MLB Bullets Cuts To The Chase

The Iowa Hawkeyes are 6-0! How about that. I think I'd care a lot more about that if the Cubs weren't in the NLDS.

• Look, you know what today's big story is. You've all seen it by now. If you haven't, pretty much all these links have video of it. It's Chase Utley's "slide" into Ruben Tejada, breaking Tejada's leg. Utley has been suspended for games 3 and 4 of the NLDS, thus heading off a potential riot at Citi Field. Utley will appeal, however.
• Current and former MLB players react.
• Tim Kurkjian tries to define what a dirty slide is.
• This is not the first time Utley has taken out a middle infielder with a controversial slide. Heck, it's not even the first time Utley has taken Ruben Tejada out with a controversial slide.
• Jon Heyman explained why MLB had to suspend Utley.
• Rob Neyer thinks there is no precedent for suspending Utley for the slide and thus, he thinks the suspension will be overturned on appeal.
• David Schoenfield thinks that MLB needs to change the rules to prevent slides like Utley's, or just enforce the rules currently on the books.
• Schoenfield also applauds the decision to suspend Utley.
• Brian Kenny writes that Utley's slide was already illegal by the rule book and that a double play should have been called for interference. MLB just needs to start enforcing its own rules.
• Buster Olney says the time has come for MLB to put an end to takeout slides at second base. (ESPN Insider Only.)
• Craig Biggio doesn't want the rules to change.
• CJ Nitkowski polled current players. The large majority of them thought Utley's slide was "legal but dirty." A smaller majority want the rules changed.
• Grant Brisbee writes that just as the injury to Buster Posey caused a change to the rules about home plate collisions, this play will cause a rules change as well to eliminate take-out slides.
• Erik Malinowski laments that this play is going to overshadow what should have been a great series.
• The Mets replaced Tejada on the roster with Matt Reynolds, who would be making his major league debut in the postseason if he actually gets in a game.
• All of this is taking attention away from game one of the same series and Dodgers manager Don Mattingly's decision to pull Clayton Kershaw. Tim Keown writes that Mattingly is finding that managing in October isn't easy.
• There's a simple solution to all that. Mattingly is reportedly the Marlins' first choice for their vacant managerial job. Then he'd never have to worry about managing in October again.
• Steve Wulf has a marvelous profile of the career of Zack Greinke, including the time he quit baseball while he was with the Royals.
• Cal Ripken Jr. admits he'd be interested in the Nationals managerial job.
• Richard Justice thinks Ripken would be the perfect manager for the Nationals. Because, you know, the solution to a manager who messed everything up because he had no idea what he was doing because he had absolutely no experience is to hire another manager who has absolutely no experience. Go for it, Nats. He used to give great interviews to Richard Justice, so he'd be perfect.
• Dean Chance has died. Chance was the 1964 Cy Young Award winner with the Angels.
• Grant Brisbee thinks the idea that David Price can't handle the pressure of the postseason is "poppycock."
• Price could pitch out of the bullpen for the Blue Jays in game four.
• Leonys Martin never reported to the instructional league. After getting left off the Rangers playoff roster, he was assigned there to stay ready in case of an injury.
• As his career approaches an end, Tracy Ringolsby talks to LaTroy Hawkins about his grandfather and his hometown of Gary, Indiana and how they shaped his life.
• No, it's not your imagination. The strike zone is bigger in the postseason. This is bad news for the Cubs.
• For the 2015 playoffs, Orange is the new Royal blue.
• Mike Axisa lists which free agents are likely to get a qualifying offer this off-season.
• J.A. Happ is interested in returning to the Pirates.
• Steve Hofstetter writes about what it means to him to be born a Mets fan. You could read this piece and just substitute "Cubs" for "Mets" and with the exception of the quick reference to 1986, it still works.
• RALLY BABY IN A BANANA SUIT!
• Colby Rasmus is so hot now, pretty much nothing can slow him down. Well, except the roof at Minute Maid Park, which knocked down one of his fly balls into a single.
• Although maybe Daniel Murphy has bragging rights over that. Murphy hit his home run in Friday night's game so hard, that his name was branded into the ball.

And tomorrow will be a better day that today, Buster. We'll send the Cardinal fans home unhappy tomorrow.