I just read the story about Miguel Sano and Doug Mientkiewicz's ejections and Mientkiewicz's comments after the game prompted me to write an article addressing baseball's "unwritten rules" and how they could potentially end a career if they are not ended.

 

"Mientkiewicz went on to say that, “Hit him in the back, I won’t like it, but it’s part of the game. Throw at his head and it messes with his future and I have a problem with it. It’s an embarrassment to the game of baseball."

What do you think Twins Daily, am I making too big of a deal out of this mishap or do you think this "unwritten rule" is as ridiculous as I do?

 

Miguel Sano: Minnesota Twins Fortunate Prospect Was Ejected, Not Hurt

 

 

 

This had zip to do with the "unwritten rules" and all to do with umpiring incompetence.

 

"Unwritten rules" would had been if the Miracle retaliated and threw at one of their batters. They didn't... The ump should have thrown the Miracle pitcher out at the spot. He didn't. Sano did his job (instead of charging the pitcher - another "unwritten rule") and spoke with his bat. Then he mentioned that to his opponent's bench while circling the bases.

 

The umpire ejected the wronged parties in the event...

Well put. I must of not been very clear with my article as I didn't mean that the pitch toward Sano was an "unwritten rule" but that usually when a pitch like that happens it is in retaliation by a pitcher for his batter being hit earlier in the game. That and Mienkiewicz's comments made me think about the "unwritten rule" of throwing at a player, which I find ridiculous. Again, I didn't mean the Sano pitch was a case of the "unwritten rule", but it merely reminded me of it in addition to Mientkiewicz's post-game comments. I apologize for any confusion!

I am 100% with you on this one. If I were in charge, I'd hand out year-long suspensions for charging the mound or intentionally hitting someone. Forget these unwritten, archaic and barbaric rules. Baseball is great enough without them. I don't buy into the "it's the way things have always been" logic either. We used to ride horses everywhere, and now we have cars. Polio used to kill people, but now we have a vaccine. In baseball, players didn't always wear helmets, but now everyone does. Things evolve and I would welcome some evolution in this particular area of the sport. If you want to get back at someone, do it on the field. Well stated!

This guy not only threw at Sano's head in retaliation for a prior homer against in (in a different game), the whole Cardinals bench proceeded to taunt Sano about the attempted beaning the entire at bat. When he homered, he gave them some smack back to the dugout and was ejected. The umpire should be fired.

I gotta admit, I really do enjoy the unwritten rules of baseball (The Baseball Codes | Facebook: www.facebook.com/baseballcodes; Twitter: @BaseballCodes and the same titled book are really great). It seems that in this case, as already mentioned, the codes weren't followed anyway.

Baseball will always have things like this. Career ending injuries might happen, at some point, but I don't think anyone tries to end someone's career. I love the game and all the little things that come with. Unwritten rules and sticking up for your players will always be apart of it. This isn't football, where hitting someone in the back gives them repeated concussions.

The "unwritten rule" polices the game better than anything else. You hit our guy, we hit your guy. Nothing wrong with that, but the head hunting has to stop. Hit them in the butt. I thought it was pretty pathetic last year when Diamond air mailed one over Hamilton's head.

Every sport (and every aspect of life, for that matter) has unwritten rules. If something needs to be added to address safety concerns, that's one thing, but absent from that we shouldn't take away players abilities to police themselves.

Throwing at someone because they outplayed you earlier is immature. Unfortunately, there is a lot of immaturity in the world.

Throwing at someone because they outplayed you earlier is immature. Unfortunately, there is a lot of immaturity in the world.

 

It goes beyond immaturity. It's reckless endangerment. Todd Bertuzzi wasn't being immature when he tackled a guy from behind without the puck and drove his head into the ice. He was a trying to injure him. He was rightly suspended for the rest of the season and prosecuted for assault. I use an obvious case to prove a point. And this is not as severe. But it's the same principle. If you try to hurt someone, you should be ejected and suspended.

 

If that was in the major leagues, the pitcher would have been ejected, fined and suspended. Instead, the hitter is ejected before he can touch home plate. Then his manager is ejected. Then his pitcher is ejected for retaliating. Meanwhile, the guy who caused the whole thing is still pitching. Bush league.