07-28-2009, 03:11 PM
<!--quoteo(post=52771:date=Jul 28 2009, 01:59 PM:name=ruby23)-->QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jul 28 2009, 01:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=52769:date=Jul 28 2009, 01:57 PM:name=BT)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BT @ Jul 28 2009, 01:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=52761:date=Jul 28 2009, 01:31 PM:name=rok)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (rok @ Jul 28 2009, 01:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Let me reiterate my position. Lou made a high risk decision, and Fontenot blows goats. That's a bad combo.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
IMO it wasn't that high of a risk though. All he had to do was make contact. Even if squeeze bunting is truly as godalmighty difficult as Butch (and others) have been arguing, fouling off a bunt isn't. I'll grant you there was a risk that he could pop it up, but seriously, how risky is it to believe a major leaguer can simply make CONTACT with a pitch, by bunting at it? Even the crappiest pitcher trying to bunt usually strikes out by fouling off 3. It is truly rare that they miss it completely.
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He should have made contact, I don't think anyone is arguing that, at least I'm not. What happens with the contact and the likelihood that it's a favorable result, I think that's a totally different story.
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But that's the crux of my argument. IF he makes contact (and doesn't pop it up), he would have done no harm. The worst thing that would of happened is that he would be 1-1 in the count, the suicide squeeze would be off, and Pinella could have used one of Butch's fifteen better ways to score a guy from third. So IF we are in agreement that he should have made contact, then Pinella was totally within his senses to try a surprise bunt (which definitely was a surprise), and take the small risk of a popup, weighed against the (IMO) the larger chance that he can simply put the ball in play, which wins the game. That's a reasonable decision. It might not be the one that you make, but it's a sound, reasonable, decidedly unretarded decision.
Which is the only point I've been trying to make since last night.
IMO it wasn't that high of a risk though. All he had to do was make contact. Even if squeeze bunting is truly as godalmighty difficult as Butch (and others) have been arguing, fouling off a bunt isn't. I'll grant you there was a risk that he could pop it up, but seriously, how risky is it to believe a major leaguer can simply make CONTACT with a pitch, by bunting at it? Even the crappiest pitcher trying to bunt usually strikes out by fouling off 3. It is truly rare that they miss it completely.
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He should have made contact, I don't think anyone is arguing that, at least I'm not. What happens with the contact and the likelihood that it's a favorable result, I think that's a totally different story.
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But that's the crux of my argument. IF he makes contact (and doesn't pop it up), he would have done no harm. The worst thing that would of happened is that he would be 1-1 in the count, the suicide squeeze would be off, and Pinella could have used one of Butch's fifteen better ways to score a guy from third. So IF we are in agreement that he should have made contact, then Pinella was totally within his senses to try a surprise bunt (which definitely was a surprise), and take the small risk of a popup, weighed against the (IMO) the larger chance that he can simply put the ball in play, which wins the game. That's a reasonable decision. It might not be the one that you make, but it's a sound, reasonable, decidedly unretarded decision.
Which is the only point I've been trying to make since last night.
I wish that I believed in Fate. I wish I didn't sleep so late. I used to be carried in the arms of cheerleaders.