Unwritten rules in baseball - Should they be followed to a tee, or are they bogus?

[adambr2]

I have grown increasingly interested in the seemingly endless line of "unwritten" rules in baseball. I will list as many as I can think of right now, which is probably not many at 2 in the morning, along with my opinions. Feel free to add your opinions or add to the list of unwritten rules that I missed.

 

Unwritten rule: Don't break up a no-hitter with a bunt single.

 

I don't agree with this one at all, but even more so when a game is close. I vaguely remember several years ago, a player breaking up a no-hitter in the 7th or 8th, something like that, when his team trailed 2-0. The opposing manager was livid. This is baffling to me. Why should the player apoligize for finding a way to get the tying run to the plate? I don't care about the opposing pitcher going for history, I want to win the baseball game. You can't take away one of my offensive options just because you want a no-hitter. A bunt single is still a single.

 

Unwritten rule: Don't steal a base in a blowout game.

 

I can sympathize a little more with this one, although I still have a problem with it. What is a "blowout"? Is it a 5 run lead? I think we've seen more than enough this year that a 5 run lead certainly doesn't mean the end of the game. How about 10? The problem with this is that it is subjective -- and a game is never really OVER in baseball until the last out. Baseball doesn't work against a clock. Whereas in the NFL, a team is not going to recover from a 28 point deficit with 1:30 remaining, there simply isn't enough time, an MLB team could, theoretically, though they only have 3 outs left, in the 9th, manage to come from behind when trailing, say, 6-1.

 

Unwritten rule: Your closer is for "save" situations. Save him for such.

Hate this one, and I believe it has costed us a game or two this season. Why can't your closer be for your most important situations? I need to bring in some mediocre reliever to escape a 1st and 2nd, 2 out jam, but I absolutely NEED my closer in the game with a 3 run lead in the 9th inning, since it's a "save" situation? How about extra innings on the road? I need to save my closer for when we get the lead, and have slight margin for error, rather than when we are tied, when we have NO margin for error?

 

Unwritten rule: Play for the tie at home, play for the win on the road.

This one I can get on board with. I think, the general thought behind it, is that if you're tied late or in extras at home, you have the slight advantage, whereas it obviously works the opposite on the road. So you would want to go all-in to try to get that lead on the road and avoid having to try to win after tying.

 

Unwritten rule: Get your best defensive players in the game late.

 

Boy, was I steamed about this one today. I can understand doing this -- if it's the 9th inning. The 8th is simply too early. Would have been nice to have Braun's bat in the 8th today with 2 on, but Ned took the bat right out of his hands just to get Counsell at 3B instead of Braun.

[Ennder]

Boy, was I steamed about this one today. I can understand doing this -- if it's the 9th inning. The 8th is simply too early. Would have been nice to have Braun's bat in the 8th today with 2 on, but Ned took the bat right out of his hands just to get Counsell at 3B instead of Braun

 

I didn't have a huge problem with this. We had a 3 run lead and Braun very well might not have been up again in the game. This serves the secondary purpose of resting Braun some since Yost hasn't really been giving him any full games off.

[jwill535]

generally the rule about stealing and taking extra bases comes into play after the 7th. There is no reason for you to be stealing or trying to leg out a triple when you are up 8-1, 10-3 etc. As for bunting, that is pretty bush league. Having played college ball, and being around the game for over 20 yrs i can tell you that most ball players really dont respect the bunters, they appreciate the fact that they get on but dont really have any respect for that aspect of the game. So knowing that, if its later in the game in a no-hitter and you bunt your way on the animosity is risen. In summary, ball players are a superstitious lot, and karma can be a *****, that is why the rules are followed.

[Brily0204]

Unwritten rule: Don't break up a no-hitter with a bunt single.

 

I don't agree with this one at all, but even more so when a game is close. I vaguely remember several years ago, a player breaking up a no-hitter in the 7th or 8th, something like that, when his team trailed 2-0. The opposing manager was livid. This is baffling to me. Why should the player apoligize for finding a way to get the tying run to the plate? I don't care about the opposing pitcher going for history, I want to win the baseball game. You can't take away one of my offensive options just because you want a no-hitter. A bunt single is still a single.

The game to which you are referring here was between the Padres & Diamondbacks on 28 May 2001. Ben Davis broke up Curt Schilling's no-hitter in the 8th. Diamondbacks manager (now Cubs announcer) Bob Brenly was the outraged party: "We're an old school team....The way I was taught, to break up a no-hitter or perfect game in the eighth inning, it's got to be legit. You've got to go up there and swing the bat and be a hitter." Tony Gwynn, Sr., was the voice of reason: "So what. Who cares. We're trying to win the game. They're all hooting like we ain't supposed to try to win the game. It's a smart play. I don't see the problem myself."

[brettac1]

The worst one to me is that you're supposed to swing at a pitch that isn't a strike when there's two strikes, just because it's "too close to take with two strikes".

[jwill535]

The worst one to me is that you're supposed to swing at a pitch that isn't a strike when there's two strikes, just because it's "too close to take with two strikes".

 

that has more to do with you dont want to leave it up to the ump. Case in point, Corey Hart getting called out of the slider in the other batters box. Granted there is no way he could of hit it, but it goes to show that you can never rely on the ump to have a consistant strike zone.

[mls4]

"Unwritten rule: Your closer is for "save" situations. Save him for such."

Well this one makes no sense and kills me every time, but we had quite a long discussion about it last time it lost us a game, so I don't suppose we need another one. But if there's one reason to second-guess a manager, for me, this is it.

[brettac1]

The problem is, all of them do it - the smartest and best manager in the game, LaRussa, follows it to a tee. It is a league-wide problem.

[adambr2]

I agree, it's just become trendy, like you'll be looked down upon by all other managers in baseball if you don't follow all of these rules, and you'll look like a fool and an outcast if it doesn't work. That makes the trend almost impossible to break.

 

Someone noted a few weeks ago that the A's are the one team in baseball that refuses to follow the closer rule, and that that comes down directly from their GM that they are to play the game that way.