Sliding into 1st base.....

[JAD]

Watching the Oklahoma vs. Baylor game and one of the Baylor batters just slid into 1st base after dropping down a drag bunt (1st out in the top of the 3rd). How is it that we knew that running through the bag is faster than sliding in 12U TB, yet players on the #14 D1 team in the country think it is a good idea? Sliding is only effective if you have to stop on the bag. How many major league baseball players do you see sliding into 1B?

 

[onkyo]

if it were faster, wouldn't we see sprinters doing it at the finish line?

 

[colin]

there are always a couple of bonehead slides at first in mlb and usually a broken finger or sprained wrist top it off

 

[slingnit]

I'm not so sure it's so much about getting there faster as it is a distraction for the player that is covering first. A rushed throw could be low or even one hop. You have a girl sliding, stirring up dirt and trying to get in the defensive player's peripheral vision, it could possibly cause an error.

 

[DiamondDad316]

I saw that play and was wondering the same thing. Looks like she came down hard on the bag.

 

[coach james]

Pete Rose would tell us all to shut up on this one!
Then he'd place a bet that it is in fact faster

 

[Lenski]

Pete Rose would tell us all to shut up on this one!
Then he'd place a bet that it is in fact faster

I don't remember Pete Rose ever sliding into first base...... I don't think he'd advocate it either.

 

[MTR]

Pete Rose would tell us all to shut up on this one!
Then he'd place a bet that it is in fact faster

Charlie Hustle was a showman. Some might say hot dog.

There are clips of comparisons done concerning sliding and running through 1B that show leaving your feet and going airborne is no and possibly even slower. There is nothing with sliding head first, but it probably only helps the runner get low and away from a swipe tag.

 

[redhotcoach]

And possibly harder to make the correct OUT call.

 

[Cowdogz]

First thing DD says to me last night: "At softball practice I dove into home." Turns out she was wearing shorts and didn't want to slide. On the outside, I'm cautioning her about breaking her collarbone or cutting her hand on the catcher's shinguards. On the inside, I'm going, "Oh, HELL yeah!"