how many times does the sac bunt have to fail...

[abuck1220]

Juan Pierre: Ball, Strike looking, Strike looking, Ball, Ball, Pierre walked.

Ronny Cedeno: Cedeno sacrificed to first, Pierre to second.

Todd Walker: Ball, Strike looking, Ball, Walker grounded out to shortstop, Pierre to third.

Aramis Ramirez: Strike looking, Ball, Foul, Ramirez flied out to right.

End of Inning (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors)

 

Jacque Jones: Jones reached on an infield single.

Jerry Hairston Jr.: Foul, Ball (pitchout), Pickoff attempt, Jones to second on Meredith's throwing error, Hairston sacrificed to catcher, Jones to third.

Neifi Perez: Foul, Perez lined out to first.

Henry Blanco: Strike swinging, Foul, Blanco struck out swinging.

End of Inning (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 1 Error)

 

keep trying...it'll work some time!

 

they say a manager only has a hand in a couple games a year. today was one of those games.

[BigSlick]

 

Also, failure to execute doesn't disprove the value of the decision.The only thing the scenario is a ringing endorsement for is failed execution. It would like saying everytime Dunn strikes out, it disproves the value of power hitting.

 

 

 

Thats actually the worst argument I've heard in my entire life.

 

If you're dusty baker or the manager of any other major league team, you know what the strengths and weaknesses of your team is. If you know your team can't bunt, STOP BUNTING.

 

You don't attempt things with the wrong personnel. Heres an analogy: I'm trying to get from one room to the next. Strategically speaking, I should use the door, but I don't have the key. So should i continue to bang my head against the door until it opens? No, you try something else.

[CubfaninCA]

can't apply some mathematical norm to an abnormal team w/ pierre, neifi, and hairston in the lineup.

 

no doubt they should have tried to steal 2nd when pierre got on. piazza probably couldn't throw me out @ 2nd. but to poo poo bunting at every occasion just cause of some math norm isn't wise. the game's not that simple.

[Fred Hornkohl]

It just sunk into my thick cranium a while ago..... the CUBS had 10 men reach base yesterday, and only 1 SB. That was Maddux, who did it by surprising the Padres, and no pitch was even thrown. What the heck are they thinking ???

[BigbadB]

It just sunk into my thick cranium a while ago..... the CUBS had 10 men reach base yesterday, and only 1 SB. That was Maddux, who did it by surprising the Padres, and no pitch was even thrown. What the heck are they thinking ???

 

And PIAZZA and his weenie arm was behind the dish.

[Fred Hornkohl]

It just sunk into my thick cranium a while ago..... the CUBS had 10 men reach base yesterday, and only 1 SB. That was Maddux, who did it by surprising the Padres, and no pitch was even thrown. What the heck are they thinking ???

 

And PIAZZA and his weenie arm was behind the dish.

 

Right !! I didn't mention Piazza by name.... but he's what I was talking about !!

[abuck1220]

i was expecting a reporter to ask dusty about it, and i was guessing dusty would say that he forgot piazza was back there.

[Magnetic Curses]

A lot of people say this honor validates my career, but I didn't work hard for validation. I didn't play the game right because I saw a reward at the end of the tunnel. I played it right because that's what you're supposed to do play it right and with respect. If this validates anything, it's that learning how to bunt and hit and run and turning two is more important than knowing where to find the little red light on the dugout camera.

 

yeah, sandberg's in the hall because of his bunting prowess.

 

31 total sacrifices in his career. If he were playing for Dusty, he'd hit that total in four or five months. Bunting is what second basemen do, dude.

 

So then why can't Hairston or Bynum do it? Sandberg at least knew how. These guys obviously haven't put in the work on basic fundamentals. And Dusty isn't insisting that they do. That's poor, IMO.

 

would people stop calling bunting, stealing, and hitting and running "fundamentals" please?

 

if anything, those are what one would call "peripherals" or something of that nature--maybe "frivolous" is the word i'm looking for.

 

"fundamentals" are, at least on the batting end of it: getting on base and driving the ball--and that's about it.

 

any team that can't do these things can't score runs, that's about as fundamental as i can think of.

 

the jury is still out on whether sac bunting increases or decreases the odds of scoring a single run in a single inning--the jury is in on whether or not it decreases the odds of scoring many runs in an inning, guilty as charged. that's not anywhere close to a fundamental skill (ie- a skill which all others are based upon and flow out of).

 

sacrifice bunting (at least for a non-pitcher) is more "frivolous" than fundamental.