Dallas Braden Attacks Alex Rodriguez Again. Is Baseball’s “Code” Really Still Relevant?
Every time Alex Rodriguez does anything — poses in Details Magazine, slaps a ball out of a glove, shouts to distract a fielder from a pop-up, admits to taking banned drugs, runs across the pitcher’s mound — it gets analyzed to death. In this case, though, it’s Rodriguez’s latest detractor, A’s pitcher Dallas Braden (who called Alex out for running across the pitcher’s mound on his way back to the dugout), who won’t let it drop. In an interview yesterday with Comcast’s Mychael Urban, Braden said that he hoped that Rodriguez had “garnered a new respect for the unwritten rules, and people who hold them close to their game.” He also said that he didn’t like Rodriguez before it happened, either: “I’m not a fan of his antics… [this] wasn’t the first display of his lack of respect for the game or those playing it.”
But are those unwritten rules really all that meaningful? Braden isn’t the only player to assert that rule’s existence, as Bert Blyleven and Goose Gossage both agreed with Braden’s action in an ESPN interview. However, Joe Posnanski argues that Alex Rodriguez is so universally despised that he tends to get dinged for actions for which other players would get a free pass: “If that was Albert Pujols running across the mound, and that was a pitcher who has accomplished as much as Dallas Braden griping about it — say Anibal Sanchez or someone — it seems to me there would be a whole lot of ‘Shut your fat face, kid,’ talk going on across the country.”
Braden was incensed because Rodriguez had violated the rules of baseball’s unwritten code, a collection of ethical bylaws as deeply ingrained, and often as unchallenged, as the “book” that mandates exactly when you should bunt. Thanks to Tom Tango, Andy Dolphin, and Mitchel Lichtman, we’ve revisited the first Book quite a bit over here. The Code, however, is even more sacrosanct, because it’s less to do with wins and more to do with respect, even to the point of easing off the throttle when you’re way ahead, not stealing bases or working the count with a huge lead, or swinging at the first pitch after back-to-back home runs.
Jason Turbow and Michael Duca’s new book, The Baseball Codes, details all the things that, by tradition, players aren’t supposed to do, and they recently published an excerpt on Yahoo. And it’s good to have them on paper, because some of them are a lot less defensible than others. Some of the rules are both widely known and sensible, like the stricture against standing at home plate to admire a home run: it’s disrespectful to the pitcher, and it’s also really embarrassing if you’re wrong about the distance, as Alfonso Soriano ought to know by now. But other rules seem a little bit more dubious. What’s so bad about trying to increase a lead, whether you’re stealing bases or working a count? The deadball era is long gone; leads are never truly safe. Why would you voluntarily forgo offensive weapons in your arsenal? And, for that matter, should we really care about who steps on a pitcher’s mound?
Eno Sarris noted that Braden’s “moxie” has shown up not just in his willingness to confront Rodriguez, but in his willingness to throw his good changeup more often. He’s having a decent year so far, but he’s a lefty with a high-80s fastball who basically gets by on control and handedness. He doesn’t make too many headlines with his results on the field, which was Alex Rodriguez and Joe Posnanski’s point: it’s a silly rule, and anyway Braden doesn’t have the stature to enforce it. The latter is a bit ad hominem, but the former seems reasonable. It probably is a silly rule.
Then again, it’s a silly league, in which grown men put on matching shirts, pants and shoes and get paid millions of dollars to play a children’s game. So, to some extent, all the rules are arbitrary. I’m all in favor of scrapping the mercy rules which legislate against running up the score: if you can push runs across, I think you owe it to your fans to do so. Moreover, the rules about respect and retaliation have been drastically changed in the last few years, as retaliatory plunking has effectively been regulated out of the game through multigame suspensions. (That notwithstanding, Zach Duke recently had to apologize for not hitting any Dodgers after two of his own teammates were beaned.) Baseball’s ethics are mutable, after all, and changes in player’s rules and incentives tend to influence behavior far more effectively than any unwritten code ever could.
But should moundrunning become standard practice? I don’t think so. Certainly, I hope, this whole episode will help remove the “unwritten” status of much of baseball’s Byzantine ethics code. Baseball’s basic unit of respect — the fundamental importance of not “showing up” your teammates or opponents — remains, and ought to remain. Rodriguez may have finally acclimated himself to the role of a heel, so he may find that moundrunning suits him. The rest of the league should probably take heed.
