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Unwritten: Bat Flips, the Fun Police, and Baseball's New Future
Don't bunt in a blowout. Don't pimp your home runs. Act like you've been here before. In Unwritten: Bat Flips, the Fun Police, and Baseball's New Future, national baseball writer Danny Knobler dives deep beyond the brushbacks and brawls to examine shifting attitudes towards Major League Baseball's once-sacred player codes. What emerges in the process is a much larger story, one of a more youthful, more exuberant, more diverse game in the midst of a fascinating culture clash. Featuring countless interviews with some of baseball's biggest names, including current and former major-league players, coaches, scouts, and journalists, Unwritten is a revealing, thoroughly of-the-moment portrait of a sport grappling with the loaded question of what it means to play the game the right way. Fans will not want to miss these varied, inside perspectives on America's pastime marching into the future.
- GenresBaseballSportsNonfiction
352 pages, Hardcover
First published April 9, 2019
9 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
Danny Knobler
3 books12 followersDanny Knobler has written about baseball and other sports for more than 30 years, for publications and websites including Baseball America, Booth Newspapers, CBSSports.com, ESPN.com, Bleacher Report and Sport magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 5, 2019
Unwritten, etc. is an enjoyable fairly short book that discusses many of the so-called unwritten rules of baseball that are hotly debated by announcers during games and fans in bars and on discussion boards. In discussing these things, Knobler compares the way the game used to be played to its modern incarnation, particularly the use of startling pitchers and relievers, flipping the bat after a homerun, making the last out at third, bunting in the first inning, and using the closer in a tie game away. By using stories about specific instances, Knobler makes the book come to life.
Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy for review.
Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy for review.
August 11, 2019
As anyone who is a fan of baseball can probably attest to, the unwritten rules are a series of conflicting opinions - applications vary thanks to numerous variables. Additionally, what is viewed as "playing the game the right way" differs player by player, which is not a clear black-and-white or good-and-evil issue. As Danny Knobler puts it, "So if Martin Prado, Buster Posey, and Kris Bryant play the game right, does that mean Javier Báez plays it wrong?" Painting a complete picture of the "unwritten" rules ultimately means a lot of hypocrisy, reaching, justifying, and lunacy. So, how do you depict all those complexities and paradoxes in a book?
I think Danny Knobler has a varying degree of success with the task. Unwritten does offer an impressive collection of various depictions and interpretations of baseball's unwritten rules. This book was obviously written with a nod toward modern day conventions, but I really appreciated the historical examples and interpretations to help reinforce the reality that the troublesome "unwritten rules" are not just a product of later generations. However, I do feel that Knobler was, to his detriment, *too* objective at times. I can understand his approach: let the player anecdotes and opinions speak for themselves. This method did work in some instances; for example, the Kenley Jensen chapter was just him reflecting about his baseball opinions, and it was arguably one of the best chapters in the book. However, Knobler never seems to critique his own stories. For example, a chapter ends with David Wright and Bobby Parnell throwing out Noah Syndergaard's lunch because he's eating instead of watching a Spring Training game, and it's summarized as "He didnt pay his dues." Why? Why is this accepted and not questioned? Again, Knobler observes the culture clash, changing of the guard, but doesn't stop to ask why it's happening or why it's needed. I know it's not a thesis, just a collection of essays, but I think that critical analysis here and there would add some much needed structure in a subject where literally none can be found.
Also, I hate how there are no accents or tildes in the players' names. I don't know if this is an author or publisher error, but the lack of punctuation in players' names equate to misspellings (eg, Acuna is not the same as Acuña). So much talk about respect - you can show respect by spelling the names correctly.
