Slide (baseball) - Definition and Overview

Ty Cobb sliding into first base at Comiskey Park in 1913.

In baseball, a slide is when a player drops to the ground when very close to a base they are approaching to avoid being tagged with the ball and put out, and to reach the base faster. Harry Stovey was one of the first baseball players to slide feet first. Because baseball shoes are spiked on the bottom, sliding with the spikes up can cause injury to the player covering the base. Ty Cobb was famous for actually sharpening his spikes in the dugout, in order to intimidate the other team.

There are many different ways to slide, involving different ways of attempting to avoid the tag and reaching to touch the base. Since the defense expects a slide, sometimes players will not slide directly towards the base, but rather to a side away from where the ball is coming, and then reach back to touch the base.

When it is possible that a double play might occur, and the runner running to second is already thrown out, he might try to slide into the player trying to throw the ball to first, to hamper his ability to complete the play. This is called a take-out slide. If a runner strays too far from second base when attempting a take-out slide, the umpire can eject him from the game.

See Also

• List of baseball jargon

External Link

• Sliding and Baserunning Terminology (http://www.enlexica.com/sp/bb/000EU.html)