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No mention of the unwritten rulebook Morgan Ensberg reproduced for us?
Well, either I’ve fallen into the sarchasm, or your definition of “anything” really needs to be amended.
Slapping a ball out of a glove, shouting to distract a fielder from a pop-up, and taking banned drugs are hardly minor infractions. They are key illustrations of a player who is at best immature and at worst deeply disrespectful of the sanctity of the game.
I believe that Braden may have been responding to that. Running across the mound? Maybe not a big deal by someone else, but from someone like Rodriguez, who has pulled his share of low tactics, it could seem like one more instance of disrespect, for which Braden’s response is to be commended.
What part of Braden’s personal crusade to make Alex Rodriguez pay for every fault he’s ever committed is commendable? He comes off as a petulant lunatic.
And Kevin, you come across as a pathetic apologist. But do carry on.
Crusade? He was asked a question in an interview. It’s not like he said, “You know, that’s a good question but I’d like to address the Alex Rodriguez mound issue again, if I may.”
$30 million per year for another ten years for a DH with 2 HR’s at this point of the season. I don’t think Braden will have to say another word. He’ll leave that to NYC.
and they’ll soon deliver.
That Van Every kid looks like he could really help to stabilize the Sox pen if he can add a touch of FB velocity. Either way, I’m really psyched about this increased emphasis on run prevention.
I did intend for it to be at least slightly tongue-in-cheek — the magazine photo of Rodriguez kissing a mirror isn’t exactly as major a bombshell as his PED admission or his slapping the ball out of Bronson Arroyo’s glove, but it all builds into his public image. Some of that image is almost certainly overblown, as Posnanski says. But plenty of it is deserved, and that’s certainly what Braden’s responding to — albeit responding too loudly.
Dustin Pedroia tried to slap the ball out of VMart’s glove in 2007, why doesnt he get called a dirty player? instead he’s “gritty”
http://riveraveblues.com/2007/10/shorty-mcslappy-1425/
If you have to go back 3 years in your investigation, I’d say having to do so answers your question. Aroid does this shit monthly.
I love it. When Jeter yelled “balk” and distracted the pitcher, causing the balk, which allowed him to score from 3rd base, he was praised for a savvy play. This Arod bashing nonsense is boring. The only problem I had with the “glove slap” was that he actually should have driven his shoulder into Arroyo, sending him into right field. That’s what “gamer” Pete Rose would have done.
It’s hard to tell whether the double standard is applying to A-Rod there, or to Jeter. What I mean is, Jeter can definitely get away with stuff A-Rod can’t, but is that because people hate A-Rod or love Jeter? both seem to be true. (In this case, this story makes it seem as though it was actually Willie Randolph who shouted “Balk.”)
http://djpostl.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/slappysox.jpg
Don’t believe the hype.
I feel the media is making this a bigger deal than it has to be. If it would have occurred with a non-Red Sox/Yankee it would have never made news anywhere the day after the game.
Dallas Braden needs to move on with his life and career.
You’re a fool. Braden was 100% right. Pay-Rod was 100% wrong.
Plus, I’m not even sure what your message means. Braden continues to pitch, meaning he has moved on with his career, and I’m guessing you know nothing about Braden’s “life” outside baseball. In other words, not only is your message wrong, it was also a waste of 11 words.
The Internets are serious business.
At least he chose a fitting screen name.
I’d say 99% of the “unwritten” rules serve a good purpose in the game. 162 games is a grind. Mind your effin manners when you’re out there.
I am going to say it again, I played baseball for years and never knew this was one of the “rules.” And with how insane Braden is about this, shouldn’t every batter going back to first from third run across the mound when he is pitching? If you can get in the pitchers head this much by doing essentially nothing it seems like an advantage that should be taken.
Did you play beyond high school?
How is he insane about it? And it didn’t really rattle him, the very next pitch was an inning-ending double play.
as been stated, it certainly did no good for the Yankees, b/c the very next pitch was a gdp to end the inning.
What most people don’t seem to realize, is that Braden did not get so incensed by the act of breaking the “unwritten rule,” he was incensed by the condescending and arrogant manner of A-Rod after obviously walking across the rubber to be a douche. He just didn’t let A-Rod disrespect him, and that’s what led to his going after A-Rod.
