LOS ANGELES -- New York Mets players had strong reactions to Chase Utley's slide on Saturday that fractured shortstop Ruben Tejada's right fibula.
In fact, Kelly Johnson applauded a tweet from Justin Upton of the San Diego Padres, who wrote that if Troy Tulowitzki had been affected instead of Tejada, there would be a rule immediately instituted to protect middle infielders.
Upton tweeted: "If that was a superstar shortstop we would have a Tulo Rule being enforced tomorrow."
Mets players objected to several aspects of the play, including that Utley went airborne. They also objected to umpires deeming it a force play and not the "neighborhood play." Utley was ruled safe upon a replay review because Tejada ever-so-slightly did not touch the bag.
Johnson:
"We're losing our starting shortstop now for the rest of the playoffs. He's got a broken fibula. It cost us potentially this game. And we don't have anything to show for it. Also, did he touch the bag? We're talking a millimeter. We were right there. And we've got enough evidence to overturn that? But we can't find a rule in the rulebook for that slide -- or whatever it was … tackle?
"Chase is playing hard. He's doing his thing. He's in the moment. That's not the issue. The issue is he hit our shortstop first before hitting dirt. The question is at what point is that illegal? At what point do we say, ‘Hey, man, we missed something here.' We've got rules at home plate to protect our guys. What's the difference? Ruben stuck his neck out there to make a play to try to get the bag and then to turn to make a throw. And before he can get the ball out of the glove he's getting tackled. There just needs to be something that says, ‘Here's the rule. Here's what is says.' Because I'm not getting that. I don't get it.
"It's sad. I don't get it. I really don't. You guys saw it. It's obviously up to opinion and judgment. So we are all going to have one. I just want to know why there's not something in place that's going to protect us. I just don't get that. That's what I don't get. He's in the vicinity of the bag. Yes, [Utley] probably could have touched the bag had he put his hand out on it. But there's got to be something in there that says we've got to hit dirt, we've got to slide -- not jump into, break fibulas and knock players out of games."
"That's not a slide. That's a tackle."
"Only Chase knows what the intent was. There's a way to play the game hard, but only Chase knows going in there what his intent was. I have a problem with the play on a number of different levels -- one being the slide itself. In my opinion, he wasn't anywhere close to the bag. With that being said, he never touched the bag. And, I think, the neighborhood play is there to protect players trying to turn double plays from coming in and getting hurt. I have a lot of questions. I'm not sure if they've been answered or not. I'm not trying to call out the officials or the officiating. I'm just confused as to that play on a number of different levels. It was a big play in the game. They put some good at-bats together after that. It definitely seemed like after that play we lost the momentum and they came up with some big hits.
"I have a lot of questions. It's not sour grapes. It's not trying to call out the umpires. I'm just confused as to a number of different reasons why he was called safe right there."
Wright, asked about his 2010 statement that Utley would hurt somebody someday with his aggressive slides, added: "He has injured people. This isn't something new. I'm not going to sit here and answer on behalf of Chase. Chase can answer for himself. But when he's running to second base with Ruben's back turned, I don't know what his intent is."