Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday called Chase Utley, of the Los Angeles Dodgers, “guilty as sin” after what Major League Baseball determined was an illegal slide into Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada during Saturday night’s Game 2.
De Blasio — a devoted Red Sox fan who sees the Amazin’s as his adopted team — raged to reporters before yesterday’s Columbus Day parade in Manhattan that he was astounded by the collision, which broke Tejada’s leg.
MLB has suspended Utley for games 3 and 4 of the National League Division Series, but the infielder is appealing the decision.
“He can appeal all he wants but he’s guilty as sin,” de Blasio said. “I mean, that is a tackle.”
The mayor said he only watched the beginning of Saturday’s night game live, but saw a video of the violent seventh-inning slide in the morning.
“I was astounding. It wasn’t even close. It was a tackle, it was illegal, it was sickening,” de Blasio said. “And I guess he was a right to appeal, but that appeal should be immediately dismissed. He should serve that suspension.”
The Democrat, who as mayor attended both this year and last year’s Mets home openers and was at all three games of their series against the Red Sox, said he expects New Yorkers will make known their disgust with Utley if he is at Monday night’s Game 3.
“The people of New York City will let him know how they feel,” de Blasio said. “He deserves all the boos he gets.”
