3 unwritten rules in MLB that are outdated
It's a classic debate. Old versus new. Youth against wisdom. While a new generation wants to witness change, an old regime wants to keep doing things the way they've always been done.
On Thursday, new generation talent and 23-year-old National League MVP Bryce Harper exclaimed that baseball is "tired" and he wants to see players given the opportunity to better express themselves during games.
On the other side of the coin was old school Hall of Famer Goose Gossage who thought changing the game would be disrespectful and that players should abide by the same rules those before them followed.
After comments were made by both parties, an old school versus new school debate began, and among the hot topics of discussion were the unwritten rules of baseball. Are they in place for a reason? Are they outdated and irrelevant?
Here are three unwritten rules around baseball that are a bigger deal to some than they are to others.
Pitcher retaliation
Throwing a projectile at another human being as a way of paying them back for having done something similar is an unwritten rule of baseball that still exists to this day.
The "don't mess with our guys" approach usually leads to heated arguments between players, coaches, and umpires, and in some cases avoidable injuries.
But if you hit a team's star player, whether it be accidental or not, there is a high probability someone on your team will be drilled next.
NL Cy Young award winner Jake Arrieta experienced it first hand last season and accepts it's just how the game is.
"I hit two guys, unintentionally. I'm not trying to hurt or hit anybody," Arrieta told reporters after last season's NL wild-card game between the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates got heated. "Balls were slick tonight. I just lost it a couple of times; it kind of ran away from me.
"I expected that. They're going to take care of their own guys. It's understandable. Everything after that was fine."
Don't bunt/steal with a lead
Another unwritten rule in baseball that drives people crazy is trying to strategically add runs, using a "small ball" approach to gain a larger lead.
Bunting and stealing with a big lead just isn't right, according to the unwritten rules.
Your team is up big, what's another run really going to prove?
Maybe it has something to do with a player padding their stats, or trying to get out of a slump at an opportune time, but it's not a well-liked approach according to Texas Rangers pitcher Colby Lewis, who had some words for former Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Colby Rasmus, who laid down a bunt against the Rangers with a two-run lead in 2014.
Breaking this rule has even lead to brawls on the international stage.
Never admire a HR
It's showmanship against respect.
The game of baseball is an emotional one, featuring game-changing strikeouts and electric home-run blasts that ignite reactions from around the world.
Of course things are going to get emotional and some players do a better job at controlling them than others. And while showing emotion draws fans to the game, it can also rub others the wrong way.
One of the biggest points Harper was trying to make in his interview with ESPN on Thursday was that he wanted to express himself and that he felt like it would better the game as a product.
Gossage on the other hand argued that players already overly express themselves and disrespect the game and their peers by doing so.
It's obviously a matter of opinion, but really, how big of a deal is a bat flip anyways?