Maddon doesn't expect Pirates to retaliate for Rizzo's slide
Anthony Rizzo made a questionable slide at home plate during Monday's series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates, but as the three-game set continues, Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon doesn't expect any retaliation against his club's first baseman.
"It's much worse when a team throws at a player intentionally than when a player makes a hard slide," Maddon told 670 The Score on Tuesday, later stating he does not expect the Pirates' pitching staff to bean Rizzo.
Maddon was incensed by the idea that the slide, which took out the back leg of Pirates catcher Elias Diaz, could be viewed as dirty. "There is no argument," the veteran skipper said. "It's an inane argument. I don't understand it. That's the way the play is supposed to be played."
On a ground ball with the bases loaded, Sean Rodriguez fielded the ball and threw home for the force out before Diaz attempted to assist on a double play at first base. Rizzo slid and appeared to leave the basepath, clipping Diaz's back leg and causing the catcher to overthrow first base. A pair of runs scored.
(Video courtesy: MLB.com)
The play was reviewed but the call wasn't overturned.
However, a report surfaced Tuesday that suggested the league believes interference should've been called on the play, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN. Both the Cubs and Pirates were notified of this disagreement from the umpires' official video review.
"These people that are arguing against that, my God," Maddon added, "my baseball sensibilities are absolutely being attacked there."
Prior to the 2014 season, Major League Baseball introduced what was colloquially known as "The Posey Rule." In 2011, San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey had to be carried off the field with a season-ending leg injury after Scott Cousins charged the plate and collided with him - a play that was perfectly permissible at the time.
"The Posey play from a couple years ago was based on bad technique," Maddon continued.
Pirates right-hander Nick Kingham will take the mound Tuesday evening against Jon Lester, with Joe Musgrove and Kyle Hendricks getting the call in Wednesday's finale.