So Braden screaming his head off at A-Rod was okay, but A-Rod waiving those antics off makes him a douche?
I certainly didn’t state Braden’s behavior was okay, and it almost seems like you’re trying to put those words in my mouth.
I’m just clarifying for people what this incident was about, b/c easily over 90% people have no clue. Anyone who thinks Braden’s behavior was based on A-Rod breaking an unwritten rule is wrong. A-Rod was clearly being a douche by running across the moung (yes, A-Rod is certainly a douche, not that there’s anything wrong w/that, he can be whatever he wants to be). And then Braden called him out on it, but A-Rod treated him with disrespect. Braden went back to his job and finished the inning, then re confronted A-Rod for being disrespectful, which then led to A-Rod being condescending and arrogant (just further disrespect), and this led to Braden blowing up even further. Braden should definitely behaved better, and A-Rod is certainly a douche.
You’ve got your time line a bit off. A-Rod crossed the back side of the mound as Braden was returning to it, Braden barked at him. A-Rod did nothing (claims to have not heard Braden). After getting the double play, Braden resumed screaming at A-Rod on the way back to the dugout. It’s only at that point that A-Rod waved him off. In post-game comments, Braden teed off on A-Rod while A-Rod made the comments belittling Braden’s lack of wins (that I’ll agree was douchy). Braden continued talking about it the next day, and is still talking about it weeks later. When reporters asked A-Rod about it in the following days, he just gave a “no comment.” Braden apparently can’t do that.
And you DEFINTELY DO NOT run thru someone’s effin mound. Braden was a 100% right, that is his desk, his office, his place of work. Further mroe, you respected the “landscaping” a pitcher does on his delicate surface. Don’t touch the holes.
I don’t think that ‘landscaping’ angle has been covered sufficiently. Given that pitchers are fussy about the condition of the dirt on the mound, and spend time ‘grooming’ it with their cleats, it seems obvious that running across it is bad manners.
It raises the question of whether Rodriguez was purposely trying to alter the mound ‘landscape’ of the mound.
A-Rod very clearly ran across the back half of the mound. So unless the angle at which Braden’s rosin bag rests is relevant, that line of reasoning is meritless.
Who pissed in Kevin’s cheerios?
People that see A-Rod and attack without actually looking at what happened.
Kevin, you’re an imbecile. But do keep trying.
Greg, it is in fact you who is the imbecile.
(See how easy it is to just say that without anything to support it?)
But seriously, add something constructive or get bent.
I could easily cite examples of imbecilic comments made by you but that would disrespect the sactity of FG, and I am above that
What, like blatant homerism? We could easily tally who has been called out for that more often, if you’d care.
You’ve posted a lot of crazy shit, Kevin. Let’s leave it at that.
As far as Aroid, let me just say that the highest paid player in MLB should maybe respect the game a bit better. But unfortunately, Aroid respects nothing but his mirror.
What, he doesn’t have a locker? Braden can make his mound at his home if he wants to.
It is a pitcher’s mound. Let’s not dramatize it unnecessarily.
So the only person that can walk on the mound is you and…. the other pitcher… who spends a half inning fucking up your landscaping every time you walk off the field.
Get over it.
also the catcher, shortstop, pitching coach and anyone else who comes out there to talk
I pitched for over 20 years, and about half of those were collegiate or professionally, and I never once saw a guy run up my hill.
Sure you did.
The Pujols example strikes me as a poor one. Does anyone actually think he’d be disrespectful (or just oblivious) enough to do that? Its like the argument that the media wouldn’t have reacted the same if Peyton Manning was fighting dogs instead of Michael Vick. He’d never do it, so the comparison is really meaningless.
Exactly, its a straw man argument.
http://riveraveblues.com/2007/10/shorty-mcslappy-1425/
Ok, so Dustin Pedroia DID do the same exact thing that ARod did. Tell me why that gets no press? Pedroia is a gritty guy who plays the game the right way correct? So why did he DO that?
How do you know “Player X” would never do it?
Did you never hear the story about Peyton Manning in the locker room at college? But because he’s from the south with the accent and gee shucks country boy attitude he gets labeled as “he could never do that”
And no one thought Pettitte would ever use PEDs, too nice of a guy, too religious, too professional. He took HGH.
