The Baseball Codes: Beanballs, Sign Stealing & Bench-Clearing Brawls (by Jason Turbow with Michael Duca)
Everyone who knows, loves and follows baseball has heard of the “Unwritten Rules” of the game. Not showing up the pitcher, no hot-dogging, don’t talk about a no-hitter and dozens more.
This book does a very good job of laying out these rules for all to see. It’s filled with not only those “rules”, but also great stories about the application of the rules.
One of my favorite sections is about players who wait years – sometimes into retirement – before they are able to get their revenge on an opponent that they feel slighted them.
Sometimes, it isn’t even an opponent that did the slighting.
Tommy Lasorda was in 8th grade when his hero refused to sign an autograph outside Shibe Park in Philadelphia.
Seven years later, when Lasorda was on his way up through the minors as a pitcher, he plunked this same fellow (who was on his way down through the minors).
Bob Gibson once hit Pete LaCock in a old-timers game, since he missed his chance to hit him 15 years earlier when Gibson thought he had it coming.
The authors do a great job of covering all the unwritten rules and include input from those that follow them and those that don’t. It includes laugh-out-loud stories that is a must read for any baseball fan!
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