MLB players voice support for Fernando Tatis Jr. breaking 'unwritten rules' with grand slam
Fernando Tatis Jr. is facing criticism after breaking the "unwritten rules" of baseball when he hit a grand slam on a 3-0 pitch during last night's win against the Texas Rangers. But several players have come to the defense of the Padres shortstop, saying that he shouldn't have to concern himself with unofficial rules.
In the eighth inning, the Padres were leading the Rangers 10-3 when Tatis got up 3-0 on the count. San Diego manager Jayce Tingler made it clear that he had signaled for Tatis to not swing, which is what is considered the right move according to the "unwritten rules." However, Tatis missed the signal and ended up clearing the bases. Rangers manager Chris Woodard made it clear he was unhappy with Tatis swinging.
However, several players in the MLB have said that Tatis did nothing wrong and that the adherence to these "unwritten rules" is actually hurting the game. Reds lefty Amir Garrett tweeted that he doesn't follow unwritten rules, while White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson noted that Tingler should have supported his player rather than shaming him.
The conversation represents a larger cultural debate that is currently taking place around America's pastime. While purists will insist that players and managers adhere to the "unwritten rules" as carefully as written rules, more and more modern players have begun expressing their disdain for this type of archaic, outdated thinking.
As for Tatis, he says that he will pay attention to signals more but he may have unknowingly become the face of the push back against these "unwritten rules."
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