So, so very true. People feel like they “really know” someone, but we just get glimpses of a player and have no idea what they’re really like when they’re off the field and the cameras aren’t rolling.
People screw up. It doesn’t make them monsters; it makes them human. Some just have their every flaw blown up and dissected ad nauseum (A-Rod, Bonds, Milton Bradley). Some are swept aside because gee, they sure seem like nice guys, and they sure look contrite, and that doesn’t fit the storyline (Pettitte, Ankiel).
I admire Braden. He called out a pompous hitter from a big market team. I wish more ballplayers would do the same.
Hell yes.
And that, folks, is what this is REALLY about. Not about some bullshit unwritten rule. It’s about being fiesty with the eeeeeevil Yankees and their uber-rich 3B. Nothing more.
You go, Dallas Braden. *pat on head*
I’m not sure how much running once over the mound could disrupt the landscaping, so this may be one of the silly rules. I just wanted to stand up in defense of not working counts and stealing bases when up big. This seems to be motivated by a desire to speed up the game when the outcome is all but decided. Nobody really wants to watch a really long game where one team has essentially no shot of winning for the last hour or more. Working counts slows down the game. Constant pickoff throws slow down the game. It slightly weakens the offense, but not a whole lot and everyone gets to go home earlier. As someone said it’s a long season. If the lead shrinks, go back to working counts and trying to steal bases.
only newsworthy thing here is the ridiculous behavior of braden. calling it a childish tantrum would insult children. his lack of self control in the game may be excuseable as a heat of the moment episode. his post-game commentary seems like the doing of a guy merely following the stream of the story created by the media. but apparently he so enjoyed the exquisite pleasure of having his hysterics celebrated on baseball tonight that he can’t quite quit it. the guy acted out of order, was enabled by the media to flaunt his “attitude,” and still can’t quite understand that the joke has been carried too far.
then there are the people lapping this sorry “entertainment” up. hating on arod seems like a personal issue for these people, even though all they know about the guy is a caricature created by the professional vomits of “sportswriters.” seriously guys, almost all arod pieces are hack pieces that insult the intelligence of those who read them.
Yankee fan, be silent with your asinine opinions.
Seeing as you’ve contributed precisely nothing to the discussion, perhaps you should follow your own advice?
I don’t see what the big deal is with A-Rod stepping on the back of the mound. It’s not like there was some nefarious intent involved, and even if there were, it affects the outcome of the game how, exactly?
To say he’s contributed nothing is disingenuous…he’s contributed a highly-amusing round of BAAAWWWWing.
BIP, read the other comments and your thick skull might absorb a clue. It’s the guy’s workplace on the field and it matters. End of story.
WAHmbulance, try printing your real name if you’re not a complete coward.
Tell the truth Greg…you’re Dallas Braden’s road beef, aren’t you?
C’mon WAHmbulance. We know you get excited in that special way by certain Yankees. No need to hide it, you’re among friends.
Greg is right; he used his real name so you know EXACTLY who he is. I mean, there can’t be more than 50,000 Gregs in the world. It’s the sign of a real man *thumps chest*.
Mychal Urban (Braden’s interviewer) is also responsible for stringing out this story by flattering Braden enough to get him to pontificate about his “respect” for the game, ARod’s lack of same, and that corny b.s. about kids playing ball for the love of it, et al.
By the end of it, I realized Braden is just as insufferable as ARod.
The interviewer did what interviewers are supposed to do: ask questions. No one forced Braden to answer them.
He didn’t JUST ask questions. He buttered him up, then asked questions. He knows Braden is vain, and took advantage of it to coax some good quotes…
Mychael Urban: What people do want to see is what’s in your head regarding Alex Rodriguez. I was on the air the day it happened, and I said, “I just fell in love with Dallas all over again.” I pitched in college; if somebody did that to me I would have done the exact same thing.
…….
Urban: And one last thing: I texted you the other day and said, “Hey, guess what you get to do today? You get to play baseball.” And your response to me was awesome, because you said — tell me what you said.
Braden: I said that’s true, but somewhere today, a little boy is going to put on a uniform and play for just the raw love of the game. And for that, I’m jealous.
