How about showing a little respect
In baseball
– as in any sport – there are rules, rules that should be
followed by every player, coach, and team.
How about showing a little respect
In baseball – as in any sport – there are rules, rules that should be followed by every player, coach, and team.
When I say rules, I don’t mean the ones that are printed (in an extremely small print) in a booklet that rests in the umpire’s back pocket.
I am talking about rules that are not printed in any form of text or book. These are rules that are invisible – the unwritten rules of baseball.
Some of these rules are very generic and should be known by any athlete with common sense. These rules include not swinging at a pitch when the pitcher can’t seem to throw a strike, or not over-celebrating when you hit a home run.
Other rules come with experience of playing the game. Not using a power hitter to bunt or not stealing third with two outs fall into that category.
There are even rules in the Book of the Unwritten that are directed towards the sole purpose of courtesy to the other team. These include not running up the score late in the game, or stealing a base when your team already has an insurmountable lead.
Because they are unwritten, these are the types of rules you don’t learn until a situation requires it. Therefore it is up to the coaches to pass along these rules to their young players.
Growing up playing baseball I encountered many of these unwritten rules, but it was not until I got older that I began to understand the purpose of them. When I look back at my years on the field, I am grateful that my coaches loved the game enough to teach me these rules. This is why I was disheartened by the events that transpired during a recent youth baseball game I attended.
It was the fifth inning of the game which was already more than over. The visiting team was winning by more than 15 runs, with the 10-run rule lurking at the bottom half of the inning. In reality, there was no chance of the home team putting together a comeback and the entire stadium knew it.
With two outs in the top of the fifth, the home team just wanted to finish the game so that they could begin the miserable trip back home. Instead the visitors ran up the score, breaking one of the unwritten rules.
A runner reached first on a hit and followed that with a stolen base (breaking another unwritten rule). In the end, the series of events led to the visiting team plating five more runs and pushing the lead to more than 20.
Losing a game is bad enough, but to lose a game by a score that you should only see in football is heartbreaking. It makes it especially bad when, in baseball, you can only score one run at a time, not seven.
At a level where the kids are supposed to be learning how to play the game, both skillfully and respectfully, this game taught the kids on the winning team everything they should never do at any level. At this stage in the game, the kids, and especially the coaches, should know right from wrong. They should be able to follow the laws of the unwritten rulebook.
Here is a list of just some of the unwritten rules that every ballplayer should know:
1. Don’t hit and run with a 0-2 count.
2. Don’t play the infield in early in the game.
3. Never make the first or third out at third base.
4. Don’t steal when you’re well ahead.
5. Don’t steal third with two outs.
6. Don’t bunt for a hit when you need a sacrifice.
7. Never throw behind the runner.
8. Left and right fielders concede everything to center fielder.
9. Leadoff hitter must be a base stealer. Designated hitter must be a power hitter.
10. Never give an intentional walk if first base is occupied.
11. In rundown situations, always run the runner back toward the base from which he came.
12. Don’t bunt with a power hitter up.
13. Don’t take the bat out of your best hitter’s hands by sacrificing in front of him.
14. If one of your players gets knocked down or hit by a pitch, retaliate.
15. When retaliating, do not throw above the shoulders.
16. When arguing with the umpire, never talk about his mother.
17. Never mention a no-hitter while it’s in progress.
18. Don’t swing with three balls and no strikes.
19. With a right-hander on the mound, don’t walk a right-handed hitter to face a left- handed hitter.
20. Guard the lines late in games with a one-run lead.
21. Don’t spend excessive time watching or celebrating home runs.
22. Never bunt for a hit late in the game, especially when a no-hitter or a perfect game is possible.
23. Sacrifice individual glory for the good of the team.
24. When up by six or more runs go to cruise control.
25. Do not whine if you get caught cheating.
26. There is no crying in baseball.
27. Above all else, respect the game.
Respect is the main reason behind most of the unwritten rules of baseball. If a ballplayer does not have respect for himself or other teammates, players, or coaches, he should not have the right to be out on the field.
When these rules are not followed it takes away from the joy of playing or even watching the game.
Joy and love of the game should be what drives a player, not the winning. Winning should be seen as a bonus. The unwritten rules are there to protect that joy and love.
Respect the game of baseball and the fellow athletes that play it.
But above all, enjoy and love the game.
