Jack Curry of the New York Times examines bunting. (Registration is required). There are some interesting quotes from players and general managers, including our own.
"The biggest thing for me is I don't like giving up outs," Ricciardi said. "When you're in the American League, one run usually doesn't decide a game. You need to keep tacking on. And I'll be honest with you, who the heck can bunt today? We work on it and they still can't bunt. We don't want to be the ones wasting time on it."
The Blue Jays will probably set a record for fewest sacrifice bunts. The number is 16, by the 2000 Yankees and the 1998 Tigers.
"It's our goal to be under 10," Ricciardi said.
Derek Jeter has advised Alfonso Soriano to fake a bunt at least once in a while. This gets the infielders creeping in, which makes it easier to slap a base hit past them. That's one reason why everyone on my high school team practices bunting, though we rarely sacrifice. In many situations, it's automatic -- if you've got the take sign, show bunt. With the corner men leaning in, your chances of a clean single improve on the next pitch.
There's no better way than bunting drills to make a free-swinger (like Soriano) focus on watching the ball all the way in and meeting it in the desired contact zone, in front of the plate. Hitters soon learn that if the ball isn't in fair territory when you bunt it, it's almost certain to roll foul, and if you take your eye off it, you'll miss it. If you can't square around, hold your bat in the proper position and let the ball hit it, making solid contact on a full swing must require plenty of dumb luck. Just because you're a slugger who's unlikely to be asked to do it in a game doesn't mean you shouldn't know how. Bunting practice also improves pitch recognition, which has a positive impact on OBP and helps prevent slumps.
For those who work hard and master the art, as Reed Johnson has so capably demonstrated, bunting for a base hit is still an offensive weapon. Especially in the AL, I completely agree that the sacrifice bunt isn't sound strategy, but it's a shame that the skill to lay one down is becoming the exclusive domain of pitchers and leadoff men. To me, it's an essential fundamental of hitting.
"The biggest thing for me is I don't like giving up outs," Ricciardi said. "When you're in the American League, one run usually doesn't decide a game. You need to keep tacking on. And I'll be honest with you, who the heck can bunt today? We work on it and they still can't bunt. We don't want to be the ones wasting time on it."
The Blue Jays will probably set a record for fewest sacrifice bunts. The number is 16, by the 2000 Yankees and the 1998 Tigers.
"It's our goal to be under 10," Ricciardi said.
Derek Jeter has advised Alfonso Soriano to fake a bunt at least once in a while. This gets the infielders creeping in, which makes it easier to slap a base hit past them. That's one reason why everyone on my high school team practices bunting, though we rarely sacrifice. In many situations, it's automatic -- if you've got the take sign, show bunt. With the corner men leaning in, your chances of a clean single improve on the next pitch.
There's no better way than bunting drills to make a free-swinger (like Soriano) focus on watching the ball all the way in and meeting it in the desired contact zone, in front of the plate. Hitters soon learn that if the ball isn't in fair territory when you bunt it, it's almost certain to roll foul, and if you take your eye off it, you'll miss it. If you can't square around, hold your bat in the proper position and let the ball hit it, making solid contact on a full swing must require plenty of dumb luck. Just because you're a slugger who's unlikely to be asked to do it in a game doesn't mean you shouldn't know how. Bunting practice also improves pitch recognition, which has a positive impact on OBP and helps prevent slumps.
For those who work hard and master the art, as Reed Johnson has so capably demonstrated, bunting for a base hit is still an offensive weapon. Especially in the AL, I completely agree that the sacrifice bunt isn't sound strategy, but it's a shame that the skill to lay one down is becoming the exclusive domain of pitchers and leadoff men. To me, it's an essential fundamental of hitting.
