Can we ban the bunt?

sportsdad&fan posted:

It appears the only ones in favor of bunting are coaches. Ask the kids if they like bunting or swinging away. The game is played for them.

I know our kids like bunting. We have speed. We have several kids that can and do bunt for a single. Some of these kids are much better at bunting than actually hitting. Defenses around here have a lot more trouble defending a bunt than a ground ball. In my son's last game this season, one of his three hits was a bunt for a single with 2 outs. It was a great situation because nobody moved to make a play on the ball. They were too stunned that he bunted with 2 outs. Could it have gone another way? Sure, he could have hit a ground ball to a middle infielder or hit another double to center. Oh well, that's baseball.

sportsdad&fan posted:

It appears the only ones in favor of bunting are coaches. Ask the kids if they like bunting or swinging away. The game is played for them.

LOL, yeah we are the only ones that have eyes for everyone, not just 1 kid on the field.  You are right the game is played for THEM,,,,,THEM as in the whole group of them who wants to win a game.  Not THEM as in parents who want to say their kid went 4-4 and not bring up the fact the TEAM lost.

I have had teams in which we hardly bunted all year long and I have had teams in which we relied on the bunt.  Am I a fan of the bunt......I am a fan of winning games and will do whatever it takes to win a game.

El gato posted:

Same story here, golfman25.  Local high school coach gave an up and coming stud the bunt sign in a game.  Young man fouled off two bunts.  Coach took the  bunt sign off.  Young man launched one over the left field fence.  Never got another bunt sign during his high school career.

Not advocating the elimination of the bunt.  It has its time and place!

Variation on this theme: at son's high school, no. 3 hitter with a lot of power (later ended up signing with PAC12 program) gets the bunt sign. He bunts, gets it down, but poorly, and the defense gets the lead runner. After the inning the team's hitting coach said (with a smile) to him: "didn't you know you were supposed to bunt it foul?" 

What really stinks is that it seems every year, our #3 and #4 hitters are our best bunters and win every bunt competition we have.  I guess it's not a huge surprise.  The best hitters tend to be the best all around.  But it does give pause when you absolutely have to move that R1 into scoring position late with no out down one run and you sure as heck don't want the GIDP.

To me this one takes the cake.  Elimination playoff game.  Down 5 runs.  Top of 6, 1 out -- 5 outs left.  Runner on 1st.  Sac bunt by one of the better hitters.  R1 advances to 2b and eventually scores on a wild pitch and catcher throwing ball into left.  Still end up loosing by 5.  

Drive the ball.  !!!

Wow.  That is just plain crazy.  Can't imagine the rationale for that.

The sac bunt is not a good decision usually but like with most on field Manager decisions the influence is rather small. the cost is "only" a fraction of a run so unless you do 6 sac bunts a game or so you are not losing THAT much.

same is true for lineup construction, having that speedy bunter bat second is not good will cost you but only a fraction of a run.

over the course of an MLB season that is significant but in a shorter HS season it is much more important which Kind of Talent you put on the field. a Coach that fields a good Team can have a couple "anti sabermetric" decisions and still win, especially if the Talent gap is large.

also consider the Chance of an ROE or in IF hit at the Amateur Level. at most HS Levels a bunt is probably pretty Close to break even because the Play is not made all the time (don't think most HS Teams make the out more than 2 out of 3 times).

still I don't like the bunt.