The 6th inning bunt.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Huh?  Isn't this pretty clearly under-thinking and trying to do too little?  Whatever Nunez was thinking, he clearly wasn't assigning enough importance to the fact that it was only the 6th inning, that if Dozier didn't reach there would be an open base to walk our next best hitter in Mauer, etc.  That's under-thinking.

 

And even if he wanted to get a bunt hit, he could have advanced Buxton to second on a majority of ball in play outcomes, settling for that as a consolation prize on a bunt hit attempt is not very ambitious at all.  Hence, trying to do too little.

 

Also, even if he was trying to bunt for a hit, he didn't catch anybody unaware.  He was thrown out rather easily.  It was a poor time to try that -- again, under-thinking and trying to do too little...

 

I'm not saying Nunez was right. I'm not saying he was smart or is smart. I would maybe agree that he was under thinking (though I think overthinking in this scenario would be pretty much the same thing). I would say that he made the decision that bunting there was the right thing rather than just hitting away... thinking too much. Just hit. Trying to do too little? No way. That just isn't a possibility unless you think he's purposely trying to lose or something and from all reports Nunez is all about team and competitive. 

 

No one here is questioning that it was a bad decision. I'm not supporting his decision to sac bunt in any way. Just saying that I'm sure he was thinking too much and trying to do whatever he felt he could to give his team a better chance. Most players don't sit and look at Fan Graphs, and they shouldn't. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Trying to do too little? No way. That just isn't a possibility unless you think he's purposely trying to lose or something and from all reports Nunez is all about team and competitive. 

I updated my post with more explanation. It's not about trying to lose.

 

Even bunting for a hit there is the least beneficial means of reaching base or advancing the runner -- barring an error (and Tampa is good defensively, right? and was not surprised by the bunt), you're capping Buxton's advancement at one base in that at-bat, and also capping Nunez at one base too.  You're cutting off a ton of upside by attempting a bunt hit.

 

Hence, trying to do too little.

[HitInAPinch]

"Hey Skip, I'm gonna bunt now.  OK?".   Problem, problem solved   

 

Nunez's choice seemed odd.  I'd like to hear what he was seeing.

[USAFChief]

 

I didn't say the manager is doing a good job. The subject of this particular forum thread is the 6th inning bunt, and in that one situation, I see nothing to fault the manager on. Like I wrote, plenty of other things to question, but i don't think this is one of them.

Well, we disagree.

 

If it was an isolated incident, fine.  If it were just a player making a mistake, OK.

 

But I don't view it that way.     Managers are responsible for setting the parameters of play.  And ultimately responsible for results.

 

It might be just a grain of sand, but it's another grain of sand in an entire beachfront of managerial misconduct.

 

And even if you're right, and this particular grain of sand doesn't belong to the beachfront of sand...there's still a beachfront of sand.

 

Would you agree it's long past time to fire the manager?  To actually DO something, something more substantial than blame "total system failure", release Fein, and just hope for the better?

 

 

[d-mac]

 

I guess somebody doesn't recall the '89 ALCS. 

 

Jake Taylor of all people lays one down, same situation, Hayes takes off for home, caught them with their pants down. Simultaneously wins the series for the Tribe and resurrects Taylor's marriage. 

 

That's just some next-level strategy right there. 

 

I was going to say... "No, I don't remember the '89 ALCS," but then I read the rest of your post. 

[nicksaviking]

 

Well, we disagree.

 

If it was an isolated incident, fine.  If it were just a player making a mistake, OK.

 

But I don't view it that way.     Managers are responsible for setting the parameters of play.  And ultimately responsible for results.

 

It might be just a grain of sand, but it's another grain of sand in an entire beachfront of managerial misconduct.

 

And even if you're right, and this particular grain of sand doesn't belong to the beachfront of sand...there's still a beachfront of sand.

 

Would you agree it's long past time to fire the manager?  To actually DO something, something more substantial than blame "total system failure", release Fein, and just hope for the better?

 

Completely agree. Nunez has been the best player this year, he should get a pass on a single boneheaded play.

 

However he's not, simply because there are repeated boneheaded plays by everyone. The sample size of follies is now too large to assume it's coincidence, it appears systematic, and systematic issues need to be solved by those higher in the hierarchy, not the players.

 

If workers for an auto manufacturer continue to screw up cars which cause costly recalls, it's not the laborers but those above them whom the shareholders will demand to be held accountable.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Would you agree it's long past time to fire the manager?  To actually DO something, something more substantial than blame "total system failure", release Fein, and just hope for the better?

Actually, we didn't even release Fien.  Outright assignment waivers -- had he cleared, we would have outrighted him to AAA (Fien could have elected free agency, but with less than 5 years service time he would have had to forfeit his contract to do so).  Fortunately the Dodgers claimed him.

 

So no salary has yet been eaten by the Twins.

[Winston Smith]

This is like a person with terminal cancer complaining about a hangnail.

[Pitz]

 

This is like a person with terminal cancer complaining about a hangnail.

 

I have no problem with a person with terminal cancer complaining about a hangnail.

 

But it seems like you're saying we shouldn't be complaining about this bunt, but rather we should be complaining that we are Twins fans.

[alarp33]

 

This is like a person with terminal cancer complaining about a hangnail.

 

Unless the hangnail caused the cancer this analogy really doesn't work.  Like it or not, enough of these moments are playing a role in why this team is 16-40.  

[Mr. Brooks]

I'm really not sure what the consternation is here. Nunez has done pretty well this season and he made a mistake. That mistake likely didn't cost a game... It was just a mistake. I agree Molitor needs to sit down with him, and he probably already has at this point as it's his job. That said, I'm really not sure I understand the punitive side of this. Should we bench our best hitter? Send him down? If it's a pattern, then yes, some response is warranted. Until then, I'm not getting worked up about it.

Molitor's job is to address these things BEFORE they happen. Anyone can tell him what he did wrong after the fact, no need to pay a manager millions of dollars to do that.

 

I think the consternation is that this type of thing, not knowing obvious situational baseball, is so rampant on this team, that it makes you wonder why the coaching staff isn't teaching them these things beforehand.

[Boom Boom]

I get that the season is a total Biffy fire, but that's no reason to ignore boneheaded mistakes.

 

I blame boh Nunez for bunting, and Molitor for not communicating. If Buxton had the green light to steal, which he should have had, then that needs to be communicated to the hitter.

 

And if Buxton didn't have the green light, then Molitor must have been sleeping on the job.

[Winston Smith]

 

Unless the hangnail caused the cancer this analogy really doesn't work.  Like it or not, enough of these moments are playing a role in why this team is 16-40.

People have the right to let this team make them as miserable as they want. But until someone, I have no faith in Terry to do it, fixes the pitching (7 runs and 4 homeruns yesterday) balances the roster out by getting rid of some of the low ave., low obp, high k rate position players I'm not going to let this team ruin my days.