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ESPN Daily

How Breaking Baseball’s Unwritten Rules Is Changing The Game (For Good)

ESPN Daily

ESPN

Sports

4.63.9K Ratings

🗓️ 12 April 2021

⏱️ 32 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Baseball is steeped in time-honored traditions and a code of unwritten rules. But players in today’s game are starting to break those rules: flipping their bats, admiring their home runs, and, say, hitting a Grand Slam when up 10-3 in the 8th inning. Ok, that last one was just Fernando Tatis Jr. ESPN’s Joon Lee explains how baseball’s youngest generation is challenging the establishment and injecting their personalities into the game - and why that’s changing the sport for the better. Then, Pablo shares the story of a prison basketball game where an unlikely play-by-play star was born. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

June, where do you want to begin this entire story?

0:05.2

So we're going to rewind back to last August when the Padres and the Rangers were playing each other.

0:10.4

It is game one of a home and home series between the San Diego Padres and the Texas Rangers.

0:16.3

It's the eighth inning.

0:18.1

All right, thanks very much, guys.

0:19.7

As we move along here to the eighth inning, Juan Naccio takes over for Texas.

0:25.7

The Padres are up by seven runs and the bases are loaded.

0:28.4

That is ball four and another walk this inning, Naccio's second.

0:32.6

This will load the bases for the Padres.

0:35.2

Fernando Tatis Jr., who's one of baseball's brightest young stars, he comes up to the plate,

0:40.3

and he works a three-o count.

0:42.3

Now, traditionally in baseball, you're supposed to not swing in the situation because it could

0:47.3

be interpreted as trying to run up the score, especially with the Padres up by seven runs.

0:51.3

And Tatis's manager, Jason Tingler, basically sends him a sign to layoff on the next

0:55.8

pitch.

0:56.4

But Tatis doesn't see the sign, and he crushes the ball out of the ballpark.

1:01.3

This is in the air to right field.

1:03.7

Back it goes.

1:05.0

Nando has done it again.

1:06.9

Fernando Tatis Jr.

1:08.7

A grand slam.

1:10.5

And hits a grand slam. And hits a grand slam.

...

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