MLB takes ‘unwritten rules’ to task
Major League Baseball is opening October by blasting the game’s so-called “unwritten rules.”
MLB released an advertisement ahead of Tuesday’s postseason opener denouncing the anti-bat flip attitudes of many baseball traditionalists.
“Don’t stop and stare. Don’t flip your bat. Respect the jersey,” says a narrator at the start.
Meanwhile, the commercial shows Giancarlo Stanton admiring a lengthy home run, Carlos Correa tossing his bat, Mookie Betts flexing and Yasiel Puig wagging his tongue after a daring headfirst slide.
It also includes Atlanta rookie Ronald Acuna Jr. celebrating a home run against the Marlins. Acuna was plunked by Miami’s Jose Urena during his five-game home run streak this season, an incident that put baseball’s unwritten rules back under the microscope.
After Acuna, the ad cuts to Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. Griffey sports a backward baseball cap, just like he did as the fresh face of baseball in the early 1990s.
“No more talk,” Griffey says. “Let the kids play.”
The commercial features sound bites from a few broadcasters criticizing players, including one from longtime Turner Sports analyst Joe Simpson. The Braves announcer was left off TBS’ postseason lineup this fall after his commentary came under fire a few times this season, including when he labeled Dodgers veteran Chase Utley “unprofessional” for wearing a “K Cancer” T-shirt during batting practice.
Proponents of baseball’s unspoken code of conduct have gone hard after certain players for their postseason antics. Puig is a regular target because of his energetic shenanigans, and slugger Jose Bautista was rebuked for staring down his go-ahead home run in Game 5 of the 2015 AL division series.
The game’s conservative crowd has gotten increasing pushback from younger players and fans, especially as MLB struggles to target younger viewers. Bryce Harper campaigned in 2016 to “Make Baseball Fun Again,” while some perceive the old-timers to be unfairly forcing Latin players to conform to American cultural standards.