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Unwritten Rules, Written

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 07 2010 12:53 PM

Interesting excerpt here from Jason Turbow's so-nice-it's-subtitled-twice "The Baseball Codes-- Beanballs, Sign Stealing, & Bench-Clearing Brawls: The unwritten rules of America's pastime," detailing 10 of baseball's more obscure "unwritten rules." (I like the stay-in-the-dugout pitcher "rule," personally. And I've read/heard that bit from #10 about Gaylord Perry somewhere before, though I can't recall where.) 1. Don't swing at the first pitch after back-to-back home runs This is a matter of courtesy, respect for a pitcher who is clearly struggling, offering just a sliver of daylight with which to regain his senses. When Yankees rookie Chase Wright(notes) gave up back-to-back-to-back-to-back homers against Boston in 2007, the guys who hit numbers three and four — Mike Lowell(notes) and Jason Varitek(notes) — each watched a pitch before taking a cut. "Let him know, okay, I'm not swinging," said Hal McRae. "I know you're out there trying to do a job, and I have to do a job — but you've just given up back-to-back home runs. So I take the first pitch." 2. Don't work the count when your team is up or down by a lot This is true for both pitchers and hitters. Nobody wants to see the fifth guy on a bullpen's depth chart nibbling on the corners in the late innings of a blowout. Similarly, hitters are expected to swing at anything close. It's an effort to quickly and efficiently end a lopsided contest. 3. When hit by a pitch, don't rub the mark. This one is all about intimidation or lack thereof. It's a hitter's way of telling the pitcher that his best shot — intentional or otherwise —didn't hurt. Pete Rose made a point of sprinting to first base after being hit, to ensure that he stripped all satisfaction from the pitcher. "It's a macho thing, like a fighter who gets clocked in the mouth and shakes his head like it didn't hurt him," said Rich Donnelly. "But believe me, it hurts." Lou Brock was the only hitter Sandy Koufax ever threw at intentionally, and despite the fact that his shoulder was fractured by the pitch, forcing him from the game, never once did he rub the spot. The Washington Post once reported that Don Baylor "was hit by 267 pitches yet never rubbed, even once. Of course, several of the balls had to be hospitalized." 4. Don't stand on the dirt cutout at home plate while a pitcher is warming up Just as Braden dismissed A-Rod's attempt to enter his sacred space, the area around the plate is meant only for the hitter, and then only when it's time for him to hit. Should a pitcher be getting loose before an at-bat, it's strictly off-limits. "I stay as far away from the cutout as I can when the pitcher is warming up," said Ken Griffey Jr.(notes) "If they could, they should put the on-deck circle in left field to make me happy. I don't want anything to do with messing with the pitcher when he's getting ready." 5. Don't walk in front of a catcher or umpire when getting into batter's box This is respect, pure and simple. If the line from your dugout to the batter's box takes you between the pitcher and the catcher, walk around. Like the A-Rod incident, you'll likely never hear about this one until a player is called out for brazenly violating it. 6. Don't help the opposition make a play (bracing them from falling into the dugout, etc.) In 1998, Dodgers left fielder Matt Luke braced Arizona's Andy Fox as the third baseman staggered into the Los Angeles dugout while chasing a pop fly. He knew the Code, but he had also been Fox's roommate in multiple levels of the Yankees' minor-league system, and was so tight with him that Fox had served as an usher in his wedding. Even then, he had his limits. "I waited until he made the play," said Luke in the Riverside Press Enterprise. "I wanted to prevent an injury. We're competing out there, and not for one second do I want to help the opposition." 7. Relievers take it easy when facing other relievers The caveat to this piece of the Code is that for the most part, relievers don't step to the plate in close games, which gives their counterparts on the opposing team some leeway in their approach. "You'd probably give them all fastballs," said Dave LaRoche. "It was just a professional courtesy type of thing. Here it is — I'll give you a chance to hit it if you can." 8. Follow the umpire's Code when addressing them on the field. This is a book in itself. How one talks to umpires goes a long way toward getting favorable calls, or at least not getting thrown out of a game. ("That call was horse----" is generally acceptable; "You're horse----" is never acceptable.) Some savvy teams go so far as to post headshots and bios in the clubhouse for the umps working that day's game, so that players can butter them up a bit. Still, there are ways to express anger without getting tossed. After umpire Shag Crawford called Dick Groat out on a play at second base, Groat told him, "You're still the second best umpire in the league." Then he added that the other 19 umpires were tied for first. 9. Pitchers stay in the dugout at least until the end of the inning in which they get pulled This is purely about respect for one's teammates. "I know you're having a tough day, but give your teammates the respect to stay out here until the end of the inning," said Sean Casey(notes). "You don't want to show that you think the game's already lost." 10. Pitchers never show up their fielders This doesn't happen frequently, but when it does, players notice. One pitcher who made a habit of excessive body language on the mound was Gaylord Perry, who would put his hands on his hips and stare down fielders who made errors behind him. "That bothered me because nobody glared at him if he gave up a home run or something like that," said Dave Nelson, Perry's teammate on the Rangers. "I always felt like I deserved the same respect because I'm out there busting my butt just like he is, and if I make an error, it wasn't because I was doing it on purpose." Perry's teammate in Cleveland, Oscar Gamble, had a different take: "If you don't do right, if you miss a ball you should have caught, you expect the fans to boo you," he said. "And this fan, Gaylord, was a player. That's the way I looked at it." Perry, however, was occasionally able to find his fielders innocent of wrongdoing. Once, after shortstop Todd Cruz fielded a grounder and air-mailed the ball into the stands, Perry withheld judgment. "Too much stuff on the ball," he said after the game.

