Hall of Famers say Yankees player was justifiably hit by pitch by Boston after slide

Not surprisingly, there are two views of the slide by Yankees first baseman Tyler Austin during Wednesday's game at Boston.

One side says it was a good, clean slide intended to break up the chance for a double play.

The other side believes it was dirty because Austin came in with his spikes up and appeared to hit Boston's Brock Holt.

It's one of those "unwritten rules" in baseball that if a team believes that a player comes in with a spikes-up slide, then it will retaliate by beaning said player.

That's how things worked out Wednesday when Joe Kelly plunked Austin. That led to a bases-clearing brawl, and former Royals second baseman Carlos Febles may have taken the worst punch in the fracas.

Former Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez said Austin's slide was a "no-no."

Former Braves third baseman Chipper Jones said the beaning was just baseball policing itself.

That's the view from two Hall of Famers.

Here is the slide in question:

This story was originally published April 12, 2018 at 10:33 AM with the headline "Hall of Famers say Yankees player was justifiably hit by pitch by Boston after slide."