Taylor Twellman made 30 appearances for the U.S. men’s national soccer team and now analyzes that sport for ESPN.

But he might understand baseball better than soccer.

“(Baseball) is exhausting and so self-righteous, it drives young fans away,” he said.

That’s right on the money, and it’s what Twellman tweeted after budding superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. of San Diego felt compelled to apologize after hitting a grand slam Monday.

A grand slam is the ultimate offensive result in baseball. It’s four runs on one swing. Better can’t be done.

But Tatis Jr. apologized because he missed a take sign and swung on a 3-0 pitch with a seven-run lead over the Texas Rangers in the eighth inning. The homer, his second of the game, gave Tatis Jr. the MLB lead in home runs and seven RBIs on the night.

But still, he apologized: “I was kind of lost on this. Those experiences, you have to learn. Probably next time, I’ll take a pitch.”

Such absurdity is rooted in baseball’s old-school unwritten code.

It would be interesting to learn the exact origin of Tatis Jr.’s perceived faux pas. Here’s betting Babe Ruth never felt he had enough home runs on the day. If Ty Cobb’s team led by seven, he’d still triple into the gap and slide spikes high to draw blood from the third baseman.

Baseball is a game of stats. Home runs and RBIs add up. It’s not how, it’s how many. Elite hitters often swing when the count is 3-0. Is any lead really safe now that MLB equals home-run derby?

The biggest dipstick in this drama is Jayce Tingler, the man with a name like a marital aid. He is San Diego’s manager, and he took the side of the code against his young standout: “It’s a learning opportunity, and he’ll grow from it.” And: “We’re not trying to run up the score.”

Equally dopey was Texas’ manager, Chris Woodward. Of course, his pitcher threw at the next hitter.

“I didn’t like it, personally,” Woodward said. “But the norms are being challenged on a daily basis.”

Tatis Jr. should understand “the norms” at least as well as a second-year manager with a career record of 88-95. His father, Fernando Tatis Sr., played 11 years in the major leagues. He’s the only player in MLB history to hit two grand slams in one inning. Tatis Sr.’s second grand slam gave St. Louis an 11-2 lead over Los Angeles in the top of the third.

Tatis Sr. should have been beaned, ejected, boiled in oil, or maybe all three. His team was already up by five. No need to keep swinging the bat.

Now the son is repeating the sins of the father, and then some. Tatis Jr. figures to wind up the superior player, with 33 home runs in just 107 games at age 21. (Dad was OK, though: Tatis Sr. averaged 19 home runs per season and hit .265 for his career.)

Tatis Jr. oozes charisma as well as talent. Looks the part, too. He’s marketable.

Woodward played 12 MLB seasons, hitting .239. Tingler never got past Double-A. No one ever bought a ticket to see either play or manage. Woodward had 33 career home runs, the same as Tatis Jr. right now.

The players and tradition have too much ownership of how baseball is played. Fans don’t have enough. It’s a wonderful game. But it has been kidnapped by idiots who think they’re smart.

Would those watching on TV rather see Tatis Jr. take a pitch or hit that pitch over the fence? The viewers likely weren’t outraged. Social media’s echo chamber confirms.

Then again, baseball has way too many home runs and not enough players running the bases or chasing down balls. The ball doesn’t get put in play in 35% of plate appearances. The sport has been strategized to a standstill.

Then you’ve got the unwritten code, which handcuffs the game and common sense.

As ESPN’s Linda Cohn tweeted at Tatis Jr., “Baseball’s unwritten code is prehistoric. Keep doing what you do. You have too much talent to suppress it for ancient history.”

Especially for what seems an inaccurate version of baseball’s ancient history. WWBRD? What would Babe Ruth do?

He’d go yard, that’s what Babe Ruth would do.

Tatis Jr. apologized. But perhaps he wasn’t really sorry.

On Tuesday, Tatis Jr. stole third base when San Diego led Texas by six in the fourth inning. Talent dictates its own code. Or maybe he missed a sign.

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