That didn't take long.
Major League Baseball's new slide rule was tested on only the third day of the season when Toronto's Jose Bautista tried a little too hard to keep Tampa Bay's Logan Forsythe from turning a double play with one out in the ninth with the bases loaded Tuesday. Not only did Bautista slide past second base — which is now a no-no — he also reached out and touched Forsythe's legs as he tried to clear the bag to throw to first. One play, two violations.
The rule is supposed to stop dangerous plays, like the one on which Chase Utley broke Ruben Tejada's leg in last year's playoffs. Bautista's slide was not as dangerous, but managers are going to take advantage of the rule, which Rays manager Kevin Cash did when he asked for the play to be reviewed. Bautista was called out, it was the final out of the game, and it kept the tying run from scoring. This won't be the only time the interpretation of this rule will be in the spotlight.
Utley, by the way, apparently hasn't learned. He went out of his way to make contact with Padres catcher Derek Norris while tagging the plate Monday. It might be tough for the league to break old habits.
This development is just one of five story lines to follow as the season gets underway. Here are four others:
Cubs fever
Kyle Schwarber's season-ending left leg injury suffered Thursday will be a setback, but this massively talented roster should be able to handle it. The excitement about this team centers around its core of phenoms — Schwarber, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Jorge Soler and Addison Russell. The Cubs are scary, already talented with plenty of upside.
Tobacco ban
One report estimates 30 percent of players use smokeless tobacco. But they will be forced to alter their habits in some cities this year because of new laws against using the product at sporting venues that issue tickets. New York, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles have passed measures, and MLB has said any player breaking a law is subject to additional punishment from the league.
Stantonpalooza
Giancarlo Stanton was the only player to hit a ball into the third deck at Target Field during the Home Run Derby in 2014. On Monday, he nearly hit a Justin Verlander pitch into the ocean. Stanton played in only 74 games last season because of a broken left hamate bone. He had hit 27 homers at the time. Stanton is a threat to hit 60 homers this season.
