Stealing first base.

Putting Ichiro into a post that suggests he is a burner who "can't hit" is Where is that troll?

OH MY OH MY !!!!!!!!

infielddad-

I am saying that Ichiro steals first base almost every game and he stole the single season hit record too.

Limom, No one is suggesting that being a "burner"is a bad thing. It's just not going to get you anywhere if you can't hit or contribute in some other way. A kid that has a 6.8, an arm, a glove and that can hit is called a pro baseball player. A kid that can do "one" of these isn't.

If a kid is batting "over 400" and has a 6.8, he'll probably do well at the next level - college. However, if you've been around baseball much, you know there are many intangibles that colleges and pros look for. Speed is a great asset, but being able to bunt and get to first isn't going to do much to get a kid to the college level. Hopefully, he's got a lot more than that.

What level and position does your son play at? Forgive me if you've said it before, as I've just been around a couple of months. Just curious as you always seem to rate speed as the most important "tool".

Much to Limom's chagrin I'm sure, but you used to be able to steal 1st base. They changed the rules about 80 years ago to eliminate it.

But that's another story ....

Limom .... You really need to get a grip on reality. Ichiro isn't stealing anything.

Getting 262 hits has everything to do with hand-eye coordination, getting out of the box well and being a smart base runner. Yes, he's fast and that helps tremendously, but he still has to put the bat on the ball. For a team that was in last place, he was sure getting a lot of attention from the world this past October. I don't call that being under-valued and not appreciated. The casual fan might remember the home run hitter more, but this isn't a web site for casual fans.... we're more of the rabid variety here ... it seem lately we all have teeth and bit pretty hard.

For someone who posts some much and professes to have such great contacts in baseball, you really don't understand the game very well.

Go back to crazy 8's .... it's more your speed.

infielddad---

Here you go:

I'm going to feed the troll...........

" So now we know that burners can't hit. So let's resort to stealing first base."

No one on this site ever said that. It is an absurd statement

"Is a player any less valuable if he can successfully bunt for a base hit, routinely beat out infield grounders, put added pressure on the defense causing them to make errors, get lucky enough to drop in a few base hits, and be a catalyst in the game by using his speed? "

If he does it often enough, he's called my leadoff hitter. In fact he was the lead off hitter on my sons HS team last year

Feeding time over!

Now, I have to go back and change my player's stats for the last few years. I have to take a hit away and credit them with a steal. LOL!

Being a "Player" is taking all of your skills and getting the most out of them. A bunt goes down as a hit. No better and no worse than when a hitter drove a pitch. Good players and good teams depend upon being able to dictate the game. Bunting is one effective way of dictating the game. JMHO!

BTW, if you were to play a game against a team just 12 miles to the east of me, you had better be prepared to field the bunt. They average about 20 wins/year and they are going to bunt on you at least 5 times in a game. If you're not careful, they will run a bunt and run and they will have players on 1st and 3rd. Now, you are going to have to defend a safety squeeze and steal. Hope you're getting the point.