I was having a conversation with a friend of mine yesterday. I am a Cub fan, and he is a White Sox fan. This is not the reason for the blog. What is? The fact that we have very different views of the Unwritten Rules of Baseball. And it does seem like many of the current White Sox players are guilty of this, or at least one was recently.
Depending on what side of the line you stand, there are unwritten rules in baseball. For some they are silly and ridiculous. For others, it is showing respect for the game. Here are some of the "unwritten rules" of the game:
Don't steal bases when leading by a large margin
Do not swing 3-0 with leading by a large margin
Do Not Pose or Show Up your opponent after a big home run.
Do Not bunt for a hit during a no-hitter.
There are others, but you get the idea.
I have always fallen on the side of having respect for the game and its players. To be fair, my thoughts can be affected by what team does it, and to whom. I personally feel like players need to act like they have been there before, and they need to win something first. I am more old school that way. The youth might say I am in the "Get Off My Lawn" category. They may not be wrong.
Recently the Chicago White Sox were in the news because their player Yermin Mercedes broke an unwritten rule by swinging on a 3-0 count when the team was up 15-4 on the Twins. It was a position player pitching. Mercedes hit a 400+ home run of the 45 MPH pitch. The Twins announcer Roy Smalley called out the unwritten rule. This, to me, is not as egregious as some others in regard to unwritten rules. He did swing at a strike.
White Sox SS Tim Anderson has been the poster boy for unwritten rules in some people's eyes. His constant bat flipping after home runs, and his antics can rub some people the wrong way. He has been on the receiving end of another unwritten rule of baseball. If you disrespect the game in the opponents eyes, you might get plunked. Or have a teammate get plunked. That is what happened to a White Sox player the day after Mercedes hit the home run. I do not condone throwing at a player intentionally, and especially not at their head. Most players seem to know it might be coming and as long as the pitch is not at their head, they take it and move on. Sometimes...the benches clear. Got to love baseball huh? :)
It does seem like a lot more younger players, and foreign born players are the ones guilty of these unwritten rules. And it can be a generational thing. These unwritten rules are not going away. If you want to pose after a big home run, and your team is still down, do not be surprised if you get plunked in a future at bat. And I think each situation is different. If there is a no hitter going, and your team is only down a run, I have no issues with a bunt for a hit. Down 3 runs...maybe not so much. And never throw at a batters head.
In my opinion, act like you have been there before. The unwritten rules of baseball are not going away. So if you want to ignore them, and claim that you are having fun or "Let Them Play", you have that right. But be prepared...others may not agree with you and if you are prepared to suffer the consequences, have at it. Baseball is a great game, that I still enjoy to watch. Root on your favorite team. It has been around for over 100 years, and these unwritten rules are just a part of it. Good or bad. You can decide for yourself.
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