NEW YORK – Overshadowed by a couple of Andrelton Simmons' recent hard slides, and the Padres' assertion that he intentionally slid into their catcher's leg on a play at the plate Tuesday, is this positive development from the Braves' perspective: At least he's not sliding hands-first.
The two-time Gold Glove shortstop broke a pinkie sliding head-first as a rookie in 2012, and made Braves officials cringe plenty of other times sliding hands-first — or head-first, as some refer to it — in 2013 and 2014. Simmons said he finally abandoned that style of sliding at the behest of the team and his own realization that it was risky.
“I try to stay away from (hands-first slides),” he said. “I mean, I’ll still do them, but very, very rarely. If I do 10 (slides) I might do one or two that are going to be (hands-first).”
Simmons said he didn’t think he had slid hands-first once this season.
“We’ve taken the head-first slide away from him, a long time ago,” said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez, who forgot that Simmons actually slid head-first multiple times in 2014. “I don’t know when’s the last time he slid headfirst. I begged him (not) to, especially at first base. Remember when he used to do it at first base all the time?”
Simmons remembers. And for a long time, he couldn’t stop himself from doing it, even though he’d been asked to avoid sliding head-first if at all possible. He finally got past the point where he was able to overcome his instincts to dive toward the base.
“It’s not worth it,” Simmons said. “Try to stay on the field as much as I can. I have a better chance to stay on the field if I can save my fingers. I could still hurt my ankle, I mean, but … On a cold day, I can still feel (discomfort) in my pinkie, from the first time I hurt it. Not pain, but I can feel lit, in one spot.”
Now, about the ankle. Simmons’ feet-first sliding technique leaves plenty to be desired. Until he develops better technique it might not be much safer than the hands-first sliding, except that he’s at least protecting his valuable hands and cannon-strong arm.
The Braves want him to work on his sliding to avoid the kind of late, violent slides he’s made a few times this season, when it looked like he might sprain an ankle or knee, or worse, from the force with which he slid into the base.
“We need to get him better at it,” Gonzalez said, “not because it’s a dirty slide, but because you don’t want him to get hurt. There’s been a couple of times when he slides that you (cringe). And believe me, he’s not doing it maliciously. I don’t think the play at the plate (against the Padres) was anything malicious. By the way, you (Padres’ Derek Norris) are a catcher. I was a catcher. Every once in a while you’re going to get a nick, or someone’s going to slide in hard, or whatever.
“But my biggest reason to try to work him (on sliding) – which is hard; I mean, when are you going to do it? He’s got to play the game. But we’ve got to addresss that, because I fear he’s going to hurt himself. Slides late, doesn’t know how to slide.”
Simmons said, “Still working on it (feet-first form). That’s OK.”
