Apparently an “unwritten rule” of baseball means that one of the game’s most exciting young players shouldn’t swing at a dead-red fastball on a 3-0 count, as if he was playing in Little League and not the big leagues.
That’s what Chris Woodward believes. The Rangers manager said he “didn’t like it” when Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. came to the plate with the bases loaded in the eighth inning as San Diego led 10-3 in Arlington and proceeded to blast a 3-0 fastball 407 feet into the right field seats.
“When you’re up by seven in the eighth inning, it’s typically not a good time to swing 3-0,” Woodward told local media. “It’s kind of the way we were all raised in the game. But … the norms are being challenged on a daily basis. Just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean it’s not right. But we didn’t like it as a group.”
There’s a couple problems with this logic.
One: Anything can happen in the game of baseball, and it’s not entirely uncommon for a seven-run lead to evaporate in the final couple frames. San Diego had a 99.6% chance of victory when Tatis stepped to the plate, but nothing is guaranteed in this game — especially considering the Padres’ 6.19 bullpen ERA, which ranks fifth-worst in baseball.
Two: If the Rangers were so offended at Tatis’ bomb, they should really be offended at their own pitching staff, and specifically Juan Nicasio, for serving up a batting practice pitch to one of the game’s hottest hitters. After going off for two homers and seven RBIs on Monday, Tatis leads the majors with 11 homers and 28 RBIs.
Padres manager Jayce Tingler said after the game that Tatis missed a take sign. But in saying that, Tingler failed to fully back his best player. That’s also considering the Rangers proceeded to throw behind Manny Machado the very next pitch following Tatis’ salami. Woodward said Ian Gibaut’s pitch was unintentional, but MLB disagreed, suspending Woodward for one game and Gibaut for three.
“We had a comfortable lead, and we weren’t trying to run up the score or anything like that, and so we put on the take sign,” Tingler said. “(Tatis) probably should see a strike right there.”
Rockies manager Bud Black, a self-described baseball traditionalist, reflected on the situation Tuesday morning in Houston ahead of the finale of Colorado’s two-game set there.
“Both the Padres and the Rangers saw it the right way,” Black said. “Even Tatis, after the game, saw it the right way… I sort of see it the same way as the Rangers and the Padres.”
But Black also cautioned baseball’s “unwritten rules” should be applied on a game-by-game basis.
“You could make a case at our park that it’s different, based on the game,” Black said. “If we’re at a slugfest at Coors Field and it’s 18-11 in the eighth inning, and you’re going through some relievers, and your closer’s down, all bets are off. That’s a different game.
“But if the Rangers are up 7-0 in that (pitcher’s) ballpark in Texas and Lance Lynn is pitching, I don’t think the Rangers are swinging 3-0 with the bases loaded in the eighth inning.”
