The "rules" are unwritten because actually writing them out shows how dumb and vague they are.
- Do not bunt to break up a no-hitter
- Do not swing on a 3–0 count when your team is comfortably ahead
- Do not spend your time admiring a home run you hit
- Do not steal bases if your team is ahead by a significant amount
- Do not work the count if your team is winning or losing by a significant amount
- Do not walk in front of a catcher or umpire when walking to the batter's box
- Do not stand on the dirt near home plate when the pitcher is warming up
- Do not speak to a pitcher who is in the process of throwing a no-hitter
- A pitcher who is removed from the game in the middle of an inning must stay in the dugout until the end of the inning
- A pitcher should not indicate displeasure if one of his fielders commits an error
Surely everyone agrees on the exact definition of "comfortably ahead" and "ahead by a significant amount." Crystal clear. It's a lead of 8 or more runs in the 7th inning or later.
No wait, is it a lead of 7 or more runs in the 8th inning? Or is it a lead of 6 or more in the 7th? What about a 5-run lead in the 6th, but the pitcher is really cruising and is unlikely to blow it?
Or is it only double digits in the 9th inning?
Whatever kind of lead meant you were "comfortably ahead" in 1968, it should have been a different, larger number in 2000. Now it should be a slightly smaller lead than in 2000, but bigger than whatever it was in 1968.
What if a team is up by 4 with 2 out and no one on base in the 9th and a really good pitcher on the mound? 4 runs isn't that many, but it's really unlikely that they will come back.
What if a team is up by 7 in the second inning, but they have a spent bullpen and the other team already has 4 runs and has the bases loaded with no one out-- is the first team "comfortably ahead"?
How much time is a player allowed to spend admiring his home run before it's a rule violation? 0 seconds? A half second? 1 second? Do you time it from when his swing is completely finished until he starts running down the baseline? What if he trots right away but celebrates as he goes? What if he stares at the flight of the ball as he trots? Can he brag about how awesome he is as he rounds the bases? Is that offensive?
What counts as admiring? Can he raise his hand or pump his fist? Can he do those things sometimes but not others?
That hitter had better not trot too slowly around the bases, that is horribly insulting to the other team. No one times it as it's happening, but you can just tell when a trot is so slow that it's meant to be insulting. Except if the batter is really old or has an injured leg, then he can take his time. Unless he is faking it. You can just tell when a guy does that.
When the pitcher is warming up, you can stand on the grass that borders the dirt near the plate, that's all good, no problem. But if you are 6 inches closer and standing on the dirt itself, that is a violation and swift payback must be administered.
A pitcher is in the process of throwing a no-hitter when it's the 8th inning or later and he's allowed no hits. Also the 7th, and the 6th. But NOT the first inning, that would be dumb. Or the second or third. But if it's the 4th and there are 2 outs, that's actually almost halfway through, so no one should talk to him from then on. But if he's walked a bunch of guys and it's the 5th inning, you can talk to him, because you just know he's never going to finish it. It's all just common sense.
A pitcher indicates displeasure with a fielder by rolling his eyes. Or waving his hands in the air. Or muttering in a whisper, or flipping him the bird. If he claps sarcastically, that is really offensive. But if he claps sincerely, then he is being a good teammate. It's easy to tell the degree of sincerity in a guy's clapping, anyone can do that, it's obvious.
If he stomps his feet or punches his own glove, he is clearly just being mad at himself and isn't showing anyone up. But if he yells "Come on, let's go" after an error, then he is obviously indicating displeasure. Or possibly being encouraging, depending on the look in his eyes, or his tone of voice, which almost no one can hear.
These violations are all so clear that no one could possibly misunderstand them.
The penalties for each violation are even more clear, that's why they aren't even mentioned in the unwritten rules.