I think Danny Knobler has a varying degree of success with the task. Unwritten does offer an impressive collection of various depictions and interpretations of baseball's unwritten rules. This book was obviously written with a nod toward modern day conventions, but I really appreciated the historical examples and interpretations to help reinforce the reality that the troublesome "unwritten rules" are not just a product of later generations. However, I do feel that Knobler was, to his detriment, *too* objective at times. I can understand his approach: let the player anecdotes and opinions speak for themselves. This method did work in some instances; for example, the Kenley Jensen chapter was just him reflecting about his baseball opinions, and it was arguably one of the best chapters in the book. However, Knobler never seems to critique his own stories. For example, a chapter ends with David Wright and Bobby Parnell throwing out Noah Syndergaard's lunch because he's eating instead of watching a Spring Training game, and it's summarized as "He didnt pay his dues." Why? Why is this accepted and not questioned? Again, Knobler observes the culture clash, changing of the guard, but doesn't stop to ask why it's happening or why it's needed. I know it's not a thesis, just a collection of essays, but I think that critical analysis here and there would add some much needed structure in a subject where literally none can be found.
Also, I hate how there are no accents or tildes in the players' names. I don't know if this is an author or publisher error, but the lack of punctuation in players' names equate to misspellings (eg, Acuna is not the same as Acuña). So much talk about respect - you can show respect by spelling the names correctly.
April 15, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: THE REASON SOME GUYS GET CALLED “OLD-SCHOOL”… AND SOME DON’T!
P.S. DON’T FORGET MLB RULE 4.06
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There have been numerous books already written on the concept of the unwritten rules… that have guided… AND YES… doled out… frontier justice in baseball for over a hundred years. That invisible area… that doesn’t appear in the rule book… and in many cases won’t even be spoken out loud. Such as… when to “dust off” a batter… when to actually hit him… when you hit him… where should he be hit… how long can you wait to “execute” the reprisal… when are you running too slow around the bases after a homerun… when was your slide into a base… unacceptable…. when did the runner crash too hard into the catcher… can you or can’t you steal the other team’s signals… there are countless more… and in my opinion… the author late in the book… goes into too much detail… on issues that from my view don’t belong in the discussion of the types of items I just listed. I’m referring to how long pitchers pitch nowadays… relievers who start for an inning or even a batter… closers that sometimes don’t close… that to me… has nothing to do… with the longtime invisible book of unwritten baseball rules!
Where prior well written books on a similar subject highlighted a lot of the old-school bean ball wars… hard slides… spikings… sign stealing… when is it acceptable to continue stealing with a big lead (this book does also)… etc. This book seems to be much more focused on the embarrassing histrionics of players like the “village-idiot” Yasiel Puig and players of his clownish breed. From ridiculous bat flips… to literally disgusting tongue machinations with a bat worthy of an adult film star. The classless dishonoring of our beloved game… and the destroying of role models for our children… guys like Manny Machado… who can’t even run out a ground ball. (Perhaps his bank account balance ways him down!) Yet in the same book… the words “RESPECT” and “HONOR” are discussed also. The talk of “The Dodger Way”… The Cardinal Way”… the pride of the Orioles and Yankees. How one team’s old-school manager would not allow any player to wear sunglasses on the top of their hat because it blocked out the logo which was disrespectful to the honor of the team. Interesting was the fact that some managers did not want their pitchers throwing at opponents… regardless of the transgression that was committed against them. Yet even so… pitchers would decide on their own… if payback was warranted… and they would act accordingly.
The book is broken down into fifty-five mostly short-quick-well-written dissertations… other than a few… such as the non-unwritten rule subjects that I previously mentioned, ( length and use of pitchers) For the most part… the writing is quick… well-paced… and easily understood. One other mannerism of the author that has some good and some bad… is most chapters rather than summarizing with a “right” or “wrong”… or these are the facts… sets up (figuratively speaking) almost like in an old cartoon… where you would see a small devil on a character’s right shoulder… whispering in its ear to do bad things… and a small angel on its left shoulder… whispering in its ear to do good things. The author’s style is predominantly setting up that view… and some chapters he ends with what’s right or not… others he leaves the devil and angel just staring at the reader.
The pace early on… is wonderfully quick… later on it is not only bogged down with the aforementioned outside subjects… but also very detailed analytics that puts breaks on the speeding train. There’s a great quote from Ian Kinsler the veteran second baseman regarding how the game has changed: “IF ANYTHING, ANALYTICS IS THROUGH THE ROOF,” HE SAID. “IT’S KIND OF A JOKE REALLY.”
