Feb. 24--Chase Utley's takeout slide that broke the leg of Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada in last year's playoffs resulted in a suspension for Utley and ignited a debate over a possible rules change.
Lumped into the discussion was a takeout slide by the Cubs Chris Coghlan last September in Pittsburgh that broke the leg of Pirates shortstop Jung Ho Kang.
Whether it was fair to compare the two slides doesn't matter to Coghlan.
"I don't care," Coghlan said. "They'll change the rule. That's just what happens. Anytime somebody, a good player gets hurt, they change the rule.
"Buster Posey (gets injured and) they change the rule. There were plenty of good catchers that got run over before Buster Posey. The rule never changed. Buster Posey (gets injured), the rule changes.
"That's just the society we live in nowadays."
Tejada told reporters at Mets camp he doesn't forgive Utley for the dirty slide. Kang said at Pirates camps he agrees with changing the rules, saying "it's to protect the players." But Kang reiterated Coghlan was not to blame for his injury.
"I don't think it was intentional at all," Kang said. "The player, Coghlan, was just breaking up a double play."
Coghlan pointed out that Kang absolved him.
"You can't compare the two slides," he said. "They're two totally different (slides). Watch the video and I don't even have to describe it. You can see the difference."
Coghlan will probably hear about his slide whenever he goes to Pittsburgh.
"I'm sure they'll boo me and do different things, but that doesn't mean nothing. I'm not a marked man. I know they've got video. I didn't do anything wrong. I have no hesitation or feelings towards that."
Coghlan said he will remain aggressive on the basepaths.
"I didn't do anything wrong, so I'm going to do the same thing," he said. "I just hope (the infielder) will jump. You don't want anybody ever to get hurt. You don't go in maliciously, and you don't go in real late. You just go within the rules ... If (Kang) doesn't get hurt, it doesn't get brought up," he said. "That's the Buster Posey rule."