Ashie62 May 07 2010 01:30 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

#3 Do not rub..ever

Edgy DC May 07 2010 01:36 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

1. Don't swing at the first pitch after back-to-back home runs I kind of thiink of Hal McRae as the guy who threw the nuttiest tantrum in managerial history. My thinking is that it's the guy's manager's job to rescue him. You're supposed to honor him by taking your at-bat seriously, especialy if the game is still out there. 2. Don't work the count when your team is up or down by a lot I think, if you're down by a lot, the best thing you can do is work the count, maybe get some baserunners leading to a couple of three-run homers, or maybe just make the other team's pitchers work so they're not fresh enough to beat you tomorrow. 3. When hit by a pitch, don't rub the mark. Sure, but that's about getting an edge. "Unwritten rules" tend to be about your conduct regarding the other team. This is the sort of thing that gets you fined by your own team in Kangaroo Court. 4. Don't stand on the dirt cutout at home plate while a pitcher is warming up Sure, OK, respect space. 5. Don't walk in front of a catcher or umpire when getting into batter's box Sure, OK, respect space. But I bet this is vioated from time to time. 6. Don't help the opposition make a play (bracing them from falling into the dugout, etc.) Catching a falling man is being a human. 7. Relievers take it easy when facing other relievers All pitchers get fastballs until they show they can hit them, so we hardly need a code. If you want to waste your elbow throwing breaking stuff to Manny Acosta, be my guesticle. 8. Follow the umpire's Code when addressing them on the field. Sure, but the umps cancertainly enforce their expectations with ejections. 9. Pitchers stay in the dugout at least until the end of the inning in which they get pulled That's fine, but, again, it's an intra-team thing. It's a standard a manager can explicily set, also. 10. Pitchers never show up their fielders Yeah, don't be a whiney bitch. You're a leader out there. Don't make whiney faces when you give up a homer, either. But it's still an intra-team issue, and teams can set their own standards.

themetfairy May 07 2010 01:43 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

#1 is inane. You are supposed to be helping your team win, not assuaging the ego of the enemy team's pitcher.

Ceetar May 07 2010 01:55 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

themetfairy wrote: #1 is inane. You are supposed to be helping your team win, not assuaging the ego of the enemy team's pitcher. Agreed. But actually, I don't believe in unwritten rules. Some of it makes sense, like a pitcher who's pitching with an 8 run lead just throwing strikes. But the other stuff is all mental. I mean if you can do something to get an edge, do it. It's a fine line though. Did A-Rod crossing the mound piss off the pitcher and maybe distract him from throwing his best pitch? Or did it get him focused to get the out even more?

themetfairy May 07 2010 01:58 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

A-Rod crossing the mound was just douchery. It was rude. The mound is the pitcher's territory. Swinging at a pitch thrown during a game is the batter's job. If he thinks he can hit it, then he should swing at it.

Swan Swan H May 07 2010 02:10 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

Ashie62 wrote: #3 Do not rub..ever a.k.a. "The David Cone Rule"

HahnSolo May 07 2010 02:12 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

Edgy DC wrote: 6. Don't help the opposition make a play (bracing them from falling into the dugout, etc.) Catching a falling man is being a human. John Tudor, what say you?

metsmarathon May 07 2010 02:15 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

remember when the indians were down by like 14 runs in that one game a few years back, and htey won it due in part to the actions of a pre-mets robbie alomar? i mean, its not at all common for a team to come back from 8- or 10-run deficit, but that's no excuse to stop trying. as for the pitchers, i want him to throw strikes so he's not tired for the next game. if he's throwing balls, he's wasting his arm.

