MLB has made it clear it wants players like Anderson to have fun and enjoy the gameGETTY IMAGES
White Sox SS Tim Anderson is "determined to find a place in baseball's public consciousness" by adding some personality to the game, and one of his "staunchest allies to tear up the unwritten rules" is MLB itself, according to Peter Abraham of the BOSTON GLOBE. The league has "made it clear: Enjoy the moment." MLB Senior VP/Marketing Barbara McHugh said that feedback from fans on social media to the league's "Let The Kids Play" campaign has been "positive." Red Sox P Rick Porcello said that he "finds it 'tricky'" that MLB is trying to take baseball "in a certain direction." Porcello said, "You can say they are guys having fun or guys are showing up the guy on the mound and showing poor sportsmanship. There's no right or wrong answer." He added, "Be honest, the game's not about pitchers anymore. It's about the ball getting hit over the fence" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/5). MLB Network's Joel Sherman said, "The players need to get together amongst themselves and decide what the culture of the game is and what is allowed. ... Do I love it? It doesn't matter if I love it. This is what guys today want to do. Let them do it." MLB Network's John Hart said Anderson is a "guy who is going to have fun." Hart: "Maybe he won't taunt but if he wants to throw his bat and flip his bat, it's okay if that's his style and the way he wants to go about it" ("MLB Now," MLB Network, 5/6).
