What happened during the 9/6 Cubs/Nats game?

[Bothrops Atrox]

unwritten rules seem to exist for the sole purpose of allowing a team to blow off steam when they are going through a tough stretch.

I remember playing in HS and getting beaten by a team badly and you basically invent a reason why you are better sports than they are.

Yup. To me, not performing your absolute best/watering down your potential quality of performance is far more of an insult to the integrity of the game than most of these unwritten rules.

[UnderPressure]

I have always, ALWAYS hated this stupid "unwritten" rule. Why is the team that is leading by 5 runs obligated to try their best to keep the score that way? It's freaking baseball. There's no time limit, which means the opposition can score in a hurry the next inning. LOL, what's next, whining about a team stealing bases with an 8-2 lead at Coors Field? I love baseball, but I have some reasons to hate it as well.

[Mr. Laser Beam]

After the Yankees beat the Redsox 15-9, when the Sox started with the 9-0 lead....no one should say anything ever again about 'running up the score'.

[Los Bravos]

Well its kind of the unwriten rule of baseball that you don't swing 3-0 when up big you also don't go around stealing bases when up big

Those things seem completely different to me.

The big swing thing also has a particularly stupid adjunct, namely that if you're not a home run hitter and you take a big swing at a pitch, some jackasses (Nolan Ryan for one) think they're entitled to plunk you for your effrontery.

Reporter to Whitey Herzog: "why do your players keep stealing bases when you have big leads?"
Herzog: "I'll stop running with big leads when the other team stops trying to hit homeruns with big leads."

Joe Simpson has told the story a couple of times about Maury Wills saying essentially the same thing, stating it more pithily as "I'll stop trying to win when they do."

[ol' aches and pains]

Those things seem completely different to me.

The big swing thing also has a particularly stupid adjunct, namely that if you're not a home run hitter and you take a big swing at a pitch, some jackasses (Nolan Ryan for one) think they're entitled to plunk you for your effrontery.

Back around 1990, Nolan Ryan gave up home runs to Ozzie Guillen and Craig Grebek of the White Sox in the same game. Neither of them were known for hitting the long ball, and the next time he faced them, Ryan drilled both of them. I believe this was the beginning of the bad blood that culminated in Robin Ventura charging the mound when Ryan hit him with a pitch.

[9RoyHobbsRF]

^ 3 years later?

[dominik]

Yup. To me, not performing your absolute best/watering down your potential quality of performance is far more of an insult to the integrity of the game than most of these unwritten rules.

well still it is very present in baseball to not run up the score in a blowout. in LL doing that too much is considered bush league. you don't strike out intentionally of course but you don't run or drive up the pitch count if you are way ahead (but this means 10+ runs and not 5 of course).

in european soccer it is the other way round. here taking it easy and not playing your best is considered an insult to your opponent.

there is even a long wiki entry on running up the score

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_up_the_score

[Ben Grimm]

IMO, the one who should be ticked off the most should in that situation is Davey Johnson. No matter who you are as a hitter, the last thing I'd want a player doing against a pitcher who just walked the bases loaded is swing on a 3-0 count.

[Bothrops Atrox]

well still it is very present in baseball to not run up the score in a blowout. in LL doing that too much is considered bush league. you don't strike out intentionally of course but you don't run or drive up the pitch count if you are way ahead (but this means 10+ runs and not 5 of course).

in european soccer it is the other way round. here taking it easy and not playing your best is considered an insult to your opponent.

there is even a long wiki entry on running up the score
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_up_the_score

And the Euro's have it right.

I never said it wasn't happening - just that I think most of the unwritten rules are bologna.

[ipitch]

IMO, the one who should be ticked off the most should in that situation is Davey Johnson. No matter who you are as a hitter, the last thing I'd want a player doing against a pitcher who just walked the bases loaded is swing on a 3-0 count.

"I mean, if they get mad at my guys in the fifth inning swinging 3-0 or running, they better get used to it," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said.

He apparently was given the green light. Or, maybe Davey is just sticking up for Werth.

[Ben Grimm]

"I mean, if they get mad at my guys in the fifth inning swinging 3-0 or running, they better get used to it," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said.

He apparently was given the green light. Or, maybe Davey is just sticking up for Werth.

I'm sure Werth - like any other $20M hitter has the green light at all times. It's up to their discretion to know the situation. Davey probably also stuck up for his player like you said, but I'm sure he had to at least talk to Jason about swinging at that pitch.

[dgarza]

I am fine with players giving their all for the sake of entertaining paying customers and fans, even in blowouts.

[dgarza]

And what about players with personal goals/quotas/performace incentives? Shouldn't they be allowed to reach these goals regardless of the score (as long as it doesn't hurt their own team)?

[Bothrops Atrox]

And what about players with personal goals/quotas/performace incentives? Shouldn't they be allowed to reach these goals regardless of the score (as long as it doesn't hurt their own team)?

Yes, they should.

[Ben Grimm]

I totally agree to the posts directly above. Come on, this was the 5th inning. It's not like it happened in the 8th or 9th. This should be a non-story but was blown out of proportion.