In praise of old-school hard slide

A day after Chase Utley's slide at second base that caused a stir among the Mets, New York manager Jerry Manuel had a point of view far different from his players.

Rather than criticize Utley's takeout slide, Manuel was hoping his team was taking notes. He spoke admiringly of Utley's attempt to take out second baseman Ruben Tejada in the fifth inning of Friday's 3-2 Phillies win. Utley was trying to break up a double play, but the Mets were able to turn the twin-killing.

After the game, the Mets talked about retaliation and expressed how upset they were with Utley.

But a day later, their manager, who played for three major-league teams from 1975 to 1982, didn't share their view.

"I think it was a hard slide, it looked like a tad bit late, but when you sleep on it, that is the way we played," said Manuel before Saturday's 5-2 New York win at Citizens Bank Park. "That is how we played the game and you just don't see that anymore, and when you see it, you go, 'Oh wow, it's bad.' "

Utley didn't speak before Saturday's game, but earlier he told MLB.com: "I have never attempted to break up a double play with the intent to injure somebody."

Tejada, who told reporters on Friday that he wasn't bothered by the slide, changed his tune on Saturday.

"We play the game clean and that was not a clean play," he said. "He [Utley] was too far from the bag."

Mets shortstop Jose Reyes was even stronger in his assessment.

"I don't think it was clean at all," Reyes said. "You can hurt a guy's knee in that situation and you want to play hard but you don't want to hurt somebody."

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel wasn't too concerned about the Mets' feelings.

"They can react whichever way they want to," Manuel said. "If a guy stays right around the bag there, you're supposed to take him down or get in his way. That's how I was taught to play."

And that is how he has taught the Phillies to play.

"I thought it was an aggressive slide," Phillies rightfielder Jayson Werth said. "It is kind of what I expect to see from Chase, especially going into second base, trying to break up two."

After Friday's game, Mets third baseman David Wright said that his team would have to reevaluate how they would go into second base.

On Saturday, Jerry Manuel said that it's about time.

"I think it's on us to witness it and be a part of it, and I think it's all good," he said. "That tells the [Carlos] Beltrans, the Wrights, the Reyes, the older guys that this is how they are going to play and that is how we have to do it."

The Phillies weren't too concerned about potential Mets retaliation. "It's up to them but I think it's a waste of time," said first baseman Ryan Howard. "If you are going to retaliate, that is only going to lead to more retaliation from both sides."

For all the bluster after Friday's game, the Mets did not retaliate on Saturday, except on the scoreboard.