Baseball's Unwritten Rules & Why?

[Blzer]

Re: Baseball's Unwritten Rules & Why?

After seeing what both the Giants and the Rockies did when down by 10 runs in their ball games last week, I wouldn't be too pissed to see a team bunting and stealing when up by that much anymore.

It's baseball, anything can happen. I don't believe in "running up the score," I don't think that it exists. I do think there may be an issue though when you steal home, pummel a catcher, get called out, and argue it to death when you're up by 13 in the ninth inning.

[WTF]

Re: Baseball's Unwritten Rules & Why?

I know what played out, but the sports reporters acted like Volstad had every right to throw at him the second time. I can understand being hit the first time. They took it to heart that he plowed over the catcher. OK... Fine. He took the pitch, walked to first.

Where is the rule in baseball that says you can't steal? That's what I'm questioning. That's why they threw at him the 2nd time the Marlins and media are saying.

[WTF]

Re: Baseball's Unwritten Rules & Why?

After seeing what both the Giants and the Rockies did when down by 10 runs in their ball games last week, I wouldn't be too pissed to see a team bunting and stealing when up by that much anymore.

It's baseball, anything can happen. I don't believe in "running up the score," I don't think that it exists. I do think there may be an issue though when you steal home, pummel a catcher, get called out, and argue it to death when you're up by 13 in the ninth inning.

Oh yeah, no doubt. Baseball is a funny creature. A turnaround of 10 runs in a baseball game is becoming commonplace anymore.

Plowing over someone while up big, I can see that. But not playing the game for the risk of "hurting the other teams feelings"... yeah.

[Speedy]

Re: Baseball's Unwritten Rules & Why?

Foremost, WTF...Nyjer is an idiot.

Look at Tuesday nite's game. Marlins/Nats..score is 0-0 in the 10th inning and Nyjer is coming around 3rd with a chance to score the go-ahead run. Nyjer, instead of sliding (since it was a close call) tries to run thru the catcher and is out. Costs the team a win and also separates the shoulder of the Marlins' catcher. When the Nats played the Cardinals a few games back, he did the same thing running into the catcher (with no reason as there wasn't even a throw to home) and was called out because he didn't touch the bag and his teammates touched him and pushed him back to the plate (against the rules).

Fast forward to last nite, and the events he did yesterday didn't help either and added fuel to the fire. Again: Nyjer is an idiot.

[WTF]

Re: Baseball's Unwritten Rules & Why?

Oh, I know he is. But the analysts and Marlins staff is making it seem like it's an unwritten rule that you don't steal bases when down that many runs, and that it's "uprofessional and selfish" to quote Boone.

I don't condone anything that Nyjer is doing... but regardless, I don't have a problem with him charging the mound. He took his lick in his first AB. They threw at him, he went to base. End of story. No need to throw at him the second time.

Running over the catcher... the one in St Louis was ridiculous. The one the night before, eh, I'm 50/50. I could give or take. If you don't want to get plowed, don't stand on the plate. If the catcher was a little off the plate, then yeah, going out of the way to run over him, is unwarranted.

Nyjer is an idiot. Throwing the ball at the fans, doing all of the other on field stuff "throwing hissy fit in CF after not making the catch", etc.

[Speedy]

Re: Baseball's Unwritten Rules & Why?

The one the night before [Marlins/Nats...extra innings game on Tuesday], eh, I'm 50/50. I could give or take. If you don't want to get plowed, don't stand on the plate. If the catcher was a little off the plate, then yeah, going out of the way to run over him, is unwarranted.

Nyjer had a chance to score a run if he simply slided (since he has great speed) but decided to try and plow the catcher. He cost his team a win...that's not an unwritten rule, that's just moronic.

[WTF]

Re: Baseball's Unwritten Rules & Why?

Oh I know... I'm not even discussing that play Speedy. It was moronic not to slide, but I don't see a problem with what he did in that case. If he would have touched the plate, no big deal. He didn't, so that part was moronic.

But the thing that I have a problem with, whether Nyjer or ARod, or any of the other players in the league... WHY did they throw at him AGAIN? They hit him the first go around. You're asking for a fight when they throw at him for the second time. He didn't make a scene the first time he got hit. Took his lumps, went to base, and went on with his job of playing baseball. Did not deserve the second time being thrown at.

This is what I'm talking about. I don't care about Nyjer. I have no emotional attachment to him or any player other than the Reds. What I care about is the fact that the Marlins and the analysts making up a "reason" for them to throw at him the 2nd time. That's what I don't get. So a guy stole bases. Where does it say that you can't do that? And what sense does that make to the game of baseball?

[Speedy]

Re: Baseball's Unwritten Rules & Why?

