Fernando Tatis Jr.’s grand slam ignites talk over MLB’s unwritten rules. Here’s why
You’re never too young to learn about the unwritten rules of baseball, and that’s something that 21-year-old phenom Fernando Tatis Jr. found out on Monday night after the San Diego Padres shortstop crushed a grand slam on a 3-0 pitch against the Texas Rangers.
The thing is, the Padres were already up 10-3 in the eighth inning when Tatis smashed his opposite-field home run, his second homer of the game.
After the game, Padres manager Jayce Tingler told Total Pro Sports that Tatis was given the sign to take the 3-0 pitch.
“Just so you know, a lot of our guys have green light 3-0,” Tingler said. “But in this game in particular, we had a little bit of a comfortable lead. We’re not trying to run up the score or anything like that.”
Tingler told USA Today and other outlets that “he’s young, a free spirit and focused and all those things. ... It’s a learning opportunity and that’s it. He’ll grow from it.”
However, the Texas Rangers weren’t thrilled with Tatis’ so-called learning opportunity.
“I think there’s a lot of unwritten rules that are constantly being challenged in today’s game,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said at his news conference after the game to multiple outlets including Yahoo Sports. “Yeah, I didn’t like it, personally. You’re up by seven in the eighth inning — it’s typically not a good time to swing 3-0. It’s kind of the way we were all raised in the game. But, like I said, the norms are being challenged on a daily basis, so just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean it’s not right. I don’t think we liked it as a group.”
Everything led to Tatis apologizing following the Padres 14-3 win.
“I’ve been in this game since I was a kid, and I know a lot of unwritten rules,” Tatis said following the game. “But this time, I didn’t.”
Tatis has ties to the Rangers. His father, Fernando Tatis Sr., was signed by the Texas Rangers when he was 17 and played third base for the Rangers in 1997-98 before being traded to the Cardinals. He also played for the Expos, Orioles and Mets over his 11-year MLB career.
What are the unwritten rules of baseball?
The unwritten rules are considered old fashioned by a lot of standards in today’s game and often draw criticism when they’re spoken out loud.
“The unwritten rules are dead,” said former first baseman Adam Dunn to ESPN back in 2014. “They are gone.”
Here are a few according to USA Today:
- Don’t talk about a no-hitter during a no hitter
Where the movie Fight Club most likely got its motto. When a pitcher is five-plus innings into a no-hitter, or, heaven forbid, perfect game, it’s rude to mention in fear of jinxing it. Players abide by this rule and don’t speak of it, or even talk to the pitcher when he’s in the dugout during innings.
- Don’t even think about staring in awe at your own home run
When a player hits a home run, standing there to openly admire it floating into outer space is considered a sign of disrespect. Don’t believe me? Just ask Los Angeles Dodgers’ infielder Max Muncy and Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Madison Bumgarner, who got into it after the latter thought Muncy was pimping his own homer into McCovey Cove when Bum was still with the San Francisco Giants in 2019.
- Thinking about stepping on the pitcher’s mound if you’re not a pitcher? Well, don’t.
That’s his special place. Just don’t even. New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez did it and felt the wrath of Oakland A’s pitcher Dallas Braden after Rodriguez ran over the pitcher’s mound while on his way back to first base.
Rodriguez and Braden commonly went toe-to-toe when it came to the unwritten rules in their careers. Rodriguez even once supposedly into the visitors dugout during a Braden no-hitter and said “Hey, do you realize you haven’t given up a hit yet?”
- Don’t bunt to break up a no-hitter
That one is a no-brainer for most.
- Bat flips are rude
Pitchers can’t stand that. Case and point: Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays flipping his bat after drilling a tie-breaking three-run homer against the Texas Rangers in Game 5 of the 2015 American League division series. This was said to have led to the famous punch that Ranger infieider Rougned Odor delivered to Bautista the following year.
What others are saying about Tatis’ so-called faux pas
Not everyone appears to be in agreement with the Rangers when it came to Tatis’ granny on a 3-0 pitch, and are taking to Twitter to express it.
Jeff Passan, MLB insider for ESPN, took aim at Rangers’ pitcher Juan Nicasio.
“If you don’t want someone to swing on a 3-0 pitch, don’t start a plate appearance with three balls ” he tweeted.
Lindsey Adler, a Yankees journalist for The Athletic, wanted to hide in shame.
“Every time baseball has an unwritten rules controversy, I get so embarrassed and just think “I hope the other sports don’t see this,” she tweeted.
Quite a few journalists took issue with the unwritten rules following the Tatis’ grand slamand expressed how the sport of baseball is too old fashioned in that sense.
Some even pointed out the hypocrisy of the Rangers themselves and brought receipts.
Even baseball players like MLB Hall of Famer Johnny Bench weighed in.
This story was originally published August 18, 2020 at 12:52 PM with the headline "Fernando Tatis Jr.’s grand slam ignites talk over MLB’s unwritten rules. Here’s why."