Skip to content

It's time to erase the unwritten rules of baseball

Icon Sportswire / Getty

Matt Barnes threw at Manny Machado.

While he probably didn't intend for the ball to whizz past Machado's head, nor did he want to hit him there, the goal was payback. Machado made an aggressive and dirty slide on Friday that put star second baseman Dustin Pedroia out of action.

It was a bad slide. It hurt the Boston Red Sox leader. Intentional or not - Machado said it wasn't - the (unwritten) rulebook says the next step is plunking the culprit.

Except the Red Sox didn't do it on Saturday, the logical time to perform such an act. Likely because knuckleballer Steven Wright was on the mound and a pitch from him wouldn't ripple water. So, instead of letting bygones be bygones and admitting the opportunity had passed, the Red Sox waited until the last moment, the eighth inning in Sunday's series finale.

And they failed. Barnes narrowly missed braining Machado and hit his bat for an uncomfortable foul ball. Barnes was appropriately ejected, and Machado hit a revenge double. While this should be the end of it (it won't be), it shouldn't have even come to this.

While the Orioles are certainly not paragons of virtue, and closer Zach Britton's comments were largely unnecessary, Britton has a point that should speak volumes throughout the league. Had Barnes hit Machado in the head, what value would Pedroia's apology have held? None.

Don't let the Orioles' past shenanigans eliminate the value of that statement. Someone will get hit in the head at some point over a petty argument. It's all because of this arcane notion that ballplayers should take care of their own instead of letting their play on the field do the work for them.

It's like Gandhi may, or may not, have said, an eye for an eye eventually leaves the whole world blind.

This shouldn't be hard. Don't throw at guys intentionally. Don't aim at the head. Don't do it at all. Old school baseball types wax nostalgic about the intimidation factor of yesteryear, but trying to hit batters to exert dominance or take revenge is incredibly stupid. It can injure someone. Permanently.

And in a practical sense, it gives the opposing team a free base. If it comes in a blowout, it's spineless. If it comes in a close game, it's pure buffoonery. Throwing at a batter is not retribution. It's cowardice.

Matt Boyd threw at Miguel Sano to retaliate for an obviously unintentional pitch that unfortunately hit JaCoby Jones in the face earlier in Saturday's game. It's not as uncommon as it should be.

Get rid of the unwritten rules of baseball and stick to the rules that are actually written. Even those rules are open to interpretation far too often, but at least they're tangible. The unwritten portion is so muddy and confusing that you could practically use it to justify any kind of unsavory behavior.

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Let players show emotion on the field

In addition to being supportive of brainless vengeance in headhunting fashion, the unwritten rules of baseball's old school are awfully critical of showing the vaguest shred of emotion or panache.

Related: Blue Jays' Marcus Stroman criticized by Gregg Zaun for on-field celebrations

There is this senseless divide suggesting a celebration or an incredible bat flip is showing up the competition, or rubbing salt in the wound. This is maybe true in the latter case, as getting beaten doesn't feel good. But rarely is the celebration in direct reference to the losing team.

It's not about you.

Marcus Stroman dug himself and the Toronto Blue Jays out of a late, ninth-inning jam on Sunday. He celebrated after a double play finished the game. He jumped up and down and pumped his fist and joined his teammates. This didn't sit well with everyone.

Relax. Stroman may have been showboating, but it takes nothing away from his performance or his team's victory. It feels good to win. It feels bad to lose - and the Blue Jays have been doing a lot of losing.

If Stroman walked over to the Los Angeles Angels' dugout then stared them down before cackling like a maniac, then yes, there'd be cause for bruised egos. But that didn't happen.

The World Baseball Classic was loaded with displays of emotion, and despite what Ian Kinsler said at the time, members of Team USA were in on this. And it was exciting. It was fun.

If you want to shut up the opposing team, if you want to put them in their place for showing you up - if that's how you feel - don't hit them and don't complain. Go out next time and every game for the rest of the season and win. Hit a home run off the cocky upstart.

If the Orioles decide to go after Pedroia or another member of the Red Sox, it makes Britton's words ring even more hollow. If the Angels throw at Jose Bautista on Monday, it accomplishes nothing. It's cheap, macho posturing at its worst.

Let the play on the field put others in their place. Enjoy the game, celebrate success, and strive to do better.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox