<< Previous Article

Transaction Analysis: ... (07/29)

<< Previous Column
BP Unfiltered: Jerry B... (07/28)

Next Column >>
BP Unfiltered: Trends. (07/31)

Next Article >>

Daily Hit List: Monday... (07/30)

Printer-friendly

Contact Author

July 30, 2012

BP Unfiltered

Rex Hudler, Misanthrope

by Sam Miller

The Royals have banned fraternization with opponents during the game, and Craig Calcaterra puts two and two together:

Maybe there’s more to this story than meets the eye, but what’s meeting the eye here seems pretty dumb: Royals announcer Rex Hudler has made it his personal mission to stop Royals players from being friendly with opposing players during games, so Ned Yost has put a stop to it.

Notably, this is not the first time Rex Hudler has seen the integrity of competition threatened by socialization. This is from 1992:

Rex Hudler, so far as I can tell from personal experiences, is a peach in real life, but I've never been wearing the opposing team's colors, either.

Sam Miller is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @SamMillerBP
Click here to see Sam's other articles. You can contact Sam by clicking here

10 comments have been left for this article.

BP Comment Quick Links

code of conduct

gdragon1977

(62093)

I can understand not allowing members of the opposing team in your clubhouse. I'm less understanding of "open season" as an appropriate way to deal with it.

Jul 30, 2012 17:32 PM

link

rating: 2

seabass77

(20338)

I teach high school and Rex's view on this reminds me a lot of how sixteen year-olds see the world. Sometimes the way baseball players see things can be so childish. What if opposing players are brothers?

Jul 30, 2012 17:45 PM

link

rating: 5

Ben Lindbergh

BP staff

(37618)

Hey, brothers fought on opposite sides in the Civil War. Royals vs. Indians in late July is a conflict on a similar scale.

Jul 30, 2012 22:43 PM

link

ttt

(60152)

If I could Ben's response, I would.

Jul 31, 2012 06:46 AM

link

rating: 1

Pat Folz

(6254)

How much wood could a wood chuck if a wood chuck could wood?

Aug 01, 2012 02:44 AM

link

rating: 0

Richard Bergstrom

(36532)

I thought the Royals themselves threatened the integrity of competition.

All kidding aside, I like that little leaguers shake hands after the game and think MLBers should do so as well if they are role models.

As I recall, LaRussa got into a tiff two or so years ago about fraternization too.

Jul 30, 2012 20:54 PM

link

rating: 1

kcboomer

(4676)

You guys must all be rather new to the game. "Back in the Day" non-fraternization was the absolute standard of conduct with only minor relaxations of the code during all-star games. Guys were dead serious about wanting to beat the other guy and they didn't see how being friendly with their opponents furthered that goal.

Anymore with guaranteed contracts and the general weakening of social standards the old "non-fraternization" mentality is all but gone. Heck you watch games today and you see base runners yucking it up with the infielders.

Don't know which approach is the right way, but as is often the case a BP writer mocks someone for a standard of conduct they either disagree with or doesn't understand.

Jul 31, 2012 09:24 AM

link

rating: 0

jedjethro

(39654)

It's called an opinion piece. You must be rather new to the concepts of writing and commentary.

Jul 31, 2012 09:31 AM

link

rating: 2

Richard Bergstrom

(36532)

We're well aware that "Back in the Day", players sharpened their spikes, got in fistfights with umpires and refused to be on the field with African American players.

I don't think people are unaware that this is the mindset of the clubhouse. They're just lamenting that players haven't matured all that much.

Jul 31, 2012 09:33 AM

link

rating: 4

John Carter

(22689)

Bingo!

Jul 31, 2012 11:29 AM

link

rating: 0

You must be a Premium subscriber or have a Fantasy subscription to post a comment.
Not a subscriber? Sign up today!

<< Previous Article

Transaction Analysis: ... (07/29)

<< Previous Column
BP Unfiltered: Jerry B... (07/28)

Next Column >>
BP Unfiltered: Trends. (07/31)

Next Article >>

Daily Hit List: Monday... (07/30)

RECENTLY AT BASEBALL PROSPECTUS Daily Hit List: Wednesday, May 22 Scouting the Draft: Center Fielders to Know Skewed Left: A Somewhat Happy 40th for the I... The Lineup Card: 7 Baseball Firsts We Expect... What You Need to Know: The No-Name O's Raising Aces: This Justin Overthinking It: Better in Baltimore	MORE FROM JULY 30, 2012 Baseball Therapy: Seven Minutes of Terror Value Picks: Second, Short, and Catcher for ... Resident Fantasy Genius: Rating the Fantasy ... The Week In Quotes: July 23-29 Collateral Damage Daily: Monday, July 30 Daily Hit List: Monday, July 30 What You Need to Know: Monday, July 30
MORE BY SAM MILLER 2012-07-31 - BP Unfiltered: Trends. 2012-07-30 - Pebble Hunting: The Oakland A's and Getting ... 2012-07-30 - BP Daily Podcast: Effectively Wild Episode 9... 2012-07-30 - BP Unfiltered: Rex Hudler, Misanthrope 2012-07-28 - BP Unfiltered: Jerry Blevins, Non-Vulture 2012-07-27 - Pebble Hunting: Where the Pit Would Go If Th... 2012-07-27 - BP Daily Podcast: Effectively Wild Episode 8... More...	MORE BP UNFILTERED 2012-08-01 - BP Unfiltered: Franklin Morales, Proven Clos... 2012-07-31 - BP Unfiltered: The Trade Deadline Transactio... 2012-07-31 - BP Unfiltered: Trends. 2012-07-30 - BP Unfiltered: Rex Hudler, Misanthrope 2012-07-28 - BP Unfiltered: Jerry Blevins, Non-Vulture 2012-07-28 - BP Unfiltered: Ever Wondered What it Would B... 2012-07-26 - BP Unfiltered: The Best Trade Rumor Yet More...