Texas Rangers Pitcher Flips Out At An Opponent For Violating Baseball's Dumbest 'Unwritten Rule'

[FanInAZ]

In the most frustrating baseball controversy of the year, Texas Rangers pitcher Colby Lewis criticized Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Colby Rasmus for getting a hit off him in the fifth inning of Saturday's game.

The Rangers were playing a "shift" against Rasmus — meaning there were three players on the right side of the infield and just one on the left side of the infield — so Rasmus smartly laid down a bunt toward third base and got a hit.

Lewis said after the game that bunting against a shift is unethical (via MLB.com):

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/texas-rangers-pitcher-flips-opponent-125903886.html

:Cry:

I remember years ago when Curt Schilling got bent out of shape over someone breaking up a perfect game of his with a 9th inning bunt. Hey, its a 9 inning game. So expect your opponent to do everything they can do, with in the confines of the written rules, to beat you for the full 9 innings.

[MOtorboat]

The "no bunting on a shift" line is just ******* ridiculous.

If you don't want me hitting it over there, you have the option of putting a fielder over there. It's that simple.

[OrangeHoof]

If the Jays were up by 6 or 7 runs, it is rather unwritten not to do the "extras" like dropping bunts and stealing bases to "run up the score".

But two runs? You mean Adrian Beltre can't hit a tying two-run homer later in the game? That's just a dumb argument all around. Given how teams score today, a two-run lead is almost nothing.

But whoever stuck the Rangers voodoo doll this year has done an excellent job. 15 players on the DL so they're sending out a AAA team around a couple of healthy stars. Hard to believe they're even worse than the Astros and now all those front-running Cowboy fans are leaping off the Rangers bandwagon faster than you can say "Nelson Cruz".

It might cost Crackhead Ron his managerial job.

[MOtorboat]

If the Jays were up by 6 or 7 runs, it is rather unwritten not to do the "extras" like dropping bunts and stealing bases to "run up the score".

And going into the shift. If the same stupid unwritten rules about "fair play" exist for the defense, they exist for the defense, as well. You don't want him to bunt, don't go into the shift.