old ballgame/odd ballgame

[Benchcoach]

I think your gripe derives from the fact you are comparing apples and oranges. Wide turns are permitted and coached when the batter/runner is attempting to obtain extra bases. We use to tell the little guys it was running the banana. Running wide to first only slows batter/runner when the play is at first (the shortest distance between two points is a straight line) but running wide allows him not to break stride when trying to achieve an extra base. The rules have never allowed the runner to interfere with the play. But the feeling was if the slide was at 2b was “In the vicinity” intent to interfere would not be inferred. This was kind of absurd when we saw runners executing roll blocks to break up the double play. Baseball is not a blood sport. It was always a shame to watch gold glove catchers have seasons and careers shortened by plate collisions and the same can be said for F4s and F6s injured by roll blocks and high spikes. Sandy Koufax pitched from the high mound and had Tommy John been invented in his day, he would not have had to quit in his prime.