection, and potentially a fine.

--

Interesting. Joe Torre has declared the slide illegal after the fact. He's not overruling the umpires on the field, since if he were, the play would have resulted in two outs. But he is using this as a justification for the suspension.

I hear there will be a rule change in the AFL to address this. I expect it MiLB next season, and in MLB in 2017. I also expect it will look a lot like the force play slide rule in high school.

No one is saying it's "illegal".............because baseball doesn't have rules about FULL BODY tackles.

Any sane rational person, watching the replay can SEE, with their own two eyes, that he wasn't even aiming at second base............he was clearly aiming straight for Tejada.

You can sit there and pretend it was an "accident" all you want. It's not the first time Utley's been called for excessively aggressive "accidental collisions. "

But hey, no problems........he'll be soundly BOO'ed in game 3. It was poor sportsmanship and you know it.

EDIT.........oh well, guess someone IS calling it an illegal slide, and Utley won't be boo'ed at the NEXT game, because he's just been SUSPENDED for two games.....for,.......oh, what do you know.............an illegal slide.

read it and weep Fozzy-

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/dodgers-utley-suspend...

I think MLB has now provided one: 5.09a 13:

(13) A preceding runner shall, in the umpire’s judgment,

intentionally interfere with a fielder who is attempting to

catch a thrown ball or to throw a ball in an attempt to

complete any play

Bases are 15" wide

The basepath is 36 " wide

Thus

The basepath extends 10.5 " to each side of the base

The baserunner is required to take the most direct path to the base which is right down the middle of the basepath

Utley should have been called out because he was clearly out of the basepath

Joe Torre said it was not illegal. But he also said he'd recheck what appeared to him to be a late slide.

Did u watch the news? The rule was only posted 1 million times. Lol

I thought his slide was bush league. He was about 3 feet from the bag and slides at the last second.

Unsportsmanlike

It was a perfectly legal slide.

Well