Urban: Yeah, that’s awesome, man. And that’s the way every guy should look at playing Major League Baseball, right?
Braden: That’s right, absolutely.
Urban: And you think that’s part of why you’re successful, because you always keep that little leaguer in mind?
That’s what interviewers do. It’s why some people are good at it and some aren’t.
in the same article that alex referred to with gossage and blyleven, jim palmer said he’d never heard of this running on the mound rule. aj pierzynski also recently said he’d never heard of such a rule (maybe not the best source, but an mlb’er nonetheless). doesn’t seem to be universally accepted…
i do have a question on one of the A-Rod moves mentioned in the article – is there actually a rule about knocking the ball out of a player’s glove (certainly that’s what runners are attempting in collisions at home plate)? i know you can’t knock a loose ball away (thank you, vince coleman), but where’s the (legal) line between knocking a fielder over and swiping at their arms?
A. J. does it all the time. If he has heard it, he probably does it to rub it in.
I would like him to stomp on the mound against Braden, just to aggravate him.
Non-rule, non-story. A-Rod got into Braden’s head and Braden looks like a fool whining about it. Move on, dude.
Yes, he got into his head and caused Braden to pitch a victory against the Yankees that day.
Wow. I’m sure Alex Rodriguez was not the first person to run across a pitchers mound. It just so happened that the pitcher at the time decided to go cry to the media about it. Also it was Alex Rodriguez, whom people generally dislike. If you don’t like it when A-Rod runs across your mound, then hit him in the back next time he bats, and then forget about it.
That being said, I think that A-Rod could have handled the issue better in his interviews – it’s understandable that he had never heard of the “rule” before. But he should have just apologized, instead of alluding to Braden’s lack of ML experience. Put it all together, and a huge deal is being made of something that should have been forgotten the day after it happened. And that is all because Dallas Braden won’t shut up, and because people don’t like Alex Rodriguez.
well good lord, braden calling out arod’s antics while he went wolverines on the gatorade!
let’s see. what kind of antics are arod’s antics? he has done some bush league plays in his career, but all in the interest of gaining an advantage on the field of play. he plays the game hard, perhaps too hard and too seriously. this seems like such an exciting antic! i’m sure the people who follow arod stories are simply interested in his latest episode of dishonorable strategem.
just cut to the chase. the arod industry sells a caricature and a spectacle. it is an exhibition of the weird and the detestable. much like how school kids haze the nerd, or the fag, or whatever unsavory and exciting brutish creature that isn’t one of the norm. the only value arod presents is his usefulness in the production of a savory spectacle, in his ability to be consumed as another interesting object in the constellation of stars and luminaries that populate the public consciousness. he is less than human, because it is not nice, even a bit cruel and crude, to laugh at real people.
but of course, if not for the satisfaction of base pleasures, people would not pay attention to a guy whose daily activity consists of baseball and clubs. yes, the sports and entertainments industry is simply a service of pleasurable exchange, your money for some harmless fun, the enjoyment of which requires some willing hypnotism. still, enjoy it but do not become consumed by it. realize the arod that you are so passionately agitating against, or for that matter, worshipping, is a manufactured caricature that probably takes on the shape of your own fantasies and depravities. after all, we do know that the racist in us finds comfort in the fact that the guy is of a less exalted race, and his homoeroticism fuels its share of disgust for the queer.
what’s the most popular association of arod on google? probably the ubiquitous
“fag”
why am i making a post of this? because the spectacle of the arod industry is actually funny.
Add John Smoltz to the list of people who never heard anything about the rule… this ‘rule’ must be one of those obscure rules given that veteran and long time pitchers have no clue about it. Braden needs to let it go…. if he was personally offended fine – do something about it, but don’t dress this up as an unwritten rule.
This was not about breaking an unwritten rule, this was a specific individual taking exception to something ridiculously minor and over-reacting in the heat of the game. And if that was the end of it, fine… but to continue it on this long after the fact he starts to look like (even more of) a joke.
I was going to mention that.
Reporters talk to 2 old players that share the same opinion then they run with it; yet dont show the other side of the story.
