The Unwritten Rules of Baseball: The Etiquette, Conventional Wisdom, and Axiomatic Codes of Our National Pastime Hardcover – March 24, 2009

My wife is Canadian, which means many of her friends are Canadian, and I've been trying to explain to them for years how similar the great sport of baseball is to their beloved hockey insofar as the code of conduct beyond the official rules to which players adhere is a deeply-layered set of tradition and justice based in an abiding respect for the game. I'd compare how hockey stars get protection via their team enforcers much like pitchers are obligated to protect their best hitters by plunking the other team when appropriate. Or I'd draw an analogy between the silly, but reverent superstitions like not shaving during the Stanley Cup run and making no mention of a no-hitter in progress. Some of it would make sense to them, while other stuff would fly right over their toques.Then it occurred to me: As much as I love hockey, I don't know that any sport could have as much unwritten etiquette as baseball simply because of its pace and longevity as a mostly unchanged game over the past hundred years.I really wasn't sure how I could convey that to my Canucks, but this book is probably a good start. Though it won't lead anyone by the hand through the sport (I'll still have to explain some of the nuances and plays referred to), I feel like I could give it to any of them to read and understand how much more there is going on than simply what they're seeing on the field. Now, I'm not one to keep score at games, but I do try to keep a close eye on the little things not reported on the Jumbotron. I'm hoping that even reading some of this collected wisdom will help my wife and her friends draw more from the game than drunken idiots slapping beach balls or instigating 'the wave' could ever see.(BTW - Dodgers games are probably the most unpleasant ballpark experience in one of the best ballpark settings: horribly rude, often violent fans who show up in the fourth and leave after the stretch, which, I might add, has to have its lyrics on the Jumbotron and repeats the verse twice. Abomination! The ghost of Harry Caray should torment these impostors for the remainder of their days.)I actually ordered this book shortly after Dallas Braden's perfect game since much of the etiquette came up while the wife and I were watching the highlights of it (last year, I tried without success to convey the rarity of the perfect game and the genius of DeWayne Wise's catch in Buerhle's gem). When I winced at Longoria's bunt attempt, but then hedged on whether it was technically 'wrong,' I knew I'd confused her. Referencing the bunt that killed Schilling's perfect game a few years back certainly didn't help. Personally, I think the bunt has very limited application and breaking up a perfect game ain't it (though we did go to the Japan-Korea final of the 2009 WBC and I thought Ichiro's late bunt was one of the most brilliant pieces of hitting I've ever seen). Then again, if you're giving up on the score halfway through the game, you should probably find another profession.When I got the book, I opened it to rule 1.17.2. Don't Bunt to Break Up a No-hitter or Perfect Game. Sure enough, the Schilling game was referenced as a very gray area in the rule. While I don't know that this cleared anything up for my wife, I was actually happy to see the nuanced examples and contrary wisdom ("I'm getting paid to hit and he's getting paid to pitch. He never gave me any breaks at the plate. Why should I give him any?") that exemplify why all these rules are unwritten: to fix them in recorded form would take away from the excitement of knowing whether they'll be observed.(Oddly enough, Braden is quoted in rule 1.19.0. Rookies Are the Lowest Rung on the Ladder, though his name is misspelled 'Breden.' I'm sure it will be corrected in future editions now that he made history.)Wow, I've really digressed. What I meant to say is that I think the book is a very complete list of the unwritten rules we baseball fans think we know along with a few that I probably would have never known (the section on how far you can take your jawing with the umpire seems like something tough to gauge from the fan's distance from the field). The little vignettes attached to most of the rules are often informative and fun, though, again, I don't know that they'll translate well beyond the already entrenched fan (of course, this book isn't really general interest, so I guess that's the point). The rules did feel a little brief, however, as the second half of the book consists of collected adages, wisdom, and cliches from the game that are alternately truisms, banalities, and contradictory. Still entertaining, but I might have better enjoyed more examples of the 'rules' in action. Overall, a fun, easy read that can be put down and picked up without loss of flow. To quote from Plimpton's Correlation ("The larger the ball, the less the writing about the sport"), there are "very good books about baseball" and this is among them. It's worth adding to your baseball shelf.

A Must have for any baseball enthusiast. With change how you watch the game. Great resource. Great gift

The only time I played baseball was backyard with friends so I never was on a organized team. I thought I knew all the rules of the game but after reading I was definitely wrong. There is so much more to this game which is what makes it a incredible sport to not only watch but also to play.

My entire childhood was dedicated to baseball. I spent hours at practice, hours in the backyard with the pitch back, and hours in front of the television watching ESPN. It was my life. Unfortunately, like most kids, I had to grow up and realize the dream of being the starting catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers had faded away. But the love of the game did not die.It is the minute details, the small intricacies, the strange oddities, the weird obscurities, and so on that make baseball a beautiful game. There are countless documentaries, books, and memoirs about baseball because they are countless aspects to the game.I did not expect a lot from this book. I knew it was going to be a lot of overused and tired anecdotes I have already heard. I was hoping for some newer insights from modern broadcasters, writers, and players. Unfortunately, the book is exactly what I feared. I feel like ninety percent of this book was written by Joe Garagiola, since the majority of this book quotes or references Garagiola's Baseball is a Funny Game.The biggest takeaway from this book: find Joe Garagiola's book.

This is a book about the unwritten rules of baseball. For those steeped in the sport, many of these will be familiar. Nonetheless, a nice little volume. The author, at the outset, says (Page xii): "I am convinced that the game runs on a code of behavior, a set of beliefs and assumptions and practices that gives it both strength and character. . . ."Some examples of rules from a player's perspective: "The clubhouse is a sanctuary"; "Do not criticize a teammate in print"; "It is the pitcher's job to protect his hitters and enforce many of the unwritten rules"; "Respect the other team--Do not 'show up' the opposition."There are also rules for other key actors--managers, umpires, official scorers, fans media, and so on. There is also a segment under the rubric "Axioms, principles, adages, rules of thumb, instructions, and seemingly immutable laws that define the national pastime" (whew!).All in all, a slight work, but quite amusing.

I used this all the time as a reference book!

Explains what I could find in the rule books, and baseball has some very unique practices, superstitions, etc. Very entertaining as well as quite informative.

Love it. Husband does too, and he's not much of a book reader. You can open it to any ol' page and read happily, nodding your head in agreement, or have the occasional WOW! moment. Come back 3-4 days later and start reading somewhere else...it's just all very cool.

no comment

This book is basically a compilation of lists of old and new baseball adages and wisdoms. It's not great literature, but it's not supposed to be. Still, it was enjoyable.