Doubleheader Games Are Now Only Seven Innings, Relief Pitchers Must Face Three Batters, Extra Innings Begin With A Runner On Second Base, And Uniforms Have Advertising On Them, But These Brash Young Players Need To Respect The Integrity Of The Game

Who violates baseball's "unwritten rules"?

Yasiel Puig (June 21, 2017): Hit a towering three-run homer against the Mets. David Schoenfield (ESPN): "Let's just say he stood there at home plate. And watched. And admired. And enjoyed ... By the time he finally rounded the bases, it was 32.1 seconds later ... Mets first baseman Wilmer Flores didn't like it ... Catcher Travis d'Arnaud didn't like it. ... Mets players Yoenis Cespedes and Jose Reyes stopped Puig on his way out to right field ... Remember: Don't look like you're too happy about doing something good."

Jarrod Dyson (June 21, 2017): Bunted for a hit off Detroit's Justin Verlander, who had retired the first 19 batters. Lookout Landing explained: "It's against the unwritten rules to win a baseball game if the other pitcher pitched 5/9 of a good game."

Tim Anderson (April 17, 2019): Homers against the Royals, flips his bat. Two innings later, he is hit by a pitch, leading to a bench-clearing brawl.

Yairo Munoz (July 25, 2019): With his team up 11-4 in the fourth inning, he stole second and then took third when he saw no one was covering the bag.

Fernando Tatis Jr. (August 17 and 18, 2020): Swung at a 3-0 pitch with his team ahead 10-3 and (oops!) hit a grand slam. Opposing pitcher Ian Gibaut then fired a fastball behind Manny Machado's melon. The next night, Tatis stole third while Gibaut was in his set position, beating the pitcher's hurried throw.

I wonder what the one thing is that these five players have in common? Hmmmm ...

(Okay, some white players are also criticized.)

Sid Seixeiro, Twitter:

Baseball's the type of sport where its brightest young star hits a grand slam and people are mad he didn't do it the "right way". Great point. In a 60-game season with 7-inning double-headers we need to keep the integrity of the game intact.

Sheryl Ring, Beyond The Box Score:

If an unwritten rule were worth following, it would be written down.

Marc Carig, The Athletic:

I can't think of any more antithetical to the sport than a prohibition on trying hard.

That's the rule that Tatis violated on Monday night, with his Padres up 10-3 in the eighth inning against the Rangers. With the count at 3-0, with the bases loaded, in a game that counts in the standings, he had the audacity to try. He swung the bat, and because he's one of the best players on the planet, he hit a rocket over the fence. It's the outcome that every hitter should want. And after the game, he was castigated for it. ...

[A] seven-run lead that late in a game isn't insurmountable, especially now. ...

Look at the A's. Just three days prior, they entered the ninth inning against the Giants down five runs. They tied the game, and then won in the 10th. Improbable? Yes. Impossible? No. Especially now.

Hell, look at the Padres last June, when they beat the Rockies 16-12 ... clawing back despite trailing 11-4 entering the eighth. ...

Imagine an alternate scenario. Let's say that instead of hitting a homer, Tatis hit a grounder, jogged out of the box, then explained later on, "aw, screw it, we were up big, I didn't feel like running." Clearly, that's unacceptable. But according to these rules, so is trying. ...

Fernando Tatis Jr. stepped into a batter's box and had the audacity to give his full effort. If this is a violation, perhaps it's time to rethink the rules.

There was more good commentary in the comments.

If you don't want your guys to hit, put in the bench players who can't hit very well.

I also love the dichotomy of folks who complain about players "taking at-bats off" or "not running out fly balls" and then turn around and complain when someone tries too hard in a blow out.

So, if he had taken the 3-0 pitch for a strike and hit the 3-1 pitch for a HR, that would have been okay?

Yogi Berra, "It ain't over till it's over." ... Jayce Tingler: "I don't want to hurt my former employer's feelings."

Unwritten rules are the one place where a quitter mentality is not only allowed, but openly advocated for. ... [S]omehow Tatis isn't "playing the game the right way" when he is, quite literally, playing the game the dictionary definition right way - to win.

"These players are soft today!" ... "Uh, you'd better not pile on when you're up 7 runs or else feelings will be hurt. Not written anywhere, but it is the gentlemanly thing to do."

On July 31, the Mets led the Braves 8-2 and 10-5. They lost 11-10.

To those that support these unwritten rules, try this experiment: pretend that you're explaining the game of baseball to someone that knows nothing about it. When you get to the part about the unwritten rules, record yourself. Then go back and listen to your own explanation of said rules. It should sound like the some of the dumbest shit you've ever heard in your life.

Chris Woodward is not only a major league manager, he's a major league hypocrite.

July 22, 2002: Woodward doubles on a 3-0 pitch with his team up by three runs in the sixth inning. Not quite a blowout, but still ...

May 16, 2019: Texas leads Kansas City 12-1 in the ninth inning. The Royals have a position player pitching. Texas scores four more runs, hitting two home runs (including Rougned Odor on the first pitch), to go up 16-1. Woodward is not bothered.

September 26, 2019: Texas pitcher Mike Minor intentionally lets a pop fly drop against the Red Sox so he can have another chance to get his 200th strikeout. When the Red Sox call it a bush-league move, Woodward defends Minor. And Minor later says FU to anyone who disapproves.

August 20, 2004: Woodward, playing for Tampa Bay, hits his only career grand slam. It came with the Rays up by six runs (10-4) with two outs in the top of the ninth inning.

He shoulda swung at 3-0.#FernandoTatisJr https://t.co/Ivp9CmEXYJ

— Back Page Guy NYDN (@BackPageGuyNYDN) August 19, 2020