The Code is an indispensable guide to the inner workings of baseball's internal system of justice and sportsmanship, all described by the men who've enforced it. You'll never watch a game the same way again.
The Code
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Editorial Reviews
From the Publisher
"If my manager tells me to take out the second baseman on a hard slide and I don't do it, then I should get punished accordingly. I had at least better try to do it and make it look good, or I am going to be in the doghouse.... It's not personal, it's just business. That is just the way it goes down sometimes. Hey, that's the code." --Torii Hunter, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim center fielder
"I remember once during a lopsided game with the Cubs, Doug Dascenzo laid down a suicide squeeze on me in like the eighth inning.... So while he was running to first base, I drilled him right in the back. It had to hurt. As far as I was concerned, they were trying to embarrass me and my teammates, so I did what I thought was necessary to retaliate and send a message." --Baseball analyst and former "Nasty Boy" Rob Dibble
"Steroids are definitely a violation of the code. Players are looking for any way to enhance their performance, though, which ultimately enhances their paychecks. There are people out there who are willing to break the law if they think that they can get away with it, and some of them are compensated handsomely for cheating, which is really sad in my opinion." --Hall of Famer Dave Winfield
From the Inside Flap
No sport is more steeped in tradition than our national pastime. For generations, fans have pored over game stories, anecdotes, biographies, and statistics, leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit to know everything there is to know about the game of baseball. One dimension of the game, however, has forever remained hidden from the public eye, known only to those within the sport itself. Until now...
Ross Bernstein, author of The Code: The Unwritten Rules of Fighting and Retaliation in the NHL, 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, The Code 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.
Along the way, you'll read about some of the most memorable violations of the code in baseball history, including the home-plate collision between Pete Rose and Ray Fosse, as well as recent incidents such as Alex Rodriguez "distracting" the Toronto Blue Jays infield and White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen ordering his rookie pitcher to hit a batter, then demoting the player when he failed to do so.
For the first time, get the complete, no-holds-barred truth about the unwritten rules of baseball directly from the players, managers, and umpires who live their professional lives by the code.
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More About the Author
Ross Bernstein is the best-selling author of more than 40 sports books and has appeared on thousands of local and national television and radio programs over his career, including CNN, NPR and ESPN, as well as on the covers of the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today. As a sought after motivational keynote speaker, Ross speaks to corporations and groups around the country about the inspirational legacy of his late friend and mentor, Herb Brooks, the coach of the fabled gold medal winning 1980 "Miracle on Ice" hockey team. Ross, who had actually been working with Brooks on writing a series of motivational/self-help books at the time of his tragic passing in 2003, honors the legacy of his friend and mentor through a program based on the topics of Passions and Legacies entitled: "When it Comes to Team-Building, Leadership & Motivation, Do you Believe in Miracles?" Putting many of the life-lessons and ideologies he learned from the fiery coach into a practical business application, Ross' interactive, entertaining and thought-provoking presentation aims to inspire others to follow their dreams and maybe, just maybe, even create their own miracles. Ross and his wife have one daughter and currently reside in the Twin Cities, MN.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating insight into the game behind the game,
By
This review is from: The Code: Baseball's Unwritten Rules and Its Ignore-at-Your-Own-Risk Code of Conduct (Hardcover)
I must admit to approaching this book with some apprehension. I thought it would revolve around justifications for bean balls and steroids. Instead it is a thoughtful and very interesting insight into how baseball players view the game and how it should properly be played. The book really does cover it all. It provides a subject by subject overview of what the code more or less is. Granted, we can not treat this like a text book as the code is well not very codified.
The examples given by former ballplayers are intriguing as are all of the historical examples going back to the start of the game. As you might imagine former players do not believe current players have proper respect for the code, but I see that as more generational then anything else. In fact I believe that is something the players themselves note in the book. I also liked the section on cheating and what is OK (stealing signs by observation) and what is not (steroids and using equipment to steal signs). The views of relationships with fans is also very interesting to see. All in all this is a must read for serious minded baseball fans who would like to broaden their knowledge of the game. My only hope is that the author follows this book up with one about football, basketball and hockey!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Some great stories, a lot of repetition.,
This review is from: The Code: Baseball's Unwritten Rules and Its Ignore-at-Your-Own-Risk Code of Conduct (Hardcover)
There are some great behind-the-scenes yarns in here that the average baseball fan would never know about. There are some 'codes' that are worth exploring ... reaction to a bunt late during a no-hitter, for example. But he spends the first 50 or 60 pages letting us know, from 20 or 30 people, that beanballs and brushback pitches are all about 'respecting the game.' After about 100 different quotes essentially repeating that thought, I was ready to throw the book at the wall. Some of the later stories are more enlightening and less repetitive. Also, the writer is a big Twins fan, and more than half those quoted are Twins/ex-Twins,etc. It gives the impression of a fan who is just giddy at the chance to talk to his heroes. Like I said, decent material, but I think it belabors its point early and misses the mark overall.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly Good,
By
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This review is from: The Code: Baseball's Unwritten Rules and Its Ignore-at-Your-Own-Risk Code of Conduct (Hardcover)
Recommended by a friend, the first fifty pages of The Code were kind of disappointing. Then it caught fire! Great book from there on. Played and watched baseball for fifty years and found some stuff I didn't know!!!
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Inside This Book
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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clubhouse code, hard into second base, sign stealers, sign stealing, getting drilled, getting ejected, throwing inside, excessive celebration, verbal taunting, benches emptied, stealing signs, hard slide Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
World Series, White Sox, Barry Bonds, Hall of Fame, Major League Baseball, Sliding Hard Into Second Base, Red Sox, New York, National League, Kansas City, Hitters Wearing Body Armor, Billy Martin, Nolan Ryan, San Francisco, Paul Molitor, Sammy Sosa, Brooklyn Dodgers, Pitcher Jim Kaat, Leo Durocher, Babe Ruth, Roger Clemens, Changing Up His Signs, San Diego, Pitcher Frank Viola, Yankee Stadium Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
clubhouse code, hard into second base, sign stealers, sign stealing, getting drilled, getting ejected, throwing inside, excessive celebration, verbal taunting, benches emptied, stealing signs, hard slide Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
World Series, White Sox, Barry Bonds, Hall of Fame, Major League Baseball, Sliding Hard Into Second Base, Red Sox, New York, National League, Kansas City, Hitters Wearing Body Armor, Billy Martin, Nolan Ryan, San Francisco, Paul Molitor, Sammy Sosa, Brooklyn Dodgers, Pitcher Jim Kaat, Leo Durocher, Babe Ruth, Roger Clemens, Changing Up His Signs, San Diego, Pitcher Frank Viola, Yankee Stadium Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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