baseball question for you MLB pundits and know-it-alls

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  • svsooner
    SBR Wise Guy
    • 09-19-14
    • 707

    #1
    baseball question for you MLB pundits and know-it-alls
    Yesterday, I was watching the Tex/Min MLB game and I noticed at least twice the Twins had a double with no outs. My question is this:

    Is it not a common "big-league" strategy to have the next batter bunt to get the runner to 3rd, then try to sac fly him in? This happened at least twice and I would have thought it would be a no-brainer.

    Is the coach/manager just stupid or asleep at the wheel or is the player too proud to bunt? Just wondering what the team was thinking because I would assume the Twins would want to win and you have to score runs to win.

    I'm a football guy, not a baseball guy. But to me there are "old school rules" to some sports; like regarding receiving a punt in football, used to be to stand on the 10 and let it go over your head, etc.
  • chico2663
    BARRELED IN @ SBR!
    • 09-02-10
    • 36915

    #2
    Things changed. They don’t pay the guys that do the dirty work any more. They pay the thumpers. Guys that play team ball don’t get on espn and don’t get paid.
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    • hotcross
      SBR Hall of Famer
      • 08-04-17
      • 7934

      #3
      Yep, players are not being paid to bunt. Nowadays they are looking for homeruns. Consequently many batters lack the bunt skill.

      Teams should play to their strengths, though. Giants have been on a couple weeks stretch where they have gotten down some good bunts. They won on Sunday in the 11th inning on the road in Colorado (of all places) by doing what you described in the first post.... Bunt the automatic runner over to 3rd base, then a sac fly got him in.
      Comment
      • Regul8er
        SBR Posting Legend
        • 11-06-07
        • 10666

        #4
        The thought is if a runner is in scoring position, youve got 3 opportunities to knock that run in. With a successful bunt, which isnt always a given, now youve only got 2 opportunities, granted there are a lot more ways to score from 3rd. Also, sac bunts decrease the chance of busting open an ugly number. Strategy has changed so much in the last 20-30 years.

        Also to note, strikeout numbers are so much higher these days, as players are taught in lower levels not to shorten up with 2 strikes. Nothing worse then moving a runner over on a bunt, only to have the next guy not put the ball in play.
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