Sunday was not the first time Andrelton Simmons has arrived on-base head first. (Curtis Compton, ccompton@ajc.com)
Braves rookie Andrelton Simmons fractured the fifth metacarpal on his right hand Sunday against the Phillies making a head-first slide into second base. Simmons could miss up to six weeks.
Braves’ center fielder Michael Bourn could not beat the tag of the Phillies’ Ryan Howard. (AP)
Simmons is not the first player hurt this season making a head-first slide. (The Nats’ Roger Bernadina agonized after a head-first dive against the Blue Jays earlier this season.) And Simmons is not the only Brave to approach a base head-first. (Leadoff hitter Michael Bourn often dives in attempting to beat a high throw to first.)
But it does beg the question of whether players are taking an unnecessary risk. Do players lose an edge by sliding feet first? Of course, there are those who will argue that sliding feet-first puts the defensive player at risk. Hall of Famer Ty Cobb made …