There are numerous quotes from ballplayers and managers… the most pleasurable and entertaining are multiple ones from the late-great Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson who is one of the crown princess’ of old-school-unwritten-rules. His quotes are literally priceless such as running when you have a big lead: “I WAS RAISED ONE WAY,” SPARKY SAID. “YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN ME RUN FIVE OR MORE RUNS AHEAD. NOT ONCE. AND YOU AIN’T GOING TO DO IT TO ME. IF YOU DO, I’M GOING TO PAY YOU BACK. I PROMISE YOU THAT. THERE IS A THING IN THIS GAME: HONOR. IT WILL ALWAYS STAY WITH ME AND I’LL NEVER GIVE IT UP.”
Now that’s what I call defining an *UNWRITTEN RULE*!
Here’s an MLB written rule that doesn’t seem to be enforced… RULE 4.06…
Players of opposing teams shall not fraternize at any time while in uniform.
That’s the way it was in the old days… now it’s like the federal law not to rip the label off your mattress.
P.S. DON’T FORGET MLB RULE 4.06
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There have been numerous books already written on the concept of the unwritten rules… that have guided… AND YES… doled out… frontier justice in baseball for over a hundred years. That invisible area… that doesn’t appear in the rule book… and in many cases won’t even be spoken out loud. Such as… when to “dust off” a batter… when to actually hit him… when you hit him… where should he be hit… how long can you wait to “execute” the reprisal… when are you running too slow around the bases after a homerun… when was your slide into a base… unacceptable…. when did the runner crash too hard into the catcher… can you or can’t you steal the other team’s signals… there are countless more… and in my opinion… the author late in the book… goes into too much detail… on issues that from my view don’t belong in the discussion of the types of items I just listed. I’m referring to how long pitchers pitch nowadays… relievers who start for an inning or even a batter… closers that sometimes don’t close… that to me… has nothing to do… with the longtime invisible book of unwritten baseball rules!
Where prior well written books on a similar subject highlighted a lot of the old-school bean ball wars… hard slides… spikings… sign stealing… when is it acceptable to continue stealing with a big lead (this book does also)… etc. This book seems to be much more focused on the embarrassing histrionics of players like the “village-idiot” Yasiel Puig and players of his clownish breed. From ridiculous bat flips… to literally disgusting tongue machinations with a bat worthy of an adult film star. The classless dishonoring of our beloved game… and the destroying of role models for our children… guys like Manny Machado… who can’t even run out a ground ball. (Perhaps his bank account balance ways him down!) Yet in the same book… the words “RESPECT” and “HONOR” are discussed also. The talk of “The Dodger Way”… The Cardinal Way”… the pride of the Orioles and Yankees. How one team’s old-school manager would not allow any player to wear sunglasses on the top of their hat because it blocked out the logo which was disrespectful to the honor of the team. Interesting was the fact that some managers did not want their pitchers throwing at opponents… regardless of the transgression that was committed against them. Yet even so… pitchers would decide on their own… if payback was warranted… and they would act accordingly.
The book is broken down into fifty-five mostly short-quick-well-written dissertations… other than a few… such as the non-unwritten rule subjects that I previously mentioned, ( length and use of pitchers) For the most part… the writing is quick… well-paced… and easily understood. One other mannerism of the author that has some good and some bad… is most chapters rather than summarizing with a “right” or “wrong”… or these are the facts… sets up (figuratively speaking) almost like in an old cartoon… where you would see a small devil on a character’s right shoulder… whispering in its ear to do bad things… and a small angel on its left shoulder… whispering in its ear to do good things. The author’s style is predominantly setting up that view… and some chapters he ends with what’s right or not… others he leaves the devil and angel just staring at the reader.
The pace early on… is wonderfully quick… later on it is not only bogged down with the aforementioned outside subjects… but also very detailed analytics that puts breaks on the speeding train. There’s a great quote from Ian Kinsler the veteran second baseman regarding how the game has changed: “IF ANYTHING, ANALYTICS IS THROUGH THE ROOF,” HE SAID. “IT’S KIND OF A JOKE REALLY.”
