The Baseball Codes

The Baseball Codes: Beanballs, Sign Stealing, and Bench-Clearing Brawls: The Unwritten Rules of America's Pastime by Jason Turbow

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


America’s pastime has an extensive set of written rules, some of which I’ve only managed to figure out after watching for over thirty years (infield fly rule? Obstruction? Anyone?) And then there are a series of unwritten rules that govern the behavior of the players and are policed internally, known as the Baseball Code. The elite athletes who play this game may or may not respect this Code, but it exists, and many who ignore it do so at their own peril.

There are unwritten rules about when to throw at someone, about not running up the score in a blowout, about the mandatory requirement to join in a fight on the field (even if that means running 500 feet from the bullpen and arriving way too late for the fight.) There are also rules about cheating (players expect it and don’t care: just don’t get caught.)

As a big baseball fan, parts of this book had me laughing out loud, like the part where Cleveland reliever Dave LaRoche, one of the many pitchers running in from the bullpen to join the 3rd fight of the game proposes “why don’t we, one time, save some energy and start a fight here, and make them come running all the way out to us?” (page 233).

The book is divided into 4 sections covering the code as it pertains to actions on the field, retaliation, cheating, and how to treat teammates. It’s great fun, an easy read at 260 pages, and in the waning days of this regular season leading to the postseason, should help to salve the wounds of my team not being in it.

@BaseballCodes @MichaelDuca





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