PORT ST. LUCIE — Terry Collins agreed with the problem. He just isn’t sure about the solution.
As Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association announced long-awaited changes concerning slides at second base — a result largely of the play during last year’s National League Division Series that resulted in the Dodgers’ Chase Utley seriously injuring the Mets’ Ruben Tejada — Collins expressed skepticism the multiple changes could work in concert.
In addition to declaring base runners must execute a “bona fide slide” into the bag — timely, directly and able to stay on the base — baseball’s powers said the “neighborhood” play at second base will be subject to instant-replay review, a change from past rules. That means middle infielders must be sure to step on the base when completing the force play.
“We’re making a slide rule that keeps you on the bag — you’ve got to be near the bag — and now you’ve got to make a decision on the neighborhood play that you’ve got to stay on the bag,” the Mets’ manager said Thursday, following the team’s workout at Tradition Field. “You know what that is going to mean? Somebody is going to get their clocks cleaned.”
Collins said MLB officials would be in camp Sunday to go over the rule changes and he hoped to get more clarity at that juncture.