I’m glad to see Emperor Braden has anointed himself Pope of Baseball. It’s officially a baseball cliche at this point to create a reason to bash Arod. *yawn*
I like Braden and I liked his spirited response to the incident at the time – the drama, the fire, etc. Going on about it now, talking sh*t about another player in the press seems, ah…rude. Isn’t there a code of ethics about this kind of thing?
Yes, it is called basic decency.
You know what I hate? When somebody turns their car around in my driveway. Now there is an offense truly worthy of its own unwritten rule and self-governed code of retaliation. For example, when some motorist invades my driveway, my neighbors will all look the other way when I run outside and hose down the offender’s rear fender with hard water. “Yeah, that’s right, LeBaron. Keep driving. Enjoy those hard water spots for the next week!”
best comment of the thread. have an upvote.
funny as hell
Next time you’re lost on some podunk little street and don’t know where to turn around to go back where you came from and get out of podunkville so you won’t offend the local podunkians anymore, I suggest you make a thousand point K turn rather than innocuously use someone’s pristine driveway so the asphalt, pebbles, packed dirt, broken clamshells, whatever, are not disturbed one iota.
Me, I’m gonna do a donut on your lawn instead if you’re so sensitive about your driveway.
But it’s still a damn funny post.
Arod was being a dick purposely when he stepped on the mound, when he shouted ‘ha’, when he slapped. Don’t be a dick. You can lower your shoulder or call balk, but that aint pussyfooting.
“And, for that matter, should we really care about who steps on a pitcher’s mound?”
We? None of us here plays Major League baseball, why should our opinions even matter?
What’s amused me most about this story is the reaction from people who do not play baseball. “I never heard of the rule, so it’s bullshit.” “What a stupid rule! Who cares if someone runs on the mound?”
Dallas Braden is a hick, and I now hope he fails.
Actually, I hear he’s a pretty sophisticated guy. What’s your claim to fame, “Blah”?
I don’t froth at the mouth at inane bullshit.
Not much of a claim to fame, now is it.
This whole thing is crazy. Everyone loves having the opportunity to pile-on Arod, and given his general obliviousness (what was up with that mirror pic?), he makes it easy. Still, there’s a completely different standard applied to him. For reference, see this picture of Boston’s Mr. Grit:
http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2007/10/16/1192583121_9092.jpg
That’s the exact same thing Arod did, and its still brought up as an example against him, where Pedroia is praised for all his hard play.
I have that picture bookmark saved too. Bring it out everytime someone brings up ARod and Arroyo. Funny how the commentors disappear after that
Ditto. Love that pic.
My favorite fabricated Arod controversy remains the infamous “showboating” charge after hitting a monster grand slam vs. the Mets a few years back. Mets catcher and notorious hothead Lo Duca took exception to a fairly milquetoast bat flip on his way out of the box and confronted him when he crossed home plate. Now, in a reality-based universe, ARod’s bat flip was not out of the ordinary compared with any random home run we will see on any given day. Additionally, someone reacting like LoDuca would get ripped to shreds for being a sore loser, instead of being labeled a big hero for taking Arod down a peg. It never ends.
In yesterday’s game, Pedroia tried to steal second base. The pitcher (I forget who it was) was somewhat confused and threw low to shortstop Erick Aybar. As Aybar was trying to pick it up, while sliding to the base, Pedroia punched Aybar in the face. NESN cameras picked it up, and Remy discussed it as well.
If it was A-Rod doing it, he would have been in violation of some ethics, I am sure.
Braden’s still PMSing. It’s happened two weeks ago get over it.
You had your 15mins of Fame.
You read ARod’s mind.
http://twitter.com/Ledger_Yankees/status/13566447029
Braden may have been out of line with his tantrum, but it is better than holding it in and melting down. If he was really angry and it meant that much to him then it is good that he sent his message. Now everyone knows to not run across his mound again. Braden already said he was embarrassed about his actions during the incident and that he had to apologize to his grandmother.
It should have ended there, and it would have had A-Rod not been an arrogant prick in the post-game interview. 99% of baseball players in that situation would have just explained that they weren’t aware and apologized. If A-Rod did that then this would have just been a minor blip. Instead, A-Rod took the opportunity to belittle Braden and fuel the fire even more. Braden should probably just let it go but who are we to tell him what should be important to him? If keeping guys off his mound is important to him then he should by all means make sure that other players know not to go there. The guy interviewing him was a douche, but whatever. I think Braden got his point across and A-Rod displayed a lack of respect and arrogance. Hopefully everyone will move on.