Ceetar May 07 2010 02:15 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

HahnSolo wrote: Edgy DC wrote: 6. Don't help the opposition make a play (bracing them from falling into the dugout, etc.) Catching a falling man is being a human. John Tudor, what say you? Well, I would i no way let an opposing player lean over to make a play to even have a chance at falling. Just like the stands are the fans territory and I can touch the ball even if a player is leaning in to go for it, I would block someonefrom making a foul catch in my dugout.

Edgy DC May 07 2010 02:18 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

That's a good point. Don't catch a falling player and he may land on your teammate. Fate can be cruel that way.

Edgy DC May 07 2010 02:23 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

Ceetar wrote: Well, I would i no way let an opposing player lean over to make a play to even have a chance at falling. Just like the stands are the fans territory and I can touch the ball even if a player is leaning in to go for it, I would block someonefrom making a foul catch in my dugout. Man. Would you slap the ball out of the glove of a player giving you a routine tag when you have no place to go? 7.11 The players, coaches or any member of an offensive team shall vacate any space (including both dugouts) needed by a fielder who is attempting to field a batted or thrown ball.

Centerfield May 07 2010 02:29 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

Edgy DC wrote: 5. Don't walk in front of a catcher or umpire when getting into batter's box Sure, OK, respect space. But I bet this is vioated from time to time. Actually, this is the one I thought was pretty well-accepted. I remember our little league coach teaching us this. I thought it was pretty cool...and even in pickup softball games, I don't remember every crossing in front.

Ceetar May 07 2010 02:32 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

Edgy DC wrote: Ceetar wrote: Well, I would i no way let an opposing player lean over to make a play to even have a chance at falling. Just like the stands are the fans territory and I can touch the ball even if a player is leaning in to go for it, I would block someonefrom making a foul catch in my dugout. Man. Would you slap the ball out of the glove of a player giving you a routine tag when you have no place to go? 7.11 The players, coaches or any member of an offensive team shall vacate any space (including both dugouts) needed by a fielder who is attempting to field a batted or thrown ball. Hmm, didn't realize it specifically mentioned the dugouts. I always assumed once the fielder weas basically 'out of play' you could do what you want. He certainly can't step into the dugout to make the play. And the slapping the ball is just silly, but go for it if you think it's going to do more than just make people hate you. I'm always surprise no one ever rams fielders that are fielding popups along the first baseline. Doesn't even have to be hard. I imagine that falls under interference, but sometimes you've got the 1B standing in the way long before the ball even starts coming down.

Centerfield May 07 2010 02:39 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

themetfairy wrote: A-Rod crossing the mound was just douchery. It was rude. The mound is the pitcher's territory. Swinging at a pitch thrown during a game is the batter's job. If he thinks he can hit it, then he should swing at it. I couldn't agree more. Number 2 as well. Also, not stealing bases when your team is up by a lot. All of these rules flies in the face of "hustle at all times, it ain't over 'til it's over". In the "the Mets win the damn thing" game, I bet the Mets would really have felt better about having an extra run or two. It's inane to enforce these.

Chad Ochoseis May 07 2010 02:49 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

Indeed. There's a definite mix of "don't act like a douche" and "don't play the game the way it should be played" in the mix of these rules. "Don't act like a douche" is fine. But being up/down by eight runs is no excuse to quit playing the game. Centerfield wrote: Also, not stealing bases when your team is up by a lot. I think it was Preston Wilson who got reamed in the press by an opposing manager (Felipe Alou, maybe?) for stealing late in a game when the Rockies were up by five runs in pre-humidor Coors Field. That always bugged me. First, why not steal a base if you can? Second, a five run lead in Coors Field isn't exactly safe.

Centerfield May 07 2010 02:56 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

Exactly. My answer to them would be "When they walk off the field and concede the game, I'll stop stealing bases."

Edgy DC May 07 2010 03:01 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

Whitey Herzog wrote that if a manager writes him a note promising not to try to come back, he'll be happy to tell his players to stop stealing bases.

