Major League Baseball

MLB's Unwritten Rules on Display

Updated Aug. 18, 2020 4:28 p.m. ET

The "unwritten rules" of baseball came into focus again on Monday night after San Diego Padres young superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. hit an 8th-inning grand slam against the Texas Rangers.

In this instance, Tatis Jr.'s supposed breach in conduct was called out because the Padres had a 7-run lead and because the 21-year-old shortstop did his damage on a 3-0 pitch.

MLB Network's Billy Ripken elaborated on how the game is changing and some traditional approaches might be going by the wayside.

"My knee-jerk reaction is: If I'm on the Rangers, yeah I don't necessarily I don't like it. But I do understand that the game has shifted away from some of those old-school kind of thoughts."

Both managers also weighed in on the play, with Padres skipper Jayce Tingler calling it a "learning opportunity" for Tatis Jr., after he missed the sign to take the 3-0 pitch.

Texas manager Chris Woodward seemed none too pleased.

Tatis Jr., who finished the night with 2 home runs and 7 RBIs, was asked about it as well, admitting the ambiguity of baseball's unwritten rules.

"I know a lot of unwritten rules. I was kind of lost on this one ... Those experiences, you've got to learn from it. Probably next time, I'll take a pitch."

A handful of Tatis Jr.'s colleagues around baseball jumped on Twitter to offer their thoughts, including outspoken Cincinnati Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer:

And Minnesota Twins outfielder Lane Adams said folks should be mindful that the season was in jeopardy not too long ago, so highlights like Tatis Jr.'s should be enjoyed.

The grand slam even caught the attention of two Hall of Famers, with Reggie Jackson and Johnny Bench both defending Tatis Jr. on Twitter.

FS1 analyst Rob Parker, a BBWAA member and Baseball HOF voter, said Tatis Jr.'s apology was a nice, but unnecessary, gesture.

“Tatis was a nice guy to apologize. There honestly was no need to. If they didn’t want you to swing, they could have simply put you on base. So simple. In today’s baseball, don’t assume anything, especially that the young stars have read that tired Unwritten Rules book.”

As for the ramifications that come with violating baseball's unwritten rules, the Rangers appeared to make their displeasure known with the very next batter.

Prior to the resumption of the Padres and Rangers series on Tuesday, MLB announced suspensions for the apparent retaliation, handing down suspensions for pitcher Ian Gibaut and Woodward.