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Bryce took that terrible fall on first base. A couple years before he jammed his finger diving into third. Zim also injured a finger and missed time diving back into second. Now Acuna of the Braves is injured after running past first base. QUESTION: why are the bases so high in MLB? Why can't they be flat like in kids leagues or at least less high than they are know?
A base that's flat or near-flat would lead to a ton more injuries as guys slip on it while stretching to get there or crack the ankles of a fielder as they slide right over the thing, plus people would slide past bases and get tagged out routinely or fielders would miss throws while looking down for bases they can't feel with their feet (like happens a lot in kids' leagues). Home plate only works as flat because nobody needs to turn or stop on it. The solution to injuries caused by bases is to not slide too late and don't mess around when it's wet. Acuna's injury had nothing to do with the base; he got hurt turning afterwards to try to do the umpire's job for him.
One issue is the use of plastic spikes. They will slide off the base more than metal ones.
Are metal spikes illegal? How can a player sharpen his spikes to get a good bite into the field or maybe a second baseman's leg?