What this really means is when Braden plunks A-Rod he’ll get suspended for it instead of getting a warning from the umps.
Anyone who hasn’t seen footage of ARod running across the mound should watch it. He ran in a straight line from third to first and his path took him across the back part of the mound. He did not veer out of his way or do anything to indicate that he was deliberately trying to show up Braden.
For obvious reasons, it’s very hard to like ARod, who has done quite a few obnoxious or downright despicable things. I will even accept that players should generally stay off the mound, even though it seems like the majority of current/former players asked about the issue say there is no such unwritten rule. Yet his crossing the mound was such a minor infraction of baseball etiquette (if it was an infraction at all) that Braden’s reaction and continued piling-on seems absurdly excessive. ARod has been dragged through the mud countless times, and deservingly so, for all the bad things he’s done (most notably using PEDs). We don’t need Braden to do it again. In fact, he deserves some criticism for breaking one of the rules I believe everyone can agree on: don’t be a whiny bitch.
The irony here is Braden is absolutely destroying a well-known unwritten rule: you have a problem with someone? Take care of it on the field. You don’t spend weeks whining about it to the press. Another baseball tradition? No-name players don’t spend weeks ripping into established HOF calibre players in the press. You think that happened in the old days? Think again. At this point, one has to wonder if Arod banged Braden’s mother or something, because it’s so over the top….
He does like them on the older side.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Absolutely right. And the idea that Urban or any other writer would hail Braden as Baseball’s Model Citizen and an example to our children is just ridiculous. Even that awful Ringolsby character assassination piece about ARod mentioned that Braden was acting like a petulant jerk.
Amen to what Jeremy said. The super-minor infraction, and the resulting two week sh*t storm, were just absurdly out-of-proportion.
TIME FOR AROD TO FIGHT BACK. He’s apologized enough, bit his tongue enough. At least the man stood up and took the heat (alot of heat). What have Bonds, Big Mac, Sosa, Clemens, Brady Anderson, Manny, Palmeiro etc. etc. done but hide and deny or give half-fast mea-culpas. This guy shows up every f#@ckin day, runs hard, plays hurt, plays defense, signs autographs, talks to the press…he’s not out raping chicks, punchin his girlfriend, gamblin his money away, driving drunk into a tree, bringin a gun into a club or travelin with a posse or entourage… If these stiff righteous guys can’t handle him dating(like a gentleman) hot blonde chicks, well then they should really “check themselves”…If Chipper Jones would have tried to knock the ball out of a glove for instance, he’d be called a “gamer”…Arod merely crossed by the dirt of “King Bradens” mound, it’s not like he pounced on the rubber and glared at “Babe Braden”…TIME TO FIGHT BACK AROD… Enoughs enough…How’s big Papi doin off the juice??–Must be a real “natural” player…To quote “King Braden”, ‘if you give a fool enough rope he’ll hang himself’, and he certainly has……..Get a resume and maybe you can get you’re teeth fixed, before Arod knocks ‘em the f@#K out…
Lol. Nitwit.
Don Mattingly would never talk that way.
AROD is a busher, but this guy Braden should have done something about it rather than whine to the press. No crying in baseball.
Most of these unwritten rules are silly, imo. What harm comes to anyone if a runner runs back across the back of the mound? What harm comes to anyone if a hitter admires a HR? Harm only comes here because the someone said there is harm. Many of socities’ problems would be cured if we just let these things roll off of our back and we ignored them. There is no intrinsic harm here at all. Ignore it, don’t retaliate, don’t even let it bother you. Why should it bother me if a hitter watches a crappy pitch I threw fly over the wall? It only bothers me because someone said it should, and because I let it. Get rid of the silliness about people hurting me, that didn’t really hurt me, and a lot of our anger, violence, and problems go away.
I agree that Braden manufactured the “harm” here by throwing tantrums. Otherwise no one would have noticed or cared that ARod ran across the mound.
But Braden’s interview also answers your questions. To him, and to those who take a hard-line stance on unwritten rules, “harm” comes from individual players putting themselves ahead of their teams or the game itself. The “harm” comes not from someone getting hurt, but someone acting like the game revolves around him. The “harm” is to the integrity of the game.