There are numerous quotes from ballplayers and managers… the most pleasurable and entertaining are multiple ones from the late-great Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson who is one of the crown princess’ of old-school-unwritten-rules. His quotes are literally priceless such as running when you have a big lead: “I WAS RAISED ONE WAY,” SPARKY SAID. “YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN ME RUN FIVE OR MORE RUNS AHEAD. NOT ONCE. AND YOU AIN’T GOING TO DO IT TO ME. IF YOU DO, I’M GOING TO PAY YOU BACK. I PROMISE YOU THAT. THERE IS A THING IN THIS GAME: HONOR. IT WILL ALWAYS STAY WITH ME AND I’LL NEVER GIVE IT UP.”
Now that’s what I call defining an *UNWRITTEN RULE*!
Here’s an MLB written rule that doesn’t seem to be enforced… RULE 4.06…
Players of opposing teams shall not fraternize at any time while in uniform.
That’s the way it was in the old days… now it’s like the federal law not to rip the label off your mattress.
July 14, 2019
Between the lines of the Official Major League Baseball Rulebook, there exist any number of oblique or "unwritten" rules that may be enforced (or not) by players and coaches. Those mysterious rules are the subject of Danny Knobler's "Unwritten".
Basically, this book is a series of short chapters (none more than 5-6 pages) dealing with many of the scenarios in which unwritten rules may play out. From beanballs, etiquette while playing with the lead, base running, and celebrations (as well as many more), this is a pretty comprehensive look at the internal policing of baseball. It is indeed somewhat interesting to read about the differing philosophies on how to handle these sorts of issues when they come up. Baseball seems to be pretty unique in this aspect (the whole "unwritten rule" thing doesn't seem to come up much in football or basketball), perhaps because it is the only major sport not defined by a ticking clock.
The main "problem", if you can call it that, is that a book like "Unwritten" is hard to come off as any more than a series of anecdotes or contemplations, which is exactly what this is. The reason for this is inherently baked into the subject matter, as not everyone observes these unwritten rules the same way (or at all). In other words, it is really hard to develop any sort of clear thesis when literally every single person interviewed has a personal view on the subject. There is no "standard for comparison".
As such, "Unwritten" may play better to the casual baseball fan than the deep-diver (like myself). For me, there was really nothing here that I hadn't heard or considered before. The format and writing are strong enough to still render it a quick, fun read, but those not familiar with this sub-game within the game might be even more fascinated.
Basically, this book is a series of short chapters (none more than 5-6 pages) dealing with many of the scenarios in which unwritten rules may play out. From beanballs, etiquette while playing with the lead, base running, and celebrations (as well as many more), this is a pretty comprehensive look at the internal policing of baseball. It is indeed somewhat interesting to read about the differing philosophies on how to handle these sorts of issues when they come up. Baseball seems to be pretty unique in this aspect (the whole "unwritten rule" thing doesn't seem to come up much in football or basketball), perhaps because it is the only major sport not defined by a ticking clock.
The main "problem", if you can call it that, is that a book like "Unwritten" is hard to come off as any more than a series of anecdotes or contemplations, which is exactly what this is. The reason for this is inherently baked into the subject matter, as not everyone observes these unwritten rules the same way (or at all). In other words, it is really hard to develop any sort of clear thesis when literally every single person interviewed has a personal view on the subject. There is no "standard for comparison".
As such, "Unwritten" may play better to the casual baseball fan than the deep-diver (like myself). For me, there was really nothing here that I hadn't heard or considered before. The format and writing are strong enough to still render it a quick, fun read, but those not familiar with this sub-game within the game might be even more fascinated.
April 27, 2019
The unwritten rules of baseball and how they’re changing is a super fun topic. But this isn’t a particularly clever or creative treatment of the topic. It’s a collection of 55 short, unrelated chapters - from whether it’s OK to steal with a lead to flipping your bat. Take an intentional base on balls on this one.
October 15, 2022
Great insight for how the game has changed/is changing with the younger generation coming into the MLB, with reference and interviews from past players on how they view today’s game vs. their era. A must read for those who love the history of the game.
May 21, 2019
An easy read because of the short chapters, but there seems to be a lot of repetition in subject matter.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews