The Code: Baseball's Unwritten Rules and Its Ignore-at-Your-Own-Risk Code of Conduct

In The Code: Baseball's Unwritten Rules and Its Ignore-at-Your-Own-Risk Code of Conduct, author Ross Bernstein has pulled back the curtain on baseball's tacit rules regarding retaliation, sportsmanship, and intimidation. The result of dozens of interviews with some of the biggest names in the game, this work is a systematic description of every major "unwritten rule" in the game today—from brushback pitches, bunting during a no-hitter, and running up the score, to home-run celebrations, stealing signs, and the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Did that last pitch just get away from him, or was he intentionally throwing at the batter? What's permissible according to the unwritten rules of baseball, and when have you crossed the line and done something deserving retaliation? What unspoken rules govern clubhouse behavior among teammates and with outsiders? Like hockey, baseball has its own sacred code of honor. While it differs somewhat in scope from its icy brethren, the baseball code is also about respect and disrespect.

Library Journal

Having written The Code: The Unwritten Rules of Fighting and Retaliation in the NHL, Bernstein now turns to baseball in a wide-ranging work on the tactics of fear, intimidation, and possible retaliation that govern major league baseball (MLB). He looks at beanballs, fights on the field, hard slides, breaking up no-hitters with bunts, and imperial umpires. There's more to this code, e.g., seeking an edge by pilfering signs or by tanking up on pharmaceuticals. Highly recommended for public libraries.

Ross Bernstein is the bestselling author of 40 sports books and has appeared on numerous local and national television and radio programs. His work has been featured on CNN, ESPN, the Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. As a sought-after motivational speaker, he speaks to corporations and groups across the country about the inspirational legacy of the late Herb Brooks, Hall of Fame coach of the fabled 1980 gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic "Miracle on Ice" hockey team. He lives in Eagan, Minnesota. Rob Dibble is a former major League Baseball pitcher and a television analyst. Torii Hunter is a Major League Baseball player for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Jack Morris is a former major League Baseball pitcher.