Why didn't Gonzo bunt??????

[sly fly]

Brenly should have had Gonzo bunt.

No outs. Runners on 1st and 2nd. Hillenbrand behind Gonzo.

That's called very shaky management. I'm disappointed Brenly couldn't figure that one out.

 

[az240zz]

Because he's the star. The Big hitter!!! Why did Webb come up with a man on 3rd??

az240z

 

[DWKB]

Originally posted by sly fly
Brenly should have had Gonzo bunt.

No outs. Runners on 1st and 2nd. Hillenbrand behind Gonzo.

That's called very shaky management. I'm disappointed Brenly couldn't figure that one out.

Brenly didn't have Gonzo bunt because that is not a skill Gonzo posseses. Gonzo's last SAC bunt was in 2000 (when he had 2 of them) and he has only had 10 SAC bunts in his career. I don't have the data but I doubt he was ever one to bunt for a base hit either.

Gonzo's skills are getting on base (12th in the NL OBP) and hitting the ball hard (13th in NL SLG).

 

[moviegeekjn]

Much better odds on Gonzo getting on, smacking the ball hard, or hitting a routine grounder to the right...(the latter which would have accomplished what so many have suggested Gonzo do by giving himself up with the bunt). Why so many have jumped on this Gonzo shoulda bunted bandwagon is befuddling...

Guess how many sacrifice bunts Bonds, Pujols, Helton, Edmonds, Lowell, Sheffield, Sosa, Hidalgo, Thome, and Rolen have this season: ZERO

Team sluggers are simply NOT supposed to do the sacrificial bunt thing--the odds are not in favor of doing so!

 

[Evil Ash]

Originally posted by moviegeekjn
Much better odds on Gonzo getting on, smacking the ball hard, or hitting a routine grounder to the right...(the latter which would have accomplished what so many have suggested Gonzo do by giving himself up with the bunt). Why so many have jumped on this Gonzo shoulda bunted bandwagon is befuddling...

Guess how many sacrifice bunts Bonds, Pujols, Helton, Edmonds, Lowell, Sheffield, Sosa, Hidalgo, Thome, and Rolen have this season: ZERO

Team sluggers are simply NOT supposed to do the sacrificial bunt thing--the odds are not in favor of doing so!

My sentiments exactly!

 

[sly fly]

Re: Re: Why didn't Gonzo bunt??????

Originally posted by DWKB
Brenly didn't have Gonzo bunt because that is not a skill Gonzo posseses.

That's BS. He's a major leaguer. You get the man over. You need 1 run.

It doesn't matter who's at the plate.

A base hit to right doesn't likely score the run anyway.

Team "captains" do whatever it takes to get the run across.

 

[Ryanwb]

I tend to agree...I think Gonzo should have bunted. I remember Mike Schmidt bunting, Ryne Sandberg, Dale Murphy, among others...

Just because you are the big stick for the team doesn't mean you can't lay down a bunt

 

[sly fly]

Originally posted by Ryanwb
I tend to agree...I think Gonzo should have bunted. I remember Mike Schmidt bunting, Ryne Sandberg, Dale Murphy, among others...

Just because you are the big stick for the team doesn't mean you can't lay down a bunt

Thank God someone agrees with me.

I thought I was going crazy.

 

[DWKB]

Originally posted by Ryanwb
I tend to agree...I think Gonzo should have bunted. I remember Mike Schmidt bunting, Ryne Sandberg, Dale Murphy, among others...

Just because you are the big stick for the team doesn't mean you can't lay down a bunt

It says on your profile you were born in 1976. That would have made you around 3 years old the last time Mike Schmidt layed down a SAC bunt (1979). That's a damn good memory for just a SAC bunt. Mike had 16 in his career (compared to Gonzo's 10). Murphy's last SAC bunt came in 1981 (you were 5 I presume). He had only 6 career SAC bunts so if you saw one of them it was a special game and again, a damn good memory for just a SAC bunt.

 

[DWKB]

Re: Re: Re: Why didn't Gonzo bunt??????

Originally posted by sly fly
That's BS. He's a major leaguer. You get the man over. You need 1 run.

It doesn't matter who's at the plate.

A base hit to right doesn't likely score the run anyway.

Team "captains" do whatever it takes to get the run across.

Would you expect Mark Grace to get that much needed stolen base to get into scoring position? Maybe Counsell could have just stolen 3B and then Gonzo wouldn't have needed to bunt. The question is, why do you expect one player to do something he has almost never done, but you don't expect another player to make the same attempt?

