We’re six games into the 2015 season, and Bryan Price is already whining. The Cincinnati Reds manager’s latest gripe? A slide into third base by Cardinals outfielder Jason Heyward in the fifth inning of Sunday’s 7-5, 11 inning Cardinals win. Here’s the relevant quote, via the St Louis Post-Dispatch.
“Something happened at third base with Heyward. I thought that was a bad slide there,” Price told reporters. “I thought that was a dirty slide and I didn’t like that at all. He’s not a dirty player, but I just thought it was a bad slide and a dirty slide. It could have really affected Frazier and I’m not happy about that nor are any of our players. Hopefully we’ll be able to use it as fuel in this series to find ways to win games like (this).”
Here’s a gif of the video (and here’s the full video) in case you’re curious.
Late slide? Sure. *Dirty*? Please. Frazier was straddling the bag and Heyward slid between his legs. If he went directly at a shin, maybe you could make the argument it was a dirty play.
Oh, and when a player is trying to play dirty, they generally don’t react the way Heyward did.
“I was trying to get to the base quick, that’s all,” Heyward said. “I wasn’t sure how close and if there was going to be a play at the plate or not. I just slid hard. I looked to Frazier and asked him, ‘You good? You good?’ I wasn’t trying to do anything dirty or take anyone out. It wasn’t a situation that called for that. That’s all.”
The Reds lost two in a row to the Cardinals after winning their first four games of the year, so it’s not all that shocking that Price is getting a little irritated. But getting angry over this play? C’mon. Now you’re just looking for things to get annoyed by.
