pLaY tHe GaMe ThE rIgHt WaY
Last night, the San Diego Padres were leading the Texas Rangers 10-3 in the top of the 8th. The bases were loaded, and on a 3-0 count Fernando Tatis Jr. missed a take sign and hit an Oppo Taco for a Grand Slam. Thus, apparently violating one of the unwritten rules of baseball and upsetting the other team. I mean, look at what the manager had to say:
Wait, I've just been informed that was HIS OWN manager. Your 21 year-old SS is blossoming into a superstar in front of your eyes and you're going to call hitting a Grand Slam a 'learning experience'? Man, sometimes I love and hate baseball. With that in mind, we at CubsDNA wanted to share our thoughts about the ridiculousness of the situation.
PRONK: I’m pretty old school when it comes to not showing up your opponent. Bat flips are typically okay, but I’m not a fan of guys pointing into dugouts or at pitchers and gloating. That said, no issues with a 3-0 swing. If you don’t want to give up a grand slam, pitch better. Players are trained to give it their all at all times, apparently except for certain very specific situations. Rather than keep a book of right and wrong, just let them play. Tingler coming out with his ridiculous comments is proof that not just anyone can manage.
ASSMATT: I started the post, so the original thoughts are where I start on the topic. But there's also this, last year the Rangers intentionally dropped a foul ball so that one of their pitchers could record his 200th strikeout of the season. What about your precious unwritten rules now, Woodward? I know he's unpopular around most 'baseball aficionados' but even Trevor Bauer agrees it's stupid.
TINA: You know what’s worse that the “unwritten rules”? The fact that a player’s manager (and fellow teammate) openly criticizing his best player for hitting a grand slam on a 3-0 pitch. If Jayce Tingler wanted to make some noise as a rookie manager, he failed miserably on this move. How does Tatis Jr feel about his manager not having his back now? Is this incident going to play in his head the rest of the season? (I hope not) No matter what the score, let Tatis Jr. (or any other slugger) swing at a 3-0. Make the pitcher pitch to you. Don’t ever let someone change your approach just because of some unwritten rule on running up the score.
STACI: I am so over this "unwritten rules" garbage, especially when you have a young player out there playing his hardest. Tatis Jr. got a cookie and he feasted, which is what hitters are supposed to do. It's not like a team has never come back from a huge deficit in a game before, and when you get a chance to put more runs up, you put more runs up! Even Baseball Legend Johnny Bench agrees!
Eric Hosmer and Jayce Tingler, especially, should be ashamed of themselves for not only not having Tatis's back, but for going against a young player who is a bright spot in the game for simply staying hot and doing what comes naturally. If the San Diego Dads don't want him, they can ship him off to the North Side of Chicago and we'll love him appropriately.