There have been a lot of great slides in MLB history. Head-first dives, pop-up slides, hook-slides — you name it. But here’s a legitimate question: Did Dodgers second baseman Trea Turner just gift us the coolest slide ever?
Turner flew around third base and scored on a Will Smith single in the sixth inning of the Dodgers’ 5-0 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday night. But the box score will not do this play justice because of the flourish with which it ended.
Turner was a blur on his way to the plate and despite a strong throw by right fielder Bryce Harper that was nearly in time to get him, the speedster nonchalantly reached out and touched the plate with his left hand as he smoothly slid through and then used his bottom leg to move seamlessly into a standing position. There was even a twirl at the end to cap it off.
“I’ve been doing that a long time,” Turner said. “That’s just how I slide, I guess. I try to not hit the ground very hard because it usually doesn’t feel great, so I try to be as soft as I can and slide, whether it’s head-first or feet-first. I try to avoid tags, but that’s just how I’ve slid basically my whole life.”
It was like some kind of baseball ballet, and we can’t stop watching the GIF on a loop.
