Making Baseball Fun Again: Why Baseball’s ‘Unwritten Rules’ Have No Place in Today’s Game

Baseball’s unwritten rules will be the death of the sport. Okay, maybe that’s stretching the truth beyond measure, but nevertheless, there’s some truth to that statement.

The unwritten rules of baseball are essentially a baseball player’s “code” that have been passed down through countless generations of players. At its core, the unwritten rules were created with the intention to protect the integrity of the game and prevent unsportsmanlike conduct. However, now instead of protecting the game’s integrity, they’re preventing the game’s popularity from growing.

On Monday, Chicago White Sox rookie Yermin Mercedes swung at a 3-0 offering in the top of the ninth inning and blasted a solo home run into the left center gap. Usually, hitting a home run is something worth celebrating, but veteran White Sox manager Tony LaRussa wasn’t too pleased with Mercedes.

According to ESPN, LaRussa called Mercedes “clueless” for breaking one of baseball’s most prized unwritten rule: don’t swing in a 3-0 count when you’re blowing a team out— the Sox were up 15-4 in the top of the ninth.

Now, as a disclaimer, we will acknowledge that LaRussa is a legendary Major League manager and as such is a respectable figure within the game of baseball. Regardless, his relentless grip on the unwritten rules of baseball is part of the reason why baseball has pushed away so many fans.

LaRussa isn’t alone, however. For decades, baseball ‘traditionalists’ have fixated themselves on implementing some petty code that ultimately has confined players to a military-like regimen that suppresses individuality and sucks the fun out of the game.

The game of baseball can police itself. Given that baseball is rooted in failure, the game itself will be the one who will humble and educate that player who celebrates ‘excessively.’ The game itself will put a player who intentionally hurts another player in his place. Call it karma or the ‘baseball gods’ or whatever, but the game can defend its integrity all by its lonesome.

In the meantime, if a player has the opportunity to entertain the fans by celebrating colossal home runs, stolen bases or incredible diving plays, let them be. Nothing bad will happen if players show emotion and radiate joy when they succeed. If anything, it will keep fans coming back for more entertainment. More entertainment can lead to a bigger fanbase, which in turn could potentially mean more money.

At the end of the day, baseball is meant to entertain fans, not lull them to sleep. Home runs, bat flips, stolen bases, clutch strikeouts and diving catches are entertaining. Playing the game with passion and energy is entertaining. Celebrating your own personal and the team’s success is entertaining.

You know what’s not entertaining? Not being able to play the game of baseball with joy for fear of upsetting baseball traditionalists. Or not being able to entertain the fans because any excessive celebration indicates you’ll be brushed back by a ninety-five mile-per-hour fastball.

So, if the unwritten rules are hurting the game, why is it still an issue?

Apparently old habits die hard within the sport of baseball. Look, the game of baseball can be boring to watch as it is (especially if you’re not watching your favorite team). Pace of play is often slow and there are few plays that exhilarate fans. Why not give fans a reason to stay glued to their screen than by allowing players to play with a little flair and a little passion? Why not give players the freedom to be themselves on the baseball diamond? Why not allow rivalries to heat up with a little trash talk and emotion?

Unwritten rules may not necessarily kill the game itself, but the longer they’re a part of the game, the more energy and fun they will suck out of baseball. Let the kids play and help make baseball fun again.