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The Sacrifice Bunt Is a Scourge
The worst. Bunting is just the worst.
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25 Responses to “The Sacrifice Bunt Is a Scourge”
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Twittah
Even by old-school standards, I don’t think that move made much sense. We were down by two runs, the pitcher was having trouble finding the plate, and our best hitter was up.
Bad decision by Wedge — Ackley should be allowed to hit, especially after the first two batters were walked, and a good pitch was likely. Wedge gave away an out, and Ryan was overmatched.
Not only that, but it took the bat out of Ichiro’s hands.
Dumb move
Unfortunately this is hardly Wedge’s first completely dumbazz in-game decision. That’s like noticing Prince ate too many Twinkies or something.
A daily (or maybe hourly) occurrence.
Granted, this one was even stupid for Wedge. Still can’t believe Ryan hit in the 9th w/ men on base.
Yeah, Valverde was having control issues, and Ackley has the LHB. Made no sense to have him bunt with Ryan on deck. But this is not a huge surprise. Despite the win last night, Wedge’s decisions don’t seem to follow protocol.
Another good way to judge the stupidity level of the decision:
Ask yourselves this…..was Detroit worried or relieved Ackley was bunting?
Wedge is just the worst!!
I long for a manager with the mind and methods of Joe Maddon. He improves his team’s chance of winning baseball games. The Mariner manager does not.
I was screaming at the radio “Bunting Ackley?! Are you effin’ kidding me?”
And Wedge defended it in his post game comments a and Ackley is about to be on the post-game show apparently dragging himself over the coals for not getting it down. He shouldn’t have been asked to do it. That was sheer stupidity.
Same for the bunt last night. Nothing was said, I guess because of the win. Last night was maybe worse, since it moved a runner from scoring position to a little better scoring postion at the cost of an out.
And a bunt is never a sure thing, as Ackley showed tonight.
Maybe we could trade Figgins and a Manager To Be Named Later to Tampa Bay for Joe Maddon.
Was going crazy when Ackley was bunting. Two things: 1) Why give a pitcher that has walked the first two guys an out? 2) Why bunt with a good hitter in Ackley when a bad hitter in Ryan is on deck?
Ackley has good speed so he is likely not going to hit in to the double play.
I hated the move and would have loved to have seen how that inning would have played out with Ackley being allowed to swing away.
Last night’s bunt was defensible. The analysis was about scoring a single run that ended the game, which completely changes the calculus.
MGL argues that some bunts make sense if what they do is change the defense sufficiently to take advantage of it. Particularly with Cabrera at third, there are some interesting things that can happen with an unexpected bunt, or with the threat of a bunt.
The problem is that Wedge is such a predictable manager, in not a complimentary way, that a competent manager on the other side can throw that calculation out the window. They can figure out when he’s going to bunt, giggle and play the bunt when it’s on, and blow a third strike by Ackley when it’s not.
And the Ryan at bat demonstrated why bunting was such a bad idea. He hits into a sure double play and they muff it. Put the damn ball in play and see what happens.
Maybe if Ryan was up and Ackley was on deck, there’s an argument.
But Ackley up and Ryan on deck? So frustrating to watch.
A real manager doesn’t let Ryan bat in the 9th inning of a close game….period
Who was available off the bench to PH for Ryan?
Wells, Liddi, Kawasaki
Angie Mentink.
It wasn’t a smart call by Wedge, especially with Ryan on deck, but Ackley is also a numbnuts for not being able to get a simple bunt down.
The M’s have had some awfully weird good luck against the Tigers (Rayburn, being able to score runs, yesterday’s game, etc., etc.), and tonight again they were trying with all their power to hand us a great improbable win, but the Mariners also did their best to fuck things up (Wedge, Ackley, some lily fans) like usual, and the M’s won out (i.e. lost the game).
It sure would have been neat to pull off this win. Sigh.
Not Pinch Hitting for Ryan should be grounds for immediate dismisal. I have not been that down on Wedge but there is NO WAY to defend that. That is your job, you are a major league manager. You are not doing your job. PH Liddi and if it goes extra innings put in Kawasaki. Not a difficult decision.
“Our guys, they weren’t giving away at bats,” Wedge said.
Except when they were ordered to in stupid situations.
I was at the game with my 7 year old and I blurted out cusses when I saw Ackley square around to bunt. My son asked what is wrong and I told him how stupid bunting was, especially with Ackley up. So my son started chanting an anti-bunt chant. I was proud.
Come on… Ryan been real hot with the bat and The Wedge Meister wanted to show he had ‘confidence’ in the good-field-no-hit SS. Wedge is such an effin’ disaster…