The Baseball Codes: Beanballs, Sign Stealing, And Bench-Clearing Brawls: The Unwritten Rules Of America's Pastime

Retaliation can take many forms: Pitchers have always thrown brushbacks to intimidate hitters, but in 1946 Hugh Casey took the practice to another level when he threw a pitch at Marty Marion, who was standing in the on-deck circle. In 1968 Don Drysdale hit Rusty Staub with a pitch as punishment for having rummaged through Drysdale's shaving kit during an All-Star game.

Sometimes retaliation can take years: When he was fifteen, Tommy Lasorda had his autograph request snubbed by outfielder Buster Maynard. Seven years later, as a minor league pitcher, Lasorda got his revenge when he knocked Maynard down with three pitches in a single game.

Sometimes pitchers have other motives: In 1974, frustrated by his team's 6-12 start Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis took the mound against the Reds, determined to hit every batter he faced. He hit Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, and Dan Driessen and then walked Tony Perez, who just barely dodged four balls in a row. After Ellis's next two pitches barely missed Johnny Bench, Pittsburgh manager Danny Murtaugh pulled him from the game. After that, the Pirates went 82-62 on their way to winning the NL East.

Managers have rules, too: It's bad form to remove anyone but a pitcher in the middle of an inning. But Mets manager Gil Hodges once pulled Cleon Jones in just such a situation. Hodges left the dugout, head down, intending to pull his pitcher. But when he looked up and realized he'd overshot his mark, he just kept going and yanked his star left fielder instead.

The written rules are meant to be broken: Pitcher and devout Christian Allan Worthington refused to play for any team that cheated, so he was traded from the Giants and forced to quit the White Sox. When Lou Gehrig-who held the record for consecutive games played-was sick with the flu, Yankees general manager Ed Barrow called a rainout. There was no rain that day.

Editorial Reviews

gt-product-pods-reviews-collapsed" xmlns:exslt="http://exslt.org/common">

The New York Times - Bruce Weber

For true baseball-niks, the discussions of these issues won't be especially enlightening. With so many former athletes now in the broadcast booth, the unwritten rules of the game get a pretty regular airing…But the stories the authors have unearthed to illustrate ballpark justice and morality are often delicious.

Publishers Weekly

Nearly as long as baseball has existed in its current form, so too have unofficial rules that professional players have strictly adhered to. Yet as Turnbow demonstrates in this highly entertaining read, every rule of the code has certain variations. Most casual baseball fans are keenly aware of many topics that Turnbow broaches, and some are universally agreed upon—hitters admiring home runs is severely frowned on, as is arguing with one’s manager in public view and being caught stealing signs. But other rules are less cut-and-dried. On the subject of retaliating for a teammate being hit by a pitch: some believe the pitcher should be plunked in his next at-bat, while others say it should be a player with corresponding talent to the hit batter. Turnbow has an example for nearly every conceivable situation, and with quotes from dozens of former major league players, managers, and broadcasters, the reader can better understand the actions that can set off even the most even-tempered ball player. It’s a comprehensive, sometimes hilarious guide to perhaps a misunderstood aspect of our national pastime, and will come in handy should one ever be involved in a beanball war. (Mar.)

About The Author:

About The Author:

Jason Turbow has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, SportsIllustrated.com, and Slam magazine. He is a regular contributor to Giants Magazine and Athletics, and for three years served as content director for “Giants Today,” a full-page supplement in the San Francisco Chronicle that was published in conjunction with every Giants home game. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and two children.

Michael Duca was the first chairman of the board of Bill James’s Project Scoresheet, was a contributor to and editor of The Great American Baseball Stats Book, and has written for SportsTicker, “Giants Today” in the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Associated Press. He covers the San Jose Sharks for Examiner.com and works for the Office of the Commissioner as an official scorer and for MLB.com. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.