Apparently, Nick Punto is being stubborn about sliding into first base, as he has been wont to do for several years. This is much to the dismay of many Twins fans and media-types, and I suppose other baseball fans who think that you just don't do that, because, well, everyone knows you don't.
But consider these points:
1) It has never been proven that NOT sliding is better, it has only been passed down for years as "studies show" or "everyone knows" hearsay.
2) On a throw that pulls the first baseman off the bag, the head-first slider is immeasurably more difficult to get out with a sweep tag. You will commonly see this type of throw on a hurry-up play, a play that is likely to be close, yet the runner doesn't quite know HOW close, like a high-chopper or a bunt...the type of play in which Nick commonly finds himself.
Bottom line...if you know how to slide head-first without getting hurt (which, by the way, is the SAFEST base to slide into), go for it.
If you are Justin Morneau, step on the bag and head to the dugout. You'll get 'em next time.
I would not, however, recommend sliding into first in recreational softball. On the bang-bang plays in which the fielder has made an on-target throw to first, most umpires will likely have the old "everyone knows you don't do that, therefore I'm calling you out for doing that" mentality. You may occasionally avoid a sweep tag on poor throws, but it is still at best a wash, and just not worth it for us wannabes.
Oh, and in case anyone wants to submit the argument that you don't see sprinters diving head-first at the finish line, consider these three points:
1) It isn't exactly slide-friendly dirt on the other side of the finish line
2) They DO stick out their chests, an act which detracts from proper sprinting form (thus slowing them down, to borrow from the anti-sliders' logic)
3) Sometimes they do
Key to the City: London
1 month ago
4 comments:
You've failed to consider the very real possibility of a throw getting past the first baseman. I'd argue that a runner who is still on his feet is better positioned to take second on a bad throw than is the guy flat on the ground with a face full of dust.
I may have failed to comment on it, but I have definitely considered it. In my experience, it is surprisingly easy to pop up from a head first slide, which seems counter-intuitive when you see how many people over-slide or come close to over-sliding second base on head-first slides. (It seems it's harder to stop a head-first slide than it is to pop-up and run from one.)
On a close play with a throw that gets away, a person running hard through the bag, and typically favoring/leaning toward the outfield-side of the line after crossing the bag, maybe even then slowing down per habit, suddenly has to turn hard left and run more than 90 feet to second once realizing the throw was wild. A person sliding, and again, not Justin Morneau, is typically capable of quickly hopping to his feet and heading straight to second.
I'd be interested to see a comparison of the two situations with the same runner. My guess would be it's a wash. Even if it were shown that the non-slider has a slightly better chance of getting to second, is that more important than making sure you get to first if the first baseman fields the wild throw? I don't know...
I'd love to see a sabremetrician come up with the numbers on these scenarios.
Discussions like this are what makes baseball the best game, even if MLB is doing a poor job as caretaker.
I think the root of all this clamor is money. I'm of the opinion that sliding involves more risk to injury than not sliding. And thus, simple probability says don't slide into first when you can run through the bag.
Now one could argue that a player like Punto has so little value, it's not significant enough to discuss. I'd buy that. However, like you said, if the Twins first baseman slid into first, I think most everyone (pro and anti sliding) would agree that he should run through the bag.
I don't have a problem with either belief. I just get a charge out of people who insist that sliding into first is absolutely taboo, and that everyone "knows" it.
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