Let’s face it, the game of baseball today is not the same game that it was in 1900, or 1930, or 1960, or 1990. Heck, it isn’t even the same game that it was in 2013. In fact, prior to the 2014 season, it was perfectly legal – expected, even – to completely take out a catcher who was blocking the plate in order to attempt to score.

But in 2014 and as a result of a violent collision at the plate between Florida Marlins outfielder Scott Cousins and San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey on May 25, 2011, Major League Baseball amended rule 6.01 (i) (7.13) – which will forever be known as ‘The Posey Rule’ – that prohibits base runners from taking out catchers blocking the plate. It also requires catchers to leave a pathway to the plate for base runners. This and video replay are arguably the biggest changes to the game in decades.

The reason for ‘The Posey Rule’.

And then, on October 10, 2015, Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley took out New York Mets second baseman Ruben Tejada in an attempt to break up a double play in Game-2 of the 2015 National League Division Series that also broke Tejada’s leg. Under the rules in place at the time, it was perfectly legal – expected, even. However, beginning in 2016, MLB amended rule 6.01 (j) (7.14) – which will forever be known as ‘The Utley Rule’ – that prohibits base runners from making contact with a fielder for the purpose of breaking up a double play.

The reason for ‘The Utley Rule’.

Although the intent of the Posey and Utley Rules are abundantly clear, for ‘old school’ baseball fans they were the beginning of the wussification of the greatest game in the world; a game that many (most) of them played themselves as kids, some even as adults. Old schoolers grew up with the full understanding that taking out a middle infielder to break up a double play, and even more so taking out a catcher in full protective gear, was just how the game was played and was perfectly legal.

Not anymore.

As every Dodger fan – and probably every baseball fan – on the planet knows by now, that same Chase Utley announced on Friday afternoon that he is retiring from the game at the conclusion of the 2018 season, this in spite of the fact that he has an additional year remaining on his current two-year / $2 million contract. The extremely popular (except perhaps to Miguel Tejada) 39-year-old Pasadena, California native and former UCLA Bruin cited wanting to be a full-time dad as his reason for hanging up his spikes.

“I transitioned to a part-time player, something new for me, but I took it in stride,” the ever-stoic Utley said. “Also, a part-time strength coach, part-time pitching coach, occasionally part-time catching coach as well as a part-time general manager. The thing I’m having the most difficult time with is being a part-time dad. So that’s really the reason I’m shutting it down. I’m ready to be a full-time dad.”

It’s impossible to argue with this.

The tough part, at least for us old schoolers, is that much of the knowledge, experience and tradition that Utley brings / brought to the game will retire with him.

Now I’m certainly not talking about violent takeout slides which, quite frankly, needed to be removed from the game in the interest of health and safety. I’m talking about other aspects of the way the game used to be played – within the rules – that seem to be vanishing from the game with the retirement of each seasoned veteran.

Case in point:

On Thursday night when the Dodgers were playing the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego, Utley was hit by a pitch from Padres right-hander Craig Stammen. It was the 201st time that Utley had been hit by a pitch (thus far) in his 16 major league seasons. Many will argue, and in fact Padres manager Andy Green did, that the man dubbed ‘The Silver Fox’ made no attempt to get out of the way of the pitch and had actually leaned into it in an obvious attempt to get hit and reach base safely. Green’s argument fell on the deaf ears of home plate umpire Jordan Baker, and the sly Fox – silver or otherwise – was awarded first base. Logan Forsythe pinch-ran for Utley and (wait for it…) came around to score the eventual winning run in the tight 3-2 contest.

When Utley was hit by Stammen’s pitch on Thursday night, it was the 201st time that the 39-year-old veteran had been hit in his 16-year MLB career. (Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)

I defy you to name one other Dodger – or any baseball player today – who has the savvy, baseball knowledge, wisdom, or even courage to do what Chase Utley did. Now granted, tagging the veteran second baseman with these accolades is an admission that he did, in fact, get hit on purpose and gives credence to Andy Green’s argument. But the bottom line is that Utley was hit by Stammen’s pitch and the Dodgers won the game because of it, and this type of veteran experience – right, wrong, or indifferent – will be lost forever when Utley retires at the end of the season.

…and for this old school baseball fan, this is sad.

Thank you for playing the game the right way – the old school way – for so many wonderful years, Chase. And Godspeed to you wherever life takes you from here.