did the catcher do anything at all against the rules (not was it the bet footwork, was it legal)? no
was the runners slide legal (remember, retired 2-3 strides before slide, moved deliberately towards catcher, and tried to alter perception of where slide occured with the rollover onto the plate, and obligation of runner to avoid interfering with defense once retired and able to do so)? no runner had no right to be "getting in the way" whatsoever, so it was not benign in any way. in fact their obligation is the opposite.
once you have no right to be taking an action (ie getting in the way), and you do so anyway, AND there is good chance that action harms another player, that is intent to injure. or should the guy doing 60 on a residential street just get a speeding ticket when they plow over a kid on a bike who was in middle of the street where they shouldn't have been? he didnt intend to hit the kid, he just was in a hurry.
was the runners slide legal (remember, retired 2-3 strides before slide, moved deliberately towards catcher, and tried to alter perception of where slide occured with the rollover onto the plate, and obligation of runner to avoid interfering with defense once retired and able to do so)? no runner had no right to be "getting in the way" whatsoever, so it was not benign in any way. in fact their obligation is the opposite.
once you have no right to be taking an action (ie getting in the way), and you do so anyway, AND there is good chance that action harms another player, that is intent to injure. or should the guy doing 60 on a residential street just get a speeding ticket when they plow over a kid on a bike who was in middle of the street where they shouldn't have been? he didnt intend to hit the kid, he just was in a hurry.