If my tone didn’t come across well enough, I think this is a pretty stupid way to look at baseball. Players who perform well benefit their teams no matter how selfish they are. Braden even drops the “ARod cares about himself more than his team” cliche, even though there’s no way a player who works as hard and plays as well as ARod could possibly not care about the success of his team. (Not to mention that he was a big part of bringing his team a ring just last season.) But this is the kind of poetic, hyper-traditional view of baseball that lots of journalists just love (and Urban literally professes his love for Braden).
Here’s how I see the “harm” in the situations you describe: baseball is fun to watch and doesn’t need distractions. If players admire home runs, pitchers celebrate after every strikeout, and players go out of their way to intimidate pitchers by running close to them on the mound (which ARod clearly didn’t do), then the game becomes less fun to watch. The players self-police such behavior typically by throwing at guys who act like jerks (although Braden is both (a) immune from retaliation because he pitches in the AL and (b) is more interested in pleading his case to the media than just shutting up and throwing at ARod) and that is typically enough to make sure that the game runs smoothly.
I think some of the showboating actually makes the game more entertaining, (see Prince Fielder’s walk-off celebration last year). But I think part of baseball’s charm is its old-school demeanor, and the fact that the players and managers for the most part enforce it themselves. That’s what Braden should have done. If he thought AROD was out of line he should have made a mental note and pegged him at an opportune time. I don’t think the unwritten rules say that you get retribution by crying to the media. I think his whining actually makes him a candidate to wear one. Too bad he plays in a glorified slow-pitch softball league and never bats.
Rockymountainhigh, I agree that showboating can be entertaining and I even thought of Prince Fielder while I was writing that comment. But Fielder is an exception – he’s one of the rare players with the combination of ability and charisma to pull off something that ARod (or any Yankee, really, because of the attention the whole team gets) couldn’t even dream of doing.
The season is long and full of ups and downs. If everyone celebrated each home run or key strikeout it would be tedious and stupid.
That “integrity” claim is a tautology. It is saying it is important becuase it is important. What harm was done to the integrity? Integrity is about playing by the same rules as everyone else. “Integrity” as others define it is code for “unwritten rules”. So, integrity in this argument is just “its important because we said it is important”, and that’s my point. Why is it important to the game?
And, I agree, I find Fielder entertaining, not annoying….
Braden needs to grow up. The mound is part of the field. The unwritten rules are not rules. If he retaliates he should be suspended. These are all over paid cry babies. I have no time for over paid babies whinning because someone did something that most people don’t. There is no rule so Grow UP Braden.
“I have to admit that I have been corrected, because I didn’t know that unwritten rule.” -Joe Morgan
If Joe Morgan doesn’t know about an unwritten rule, it doesn’t exist. He doesn’t know anything written about baseball, just the unwritten…
I can’t stand ARod as a player but Braden needs to shut his whore mouth and move on.
Isn’t there an unwritten rule about rookies telling hall of famer’s how to play the game? ….if that unwritten rule does not exist then someone ought to fail to write it down soon. Because the probability of a rookie knowing the game better than a guy closing in on 600 HRs seems exceedingly small.
DALLAS BRADEN JUST THREW A PERFECT GAME AND THEREFORE WRITES ALL THE RULES OF BASEBALL FROM NOW!!11!!11!!1!!1!
“If that was Albert Pujols running across the mound, and that was a pitcher who has accomplished as much as Dallas Braden griping about it — say Anibal Sanchez or someone”
Anibal Sanchez has a no-hitter. Did Posnanski know Braden was about to make histroy?
Alex Remington writes: “…and anyway Braden doesn’t have the stature to enforce it.”
Well, I guess he does now.
Joe Posnanski: “a pitcher who has accomplished as much as Dallas Braden griping….‘Shut your fat face, kid’…”
Hey, Joe~~Who has the fat face now, asswipe?
I enjoyed AJ Burnett’s comment (http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=5175924):
“As Braden celebrated the feat, Sunday night’s Yankee starter, A.J. Burnett, was alone in the Fenway clubhouse and watched Braden on TV. As Braden hugged Lindsey (his grandmother), Burnett said out loud, to no one in particular, ‘Grandma, don’t cross my mound.’”