Did you know baseball has a 'no fraternization' rule, Rule 3.09, which prevents players from talking to each other and being friendly while in uniform. It's the least enforced rule in baseball and for good reason. It's stupid.
Like when a guy gets a single, and while he's at first and waiting for the next guy to get to the plate he's often chatting with the first baseman, many times they are both smiling or laughing. I love that. What are they talking about? Good places to eat after the game? Making fun of the mascot? Comparing cell phone plans? Discussing whether the Kuiper belt that exists near the orbit of Neptune is in any way related to former light hitting second baseman Duane Kuiper? I always wonder what they're saying and wish we could listen in. But that would just make them self-conscious and I'd rather they feel free to enjoy themselves. I think it's part of what would make paying baseball the very best of things to do for a living.
Of course it could all be just a bunch of sophomoric teasing.
"Nice hit--for a girl."
"Say it, don't spray it."
"Your momma."
"No, YOUR momma."
*makes farting sound every time the runner steps on first*
"Bite me."
A couple of years ago baseball asked the umps to start paying closer attention to it, for some reason, but I never saw one infraction called and never heard one announcer discuss it. It was a complete non-issue.
Well now they're talking about removing it from the books (I don't have a link but Buster Olney wrote it in a blog on a pay site that I saw referenced in another blog). Good for them. Let's keep making sports be about sportsmanship and community.
Except for Michigan. It's Wednesday and Michigan still sucks.
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