 

[Ryanwb]

Originally posted by DWKB
It says on your profile you were born in 1976. That would have made you around 3 years old the last time Mike Schmidt layed down a SAC bunt (1979). That's a damn good memory for just a SAC bunt. Mike had 16 in his career (compared to Gonzo's 10). Murphy's last SAC bunt came in 1981 (you were 5 I presume). He had only 6 career SAC bunts so if you saw one of them it was a special game and again, a damn good memory for just a SAC bunt.

Hey smartass...I never said it was a successful sacrifice. I just specifically remember seeing Schmidt trying to to put down a bunt against the Cubs. I spent my summer vacations switching between TBS to watch the dreadful Braves and WGN watching the sometimes dreadful Cubs.

p.s. You are a dreadful human being, why don't you take your high and mighty attitude else where

 

[unc84steve]

Originally posted by Ryanwb
Hey smartass...I never said it was a successful sacrifice. I just specifically remember seeing Schmidt trying to to put down a bunt against the Cubs. I spent my summer vacations switching between TBS to watch the dreadful Braves and WGN watching the sometimes dreadful Cubs.

p.s. You are a dreadful human being, why don't you take your high and mighty attitude else where

A few comments:

1) There's a big difference between bunting for basehits and sacrificing. Compound this with the difference between Schmidt (speedy) and his era (the 1980s) vs Gonzo (slower) and this era station-to-station.

2) Memory & impression plays tricks on us. During a season the difference between a .250 & a .300 hitter is a hit a week (Crash Davis). Whoever thinks they can see that during the current season without stats is arrogant &/or delusional.

3) Your left-side sig says you're the most hated poster here. Don't worry, I don't think DWKB is providing any challenge; he's just answering the question why reasonble people wouldn't have bunted (including Bob Brenly).

 

[schillingfan]

I don't think DWKB was being high and mighty. He was just providing the facts. You put yourself out on that limb with your statements, don't call him a smartass for cutting you off.

 

[Ryanwb]

Originally posted by schillingfan
I don't think DWKB was being high and mighty. He was just providing the facts. You put yourself out on that limb with your statements, don't call him a smartass for cutting you off.

If you want to defend him that is fine, you are entitled to your opinion. Fact of the matter is, he only shows up on here when he sees a chance to attack someone.

 

[BC867]

Now, now, kids!

Back to the point. It would make perfect sense to have Gonzo sacrificing. It would also make perfect sense to let your best all-around hitter swing away.

So it's not a clear cut decision. I don't enjoy Bob Brenly's American League managing style. That time, I agreed with his decision!

Some will! Some won't!

 

[AZZenny]

Sac bunting is overrated, because it pretty much guarantees you lose one of your 3 precious outs. But if the guy at the plate is a very good bunter, or very fast, and NOT a very good contact or power hitter, sac bunt may be your best shot, in which case, fine.

But guys like Gonzo, Shea, even Cintron should not sac bunt - (Cintron because he's terrible at it, and is a good contact hitter) because the odds are reasonably good they will get a hit and save the out as well.
If anything sacrificial, don't you sort of wish they could manage the occasional sac fly instead of the sack-double-play?

 

[BC867]

Originally posted by AZZenny
... don't you sort of wish they could manage the occasional sac fly instead of the sack-double-play?

'Q' McCracken, whether hitting .300 or .200, has a knack of being able to hit a routine fly ball, with a runner on 3B and less than 2 outs -- sac fly - RBI!

With our inability to score runners from 3B (it didn't just start; it goes back to last season), if a 5'6" backup outfielder can do it, you'd think it would be easier for the rest of the team.

Perhaps if most of the batting order didn't try to hit fly balls at every at-bat, it would be easier when it's needed to produce a run.

Or if those same batters wouldn't try to pull every pitch.

 

[unc84steve]

Geez, a weekend with the Dodgers is like taking a trip to the time machine to the ULTRA dead-ball era ("deadest ball era"?) of the 1906 Hitless wonder White Sox.

Okay, okay. With the DODGERS I'll admit sacrifice bunts and hit & run plays. Outs are plentiful and runs are scarce.

 

[schillingfan]

Originally posted by unc84steve
Geez, a weekend with the Dodgers is like taking a trip to the time machine to the ULTRA dead-ball era ("deadest ball era"?) of the 1906 Hitless wonder White Sox.

Okay, okay. With the DODGERS I'll admit sacrifice bunts and hit & run plays. Outs are plentiful and runs are scarce.

Wow an admission that situations can change the Jamesian general principles.

I think that is also true when one is hitting against a Randy Johnson or Curt Schilling type pitcher who is obviously on his game.