Ok, that I don't have an answer for exactly. Broadcasters are homers anyways (talking to you WhiteSox & Yankees ) but if a team is down I don't mind SBs. If the team is up by 5+ runs then SBs are a bit of a slap in the face.

I'm sure though, that Florida was upset that their catcher was injured because of an idiot move by Nyjer - not careless or an accident but purely spiteful - and they wanted to ensure he got the message that it wasn't appreciated. If was a Marlins fan I probably would be cheering that he got thrown at the 2nd time...he needs to be taught someway or another. He's been suspended before for other altercations, this should raise A LOT of eyebrows @ the commissioner's office to ensure his behavior is toned down.

[Dbax_Faithful]

Re: Baseball's Unwritten Rules & Why?

An unwritten rule that prohibits you from stealing bases when down by 11 runs...want to know why we won't be seeing Aaron Boone as a manager of a ballclub? Lack of a desire to win when in a seemingly unwinnable situation.

[l3ulvl]

Re: Baseball's Unwritten Rules & Why?

The play at the plate with Nyjer separating the catchers shoulder, and the resulting target on his back the next game, reminded me of the Yankees-Tigers series a couple weeks ago where Brett Gardner took a late (but legal) slide into 2nd base against Carlos Guillen trying to break up the double play. Carlos stood in there and made the throw to 1st to complete the DP and end the game.

Guillen has been on the DL ever since that play and 2 days later (I still don't know why it didn't happen the next day ) Jeremy Bonderman plunked Gardner to start the game. Both sides were warned and later Miguel Cabrera got nailed, and the pitcher wasn't even ejected. Then the Tigers brought in a pitcher so awful he missed while trying to hit 3 different Yankees.

The point simply being what's the deal with targeting a player for making a legal play that happened to result in the injury of one of your players?

It's getting to the point where I'm still expecting Armando Gallaraga to bean Jim Joyce one of these days, and Aaron Boone will claim it's an unwritten rule to not make a bad call at first to ruin a perfect game.

[Dbax_Faithful]

Re: Baseball's Unwritten Rules & Why?

It's getting to the point where I'm still expecting Armando Gallaraga to bean Jim Joyce one of these days, and Aaron Boone will claim it's an unwritten rule to not make a bad call at first to ruin a perfect game.

Very nicely said. If this was a post on facebook, I'd be clicking on "like".

[NDAlum]

Re: Baseball's Unwritten Rules & Why?

Stealing with your team down or up big is improper baseball etiquette. You can chalk it up as playing hard, but most baseball players will chalk it up to being selfish.

Nobody has mentioned it from the standpoint of the team hitting. That run means nothing to the ball game, but the out is huge. You put an out at risk when you run, therefore why risk a hugely important out when you need many runs to get back in it?

The way to get back into the game is to get hit after hit. Stealing bases down 11 runs isn't going to get your team back in the game.

However you can argue it the other way, but most baseball people won't agree with you.

To each his own

[Scottdau]

Re: Baseball's Unwritten Rules & Why?

I have seen teams come back from being down a lot, so I think you should pile it on. But that is how I think I know a lot of baseball people don't.

[HustlinOwl]

Re: Baseball's Unwritten Rules & Why?

If they had such a problem with what he did why did they not hit him in the first inning? Morgan is lead off hitter and first batter of the game, yet they wait until they are up 14-3, that's some chicken **** stuff right there. I also blame the home plate ump and crew chief years in the game and they should have known there was going to be retaliation and warned both teams.

[King_B_Mack]

Re: Baseball's Unwritten Rules & Why?

Stealing with your team down or up big is improper baseball etiquette. You can chalk it up as playing hard, but most baseball players will chalk it up to being selfish.

Nobody has mentioned it from the standpoint of the team hitting. That run means nothing to the ball game, but the out is huge. You put an out at risk when you run, therefore why risk a hugely important out when you need many runs to get back in it?

The way to get back into the game is to get hit after hit. Stealing bases down 11 runs isn't going to get your team back in the game.

However you can argue it the other way, but most baseball people won't agree with you.

To each his own

Problem number one with looking at it that way? WTH do the Marlins need to hit/throw at Morgan for screwing up his own team's chance to get back into the game? No offense, but that explanation you just gave is probably dumber than this supposed rule of not stealing when down big is in the first place. If the reasoning for the rule is what you gave then it's of no concern for Florida to police Nationals players over Nationals problems. That's like saying 'the Rays signaled for BJ Upton to steal second and he ignored the manager's call' so the Angels plunked him for it.

Problem two? EVERY run means something to the ball game in the fourth inning. If you're down 11 runs in the fourth inning and a guy gets on and then takes second, he's put himself in a better position for the guy behind him to drive him in. Anytime you can better position yourself to score, you do it. That's like being mad at a guy for being down 11 and hitting a homerun saying he should have tried to get a single or double instead because that run doesn't mean anything.