Baseball’s Lesser Known Unwritten Rules

May 14, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols (5) looks at the ball after hitting a home run against the Kansas City Royals during the fourth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

We all remember that baseball is a quirky sport, and it is a sport riddled with unwritten rules. Rules like don’t step on the pitcher’s mound if you are a position player (thank you Alex Rodriguez and Dallas Braden), don’t bunt to break up a no-hitter and don’t show up the pitcher on a home run. But what are some of the stranger unwritten rules in baseball? Well, after scouring the internet, I came up with a less than comprehensive list for your reading enjoyment, in no particular order.

1. Don’t rub the spot where a pitch hits you. Every persons natural inclination would be to rub that spot, but the unwritten rule says that is a no-no, you have to act tough and pretend that getting beamed with a 90 mile per hour fast ball felt the same as getting a soft tissue massage. Even though everyone watching knows that it didn’t. (sportingnews.com)

2. Everyone must be involved in an on the field fight. That’s right, if you don’t go do a little chest bumping with the other team and act like you are going to fight them, then you are not a true baseball player. So get out there and stand around, that bench was getting uncomfortable anyway! (sportingnews.com)

3. No Falling asleep during a game. This is one that I am almost positive that Lance Berkman broke at least a dozen time while playing with the Texas Rangers (unconfirmed). If you want to nap, do it on your own time, not while there is a chance that a television camera can catch you doing it! (bleacherreport.com)

4.You can throw at a batter once but not twice. It’s okay to try to peg someone with a fastball once, but don’t you dare try to do it a second time. That may cause a bench clearing brawl (see rule 2), unless of course, someone is asleep (see rule 3). (bleacherreport.com)

5. Don’t hit and run with an 0-2 count. I am pretty sure Ron Washington breaks this rule all of the time. If it is an unwritten rule, then you can really shock the other team by doing it, right? (baseballalmanac.com)

6. Don’t bunt for a hit when you need a sacrifice. Elvis Andrus needs to learn this rule. And maybe Leonys Martin. They pretty much try to bunt to get on base every time they bunt. Is this rule telling baseball players to be lazy and not to run out a bunt? (baseballalmanac.com)

7. Never let the score influence the way you manage. Wait, doesn’t this contradict half of these? If you can’t let the score effect you, then you would always manage like it is a 0-0 game, and I don’t know about you, but I would manage very differently if the score was 0-0 as opposed to say, 0-2. Just saying. (baseballalmanac.com)

8. If you play for one run, that is all you will get. Um, as a Texas Rangers fan I can see how this one would be true. If there is one thing that most Texas Rangers fans agree on, it is that Ron Washington likes to play for one run. So maybe he doesn’t let the score change the way he manages? (baseballalmanac.com)

9. Hit the ball where it’s pitched. Okay. So, if the ball is pitched in Cleveland, don’t try to hit it in Texas. Or if the ball is thrown in the dirt, try to Vlad it by scooping it out of the dirt for a hit with your bat? Great rule. (baseballalmanac.com)

10. Don’t go against the percentages. I am so glad that the manager of the Texas Rangers has never done that. It has worked out so well so many times for the team. That is great advice! (baseballalmanac.com)

So there you have it. My unofficial list of unwritten rules. Obviously, if you want more, you can go to the sites I did or just Google it and you will find all kind of fun stuff. Hope you enjoyed it! Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook and sign up for our email subscription. Thanks for reading!