In baseball’s latest unwritten rules controversy, two troubling and divergent points stick out:

1. The game’s old-school ethics can be conservative to the point of self-parody and are often racially insensitive, if unintentionally so.

2. Twitter pile-ons are gross, and set us back from progress and understanding. It’s arrogant and unproductive when fans and media assume that old-school guys know nothing.

As anyone who has logged on today knows, the Padres’ electric superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. batted on Monday night with his team leading Texas, 10-3. He swung on a 3-0 count and hit a grand slam.

Rangers pitcher Ian Gibaut threw at the next batter, Manny Machado. Both managers, Chris Woodward of Texas and Jayce Tingler of San Diego, criticized Tatis. Tatis himself apologized. His offense? Violating an apparent unwritten rule about tacking on runs when your team is already winning in blowout fashion.

In a perfect world, a nuanced conversation would have ensued. Generations would have learned from one another and moved forward with a deeper understanding of how well-meaning values must sometimes evolve.

We do not live in that perfect world, especially online. If Woodward and Tingler searched Twitter on Tuesday morning, they would have seen overwhelming vitriol against their points of view.

To be clear: I disagree with them, too. It is silly to expect players to become less exciting or engaged when their team is winning big. The game needs highlights -- not contrition -- from players like Tatis.

It can also end up being racially insensitive to insist that modesty is more valid than the more expressive style of play that is often popular internationally. As one Latino friend in baseball texted on Monday, “white is right” -- a phrase that too often applies to American baseball.

With all that said, it was disheartening to see the lack of empathy online toward a point of view that is rarely intentionally racist, and is often based in a love of the game and belief in respecting one’s opponent.

We’re not here to call out particular tweets or accounts, because that would risk starting the sorts of online tiffs that we’re arguing against. If that makes this sound like a straw-man column, so be it. It’s enough to say that Woodward, Tingler and anyone who agreed with them were largely cast as cavemen.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone is uniquely positioned to discuss this because of his lineage and current job. The son and grandson of big leaguers, Boone grew up in clubhouses and understands the norms and mores of the game as well as anyone. He is also skilled at relating to contemporary players; he knows that the game is changing.

Popular in the Community