It’s a stupid play. It’s universally accepted within the baseball community that players should run through first base and not slide into it.
So why does Nick Punto keep sliding?
Maybe it’s harder for me to stomach when the perpetrator is a .220 hitter who recently signed a two-year contract extension to play the infield for the Minnesota Twins.
Punto has slid head-first into first base on back-to-back games Friday and Saturday. And when you’re team loses by one run like on Saturday, and a guy gets called out on a head-first slide on a really close play in the game, how is he not benched for it?
Here’s some of the many reasons why sliding into first base is foolish:
- Sliding as opposed to running through first base slows a player down.
- Umpires are not going to give a baserunner the benefit of the doubt when they’re not playing the game the right way.
- It leaves you susceptible to injury when you make a habit of sliding head-first. I remember earlier this decade David Ortiz - then with the Twins – sliding head-first into home plate at Kaufmann Stadium and injuring his hand. There are times when sliding head-first is necessary, but don’t do it when it’s not needed. The Houston Astros ban sliding head-first into first base and home plate in their minor leagues because of the injury risk.
Delmon Young reportedly plays the game his way and is chastised by his manager for it. Carlos Gomez, too. And they both deserve to be.
But I just don’t understand why everyone – from broadcasters to the team’s management – seems to turn a blind eye toward Punto costing the team outs. If he runs through that bag on Saturday and is called safe, maybe the Twins find a way to score another run or two and win the game. Who knows?
Am I to just shrug my shoulders and say, "Well, he’s a gritty player."?
You are calling out a guy because he is giving maximum effort?? Sorry if everyone on the Twins played every play as hard as Punto does the Twins wouldn’t have lost last night’s game by one run and sliding into 1st head first wouldn’t be an issue. Yes causing an injury may happen while sliding into first, but it is more likely for a player to get hurt when trying to play something safer then when giving max effort. I personally don’t like it when Punto does it but I will never fault him for it because he is constantly going all out.
As far as the umpires calling someone out for not playing the RIGHT WAY, that doesn’t happen often if ever in the majors. That’s something that happens more when you are trying to teach baseball to teenagers.
The problem that most people have with Punto is he is not hitting enough to keep his spot in the order. Correct or not that’s fine. But the fact is if the the other 8 guys in the order were hitting the way they can, then you can have Punto’s average in the lineup which means max effort, great leadership, and flawless defense. That is more the issue with the Twins right now, but we are not willing to look at that instead.
My problem isn’t with Punto’s work ethic. I guess I don’t equate sliding into first base as giving any more or less effort as I would running hard all the way through the bag. I mean, a guy could do cartwheels all the way down to first base giving maximum effort, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
I like Punto. You can have a guy like him play everyday when the rest of your lineup is hitting.
My point is if he would do the smart baseball move and run through the bag, we wouldn’t consider him any less hard-nosed or gritty. And of course, he’s out today because he injured his ribs sliding head-first last night, according to the radio broadcast. He might go to the DL. Great play.
The “sliding into first base” argument is one of those things that has always driven me nuts. I am on the side of it being a quicker way to get to first base. Whenever someone argues it is slower they are always comparing it to sliding into another base. I see it as completely different. When a player slides into second or third they are trying to get under a tag and slow themselves down to not overshoot the base. They do this by hitting the ground before the base. At first base the player is actually not “sliding into first base” but diving through it. Because you are diving through the base the ground doesn’t slow your momentum because you touch the base the same time your body hits the ground. You also thrust yourself forward and put your hands at least 8 feet in front of your feet. That seems like a pretty good advantage to me.
The other argument I see made against diving into first is “if it is faster why don’t sprinters do it?” That is a completely invalid argument because of the surface. You would have to be insane to want to dive on the hard surface of a track. Pretty much guaranteed full body road rash. A better comparison would be in football. Are you going to tell me a running back shouldn’t dive for the corner of the end zone or a first down? Or that a receiver shouldn’t dive for an overthrown ball? I’ve never seen anyone argue that one. “Oh man, why did he dive for that pass. He should have just run through it.”