The events of Thursday night in San Diego have brought to the fore MLB's unwritten rules. If you didn't catch it, this is what happened. In the bottom of the sixth inning of Thursday's game between the San Diego and the Dodgers. The score was 2-1 and Carlos Quentin was up with a full count. Zach Greinke was on the mound and his payoff pitch glanced of the left shoulder. Quentin, who had been hit by Greinke twice before in their careers took exception to being hit. He took a step or two in the direction of the mound. At that point Greinke must have said something because Quentin charged the mound, Greinke lowered his left shoulder and met Quentin just short of the mound. They were soon snowed under by players coming from both benches. When order was restored Matt Kemp and Jerry Hariston Jr. along with Greinke were ejected for the Dodgers and Quentin for the Padres. If you aren't a player or serious fan of baseball then these unwritten rules and their implementation might be rather confusing. Maybe this post will help you understand the complex dance that occurs between the lines. In no particular order; Rule #1 Don't run up the score. Rule #2: Don't bunt to break up a no hitter. Rule #3 don't steal the signs. Rule #4 If they hit one of yours, hit one of theirs. Rule #5 Don't throw at somebody's head. Rule #6 Don't admire your homers. Rule #7 Don't get too excited. Rule #8 Don't work the count if the game is out of hand. Rule #9 Don't swing at the first pitch after back to back homers. Rule #10 If you get hit by a pitch, don't rub the spot. OK now that we have named the rules let's explain the rules and the punishments if they are violated.
Rule #1: Don't run up the score. If your team is up by ten or more don't take an extra base on a hit, if you blast one in the gap all the way to the wall and it's an easy double stop at first. Don't steal bases, it will just look like you're padding your stats and will not be viewed kindly. No bunting, either sacrifices or bunting for hits, just go up there swinging (see Rule #8). No hit and runs it will look like you're trying to embarrass the other team. The penalties for violating any part of this rule can vary from being called out in the press up to and including hitting batters or even throwing at you while on first.
Rule #2 Don't bunt to break up a no hitter. If the opposing pitcher has a no hitter going late in the game go up there swinging. If you bunt successfully everybody, including your own team, will think of you as a pansy and a sneak. Be a man and try to get a real hit! If you violate this rule you will be thrown at the next time you come up to the plate against that team.
Rule #3 Don't steal the signs. There has always been an acceptable level of cheating in baseball, throwing spitballs and corking bats are against the rules but viewed as OK unless you get caught but this rule has a little bit a gray in it. If you are a runner on second and figure out the signs and can alert the batter that is acceptable but if you have someone in the stands with binoculars reading the signs or trying to get them off the TV broadcast that, is over the line. If a team is caught violating this rule they will be called out in the press and it could even attract the attention of the Commissioner.
Rule #4 If they hit one of your's, hit one of theirs. This is the rule most casual baseball fans are familiar with and the one that Matt Kemp should keep in mind starting on Monday 4/15 when the Padres come to town. There are rules that cover this as well. The player from the other team that is hit should be about the same talent level as the one that was hit from your team. Don't hit a player high (see Rule #5) and one is all you get. Even if your best player is plunked you can't hit everybody in their lineup. Hitters have to remember rules in this situation as well. If they are next up after back to back homeruns they need to expect at least a brush back pitch and, depending on how bad the pitcher has been pitching, maybe to get hit. If you are a star on a team and your pitcher hits a star on the other team you should expect to get hit in return. If you spend too long admiring your homer (see Rule #6), you will get brushed back or maybe hit the next time. If the rules are followed by your pitcher he will hit one of their hitters in retaliation. Bench clearing brawls like in the Dodgers/Padres game should be rare if everyone understands the rules.
Rule #5 Don't throw at someones head. This one seem fairly simple but you never know. If you are a pitcher and need to hit someone for whatever reason, don't go up and in with the pitch. Hit them in the back, on the hip on the lower arm or the leg but stay away from up high. A sure way to get a batter to charge the mound is to hit him, or even try to hit him, up high. As we've seen if you start hitting people there will be retaliation and it can get very messy.
Rule #6 Don't admire your homeruns. If you crush one that everybody in the stadium knows is gone as soon as it leaves the bat, don't stand at the plate and watch it fly out of the park. If you do you are showing up the pitcher and he will take it out of your hide the next time you face him. There are a few exception to this rule; if your name is Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire or Ken Griffey Jr. you can get away with it for a little while but if you are a rookie, you best put your head down and run. If it is a borderline foul ball it might be OK to slowly trot towards first but if it goes out speed it up. In fact if you take too long to run the bases that might get you hit as well.
Rule #7 Don't get too excited. Except in very specific circumstances it is not considered proper to show a lot of emotion on the field. This is the rule that most non-Major Leaguers don't understand. If you get a walk off hit. run to first and then celebrate with your team mates, unless it is to win the division, the pennant or the World Series don't carry on too much. If you make too big of a deal about it the other team will notice and remember and make you pay. You will never see a baseball player jump into the stands when crossing the plate after a homerun or see the pitcher do a complicated dance after getting a strikeout. OK, maybe Jose Valverde has a borderline celebration but he is a veteran and has been doing it for awhile. There was a rookie a few years ago that hit his first Major League homerun and pranced around the bases and even gave some fans high fives on his way back to the dugout. There was a lot made about this, and how it against those unwritten rules. Baseball favors the Barry Sanders attitude rather than the Terrell Owens attitude, which means act like you've done it before rather than making a big production out of it.
Rule #8 Don't work the count if the game is out of hand. If you are up by nine or ten especially late in the game, don't go up to the plate looking for a walk, go up there swinging. If you are deep into the bullpen don't make the relievers work too hard by being really picky. This doesn't mean you should chase bad pitches but you should take close ones. The umpire will help out with this by expanding the strike zone to speed up the game. The size of the strike zone will be directly related to the size of the lead and the temperature in the ball park. Pitchers will remember if you get picky in a blow out and there could be consequences later.
Rule #9 Don't swing at the first pitch after back to back homeruns. If you are up next after back to back home runs take a pitch to let the pitcher calm down a little bit. It's OK to swing at the second pitch but the Ms. Manners of baseball says to let that first one go by. Of course that first pitch could be at you so keep an eye out (see Rule #4). As with most of these rules pitchers have long memories and plenty of chances to make you pay.
Rule #10 If you're hit by a pitch don't rub the spot. This rule is in regards to your team mates, as well as the opposing pitcher. If that pitcher hit you in the upper arm, let's say, don't rub it because it is a sign of weakness, that pitcher will remember that and throw inside your next at bat. Other pitchers will see that and follow suit. As for your own team, you will most likely pay a fine in kangaroo court and your team mates will look at you differently and maybe even question your toughness.
These are the main unwritten rules in baseball, there are others, but these are the important ones. If all baseball players remember and follow them they will all get along, if they don't there will be issues. Today's Major Leagures seem to be most sensitive then past players and get their dander up much quicker. In the past, players understood these rules and played by them. Batters knew that if the previous player hit a home run then the first pitch will be inside and if their pitcher hit the other team's star then they could expect to get hit. When it happened, the batter didn't take offense but just ran to first base and if he felt ill will he tried to make the pitcher the only way he could, by scoring, These rules have been in place for decades and will remain in effect as long as there is organized baseball so players need to learn them and take them to heart. If they do baseball will remain one of the greatest game in America.
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