Is sliding into first base better than running?

Question

One of the guys on Baseball Tonight said that guys who slide head first into first base are making a mistake because you are much more likely to be called safe if you just run it out. I usually give no credibility to anything they say, but I honestly don't know about this one. Anyone have an idea? Some support to your answers would be helpful.

Answer 1

Sliding involves friction between the players body and the ground. Running involves momentum. Friction slows a moving object, so sliding slows you down. Regardless of feet first or head first, sliding slows you down.

When you are running to first, you make contact to be safe. You can then step off and still be considered safe. So running through the base, as long as you are there before the ball reaches the 1st baseman, you are safe, even if you keep running down the baseline.

When you are running to 2nd or 3rd you have to remain on that base after you make contact, or the defensive player can tag you out the second you are no longer on that base.
So, the main reason you slide into a base is to remain on that base when your body stops.

From the sourced link I am providing:

When to Slide
1. To avoid a tag.
2. To stop at the base.
3. To break up a double play.
4. To get back to base.
5. Always when play is close.

To Kris below, I agree that it is not meant for plays at first. I copied that from the page I linked to. I took number 4 and 5 as kind of being the same thing. When a player is taking a lead from first to potentially steal a base, and the pitcher tries to pick him off, that is a close play, so sliding back to first would come into the play. When you have to get to the base and make sure that you are going to not lose physical contact with the base, sliding is a way to verify you wont miss the base. (unless you overslide, which is a whole other discussion)

The core of this entire question is sliding into first on a single. When you are running you are the fastest you can be. As soon as you leave your feet, you have no propulsion. You're slowing down. It is simple physics. Friction slows momentum.

Answer 2

Yea, you can slide into first base, but rarely would a player do it. I saw Mark Kotsay and Omar Vizquel do it before. The only time players actually do it is if they believe the throw to first base will get the firstbasemen off the bag and that the firstbaseman would then have to tag the guy. If you slide, the first baseman cannot tag you cuz he's under the assumption you are running down the first baseline and not on your belly. So yea, its rarely rarely ever done in the pros. I would teach your grandson to run the full length tho. IT's much better because sliding actually takes more time. Hey, if it's easier for you, you can choose me as the Best Answer. :P Ill do the praise for all the answers for you. "Thank All For Your Wonderful Answers!"

Answer 3

I actually agree with them. If you slide, you begin the slide at the last velocity at which you were running. Because of friction, that velocity can only decrease on the way to the base. If you keep running, you can maintain your speed.

Then there is the other issue of timing your steps so you land on the plate. I also believe too that sliding has more of the intimidation factor for the guy catching the ball at the base. Sorry not too up to date on baseball terminology.

*EDIT*
Bob makes some good points. The rules are different when sliding into 2nd and 3rd base, so it may be advantageous to slide then.

Answer 4

Sliding into any base gets you there slower than running. I repeat, sliding into any base gets you there slower than running. One more time? Sliding into any base gets you there slower than running. Sliding helps the baserunner stop (otherwise they couldn't run the bases at top speed), and can help to break up a play when the fielder has to tag out the runner (which is why people slide into home), But sliding and diving get the baserunner to the bag slower than running.

Your speed comes from your legs. As soon as you overbalance either forward or backward, either to slide or dive, your body starts to slow down. If gravity were a lot stronger and you could run at top speed and fall on your face by not striding--here's the big part--without covering the distance of one more stride, then diving could get you there faster. Gravity isn't that strong, it takes two or three strides after the baserunner commits to diving to actually dive and each of those steps slows the runner down.

You used to see track sprinters try diving when the first composite tracks were built--got that from my grandfather, a D1 head track coach for almost 30 years--and in every case standing at the tape and watching film he thought the guys that dove lost ground on the rest of the field, with just a couple of off-balance steps.

Answer 5

Someone else asked this question earlier tonight and I told them to go to Isaac Newton's Rules of Motion to prove that the slowing down to slide and the friction of sliding takes more time than running at full speed.

The only time you need to slide at first is if there is an wild throw and you have to avoid a tag or a collision to reach the base safely.

Answer 6

Sliding does not give you a boost at first. It just doesn't. It takes much more effort (and thus energy and time) to bend down and slide forward. Besides increasing your risk for injury, you sacrifice one or two tenths of a second and risk obstructing the umpire's view of the play. Remember, you can overrun 1st base, so why decrease your momentum by sliding?

Answer 7

Because you are allowed to run through first base it's much faster to run than slide. You'll see players slide sometimes at the direction of the base coach. This is usually done when it looks like the throw is going to be off and there is a chance of being tagged out on the first base path as opposed to being forced out at the base. Sliding is the most effective way to avoid a tag, running is the fastest way to get there.

Answer 8

nice, it does not help only slows you down.

As a first base coach, i had 5-6 people slide into first, due to bad throws, and all were safe,
I think the umps dont like to see the slide into first unless there is an errant throw.

Answer 9

Players are trained that running is faster. This is why they almost never do slide, and are only criticized when they do. The universal practice is the support for this answer.

EDIT to point out that sprinters do not slide across the finish line. Neither do football players trying to score, or athletes being timed by scouts.

Answer 10

Since you're allowed to run through first base, the only reason to slide is to try and avoid a tag. Situations where the fielder is going to try and tag you, rather than the base, are rare.