Frayed Knot May 07 2010 03:05 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

Or, when the HR hitters stop trying to hit HRs the base-stealers will quit trying to steal ... and HR hitters never stop trying to hit HRs.

themetfairy May 07 2010 03:13 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

Frayed Knot wrote: Or, when the HR hitters stop trying to hit HRs the base-stealers will quit trying to steal ... and HR hitters never stop trying to hit HRs. Unless it's the first pitch after back-to-back homers, apparently.

TransMonk May 07 2010 03:16 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

Yeah, I'm not getting #1 either. Should a batter swing and miss at the first pitch if the pitcher has walked the previous two? I say pile on the stuggling pitcher. It's his job to correct his mistakes or the manager's job to take him out.

Nymr83 May 07 2010 06:43 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

7.11 The players, coaches or any member of an offensive team shall vacate any space (including both dugouts) needed by a fielder who is attempting to field a batted or thrown ball. Hmm, didn't realize it specifically mentioned the dugouts. I always assumed once the fielder weas basically 'out of play' you could do what you want. He certainly can't step into the dugout to make the play. If its Jeter, we'd even forgive you if you tasered him.

metirish May 07 2010 07:53 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

What was it Fran Healy used to say, a lot of these unwritten rules were written by a guy and another fella named Johnny Walker.

Swan Swan H May 08 2010 07:23 AM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

Every time I see Dallas Braden open his mouth he takes one giant step closer to being on the wrong side of this pissing contest with Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez was wrong, he know what he was doing was wrong, and he has a rap sheet on this kind of thing that's longer than Dirk Diggler, but Braden has found a way to get people to pay attention to him that his career hadn't been able to do, and he's going to milk this bullshit until it gives blood. What's that you say, Irish? Handbags at ten paces?

Ceetar May 08 2010 07:41 AM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

Swan Swan H wrote: Every time I see Dallas Braden open his mouth he takes one giant step closer to being on the wrong side of this pissing contest with Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez was wrong, he know what he was doing was wrong, and he has a rap sheet on this kind of thing that's longer than Dirk Diggler, but Braden has found a way to get people to pay attention to him that his career hadn't been able to do, and he's going to milk this bullshit until it gives blood. What's that you say, Irish? Handbags at ten paces? I think Braden made the author of this book more money than he himself makes. Why was this talked about again yesterday? Did he say something or are they going to bring it up again every time he pitches even if A-Rods 3000 miles away?

Swan Swan H May 08 2010 07:51 AM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

Braden implied fisticuffs were likely the next time they play. Rodriguez is, in his own twee sort of way, taking the high road, or at least the higher road, so far. Like the Yankees-Phils series picking sides here is not easy, but Braden is making it easier by not just shutting up and playing baseball.

metirish May 08 2010 09:09 AM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

Swan Swan H wrote: Every time I see Dallas Braden open his mouth he takes one giant step closer to being on the wrong side of this pissing contest with Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez was wrong, he know what he was doing was wrong, and he has a rap sheet on this kind of thing that's longer than Dirk Diggler, but Braden has found a way to get people to pay attention to him that his career hadn't been able to do, and he's going to milk this bullshit until it gives blood. What's that you say, Irish? Handbags at ten paces? Yep , ten paces....Braden has achieved the seemingly impossible and made Rodriguez the lesser asshole in this.

Ashie62 May 08 2010 10:38 AM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

I wonder how many of these commandments Bobby V subscribes to?

Nymr83 May 09 2010 06:26 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

metirish wrote: Swan Swan H wrote: Every time I see Dallas Braden open his mouth he takes one giant step closer to being on the wrong side of this pissing contest with Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez was wrong, he know what he was doing was wrong, and he has a rap sheet on this kind of thing that's longer than Dirk Diggler, but Braden has found a way to get people to pay attention to him that his career hadn't been able to do, and he's going to milk this bullshit until it gives blood. What's that you say, Irish? Handbags at ten paces? Yep , ten paces....Braden has achieved the seemingly impossible and made Rodriguez the lesser asshole in this. And today he threw a perfect game.

Valadius May 09 2010 06:30 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

Braden wins, no contest.

Met Hunter May 09 2010 07:45 PM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

Dear Arod, Know me now? Your new bff, Dallas PS, Happy Mother's Day, bitch.

MFS62 May 10 2010 09:19 AM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

After the game, Braden's grandmother said it perfectly - she told A-Rod to "stick it". http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=A ... ecto050910 Happy Mothers Day, grandma. Later

metsmarathon May 10 2010 10:49 AM Re: Unwritten Rules, Written

i'd like to hereby nominate peggy lindsey for a bullet of cool.