Giants Manager Gabe Kapler Is Quite Happy To Break All "Unwritten Rules"

April 14, 2022 ,


San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler is about as far from a traditional, stuffy old baseball man as you can get. And he's proved it once again with this tremendous quote regarding the age-old debate of "unwritten rules", such as bunting, stealing a base or swinging at a 3-0 pitch when your team has a big lead.

"If we don't want a team to bunt, we will defend the bunt. If we don't want a team to steal, we will defend the steal. If we don't want a team to swing 3-0 late in the game, we'll throw a ball."

The San Diego Padres (most notably, Eric Hosmer) whined and complained Tuesday night when the Giants stole a base and laid down a bunt while up by nine runs early in their game. Kapler is just fine with it. And he invites other teams to do the same against them.

Kapler's views are in direct contrast with some of the older, crustier managers in the sport. Last season, Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa practically ruined rookie Yermin Mercedes's career when he blasted him in public after a game for swinging at a 3-0 pitch with his team up big. Mercedes's season went downhill after that incident.

The year before, Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. got called out by his own manager, Jayce Tingler (since fired), also for swinging at a 3-0 pitch for a grand slam with his team up by 7 runs. 

Should baseball players stop playing if the game is still on? Should pitchers stop trying to get hitters out? Perhaps there should be a mercy rule? 

Respected MLB writer Ken Rosenthal completely agrees with Kapler. He wrote in The Athletic today, "It’s past time to stop debating and just scrap baseball’s unwritten rules." 

Photo Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports




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