Fernando Tatís Jr. apologizes for hitting a grand slam because of the unwritten rules, a breakdown

Aug 18, 2020 11.3M views 8:56

What Happened

On August 17, 2020, in a game against the Rangers, Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. swung on a 3-0 count with the bases loaded and San Diego already up seven runs in the eighth inning. He smacked it over the wall for a grand slam, his 11th homer of the season, passing Mike Trout for the most in baseball at that point. Texas didn't take it well. Their next pitcher threw behind Manny Machado, and Tatis got an earful from his own dugout afterward, including a stern chat from Eric Hosmer and a sideways look from rookie manager Jace Tingler.

Why This Matters

This was the unwritten rules debate boiled down to one swing. The convention says when you're up big late, you take a 3-0 pitch instead of hunting another homer. Tatis said he missed a take sign because he never looked at his third base coach. The hypocrisy got loud fast: someone dug up Rangers manager Chris Woodward dapping up Manny Machado after a 3-0 homer when Texas was up six. The pitcher who buzzed Machado and Woodward both got suspended, which tells you the umpires saw intent. The bigger story was Tingler, a longtime Texas guy in his first year managing, seeming to side with old-school code over his own 21-year-old star. Tatis went on to finish fourth in NL MVP voting that year, and the moment helped frame the whole 'let the kids play' fight.

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Key Moments

Who / What Is Involved

Players: Fernando Tatís Jr.. Teams: Padres.

Key Terms Mentioned

Full Transcript

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