Fernando Tatis Jr. made history, but Texas Rangers say he violated an unwritten rule
Fernando Tatis Jr. is an emerging superstar for the San Diego Padres, and he’s only 21 years old.
He helped finish off the Texas Rangers on Monday, connecting for a three-run homer in the seventh inning and a grand slam in the eighth en route to a 14-4 win.
With two swings he became the first 21-year-old since Hall of Famer Ron Santo in 1961 with a seven-RBI game.
He also tore up a page in the book of unwritten rules, the Texas Rangers said. The Padres agreed.
The grand slam came on a 3-0 pitch with the Padres already leading by seven runs. That has traditionally been baseball no-no and a sign of disrespect toward the trailing team.
“I think there’s a lot of unwritten rules that are constantly being challenged in today’s game,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. “I didn’t like it, personally. You’re up by seven in the eighth inning. It’s typically not a good time to swing 3-0.
“It’s kind of the way we were all raised in the game. But, like I said, the norms are being challenged on a daily basis, so just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean it’s not right. I don’t think we liked it as a group.”
The blast came off right-hander Juan Nicasio, who had walked two batters and gone to three balls on three straight batters. Tatis was a fourth straight to get to three balls.
He swung at a 92-mph fastball and sent it over the right-field wall.
Woodward said he planned to speak with Padres manager Jayce Tingler, the former Rangers assistant coach about it. TV cameras caught veteran first baseman Eric Hosmer speaking with Tatis after the grand slam, and perhaps the 3-0 swing was the topic of conversation.
“I think we’ll definitely have some discussion with it,” Woodward said. “I know [Padres third baseman] Manny Machado really well, so we’ll have some dialogue about it. If they don’t think it was right, then I’m sure they’re going talk to him.”
The Padres said afterward that Tatis was given the take sign.
“I’ve been in this game since I was a kid. I know a lot of unwritten rules. I was kind of lost on this,” Tatis said. “Those experiences, you have to learn. Probably next time, I’ll take a pitch.”
The grand slam was on Nicasio’s final pitch. Ian Gibaut replaced him, and his first pitch was behind Machado.
The four umpires convened to discuss if a warning was warranted, but never issued one. After the pitch, Gibaut appeared to declare his innocence to Machado and immediately went to the rosin bag to help with his grip.
“It slipped out of his hand,” Woodward said. “They didn’t issue any warnings, so they must have come to the agreement that it wasn’t intentional.”
