Twins Upset Over 9th Inning Bunt

[ashbury]

By the way, where did Joe Benson end up??

In the Twins Daily Conversation Starter Hall Of Fame, along with Bill Smith, David Ortiz, Nishi, and Joe Mauer's Contract.

[USAFChief]

In the Twins Daily Conversation Starter Hall Of Fame, along with Bill Smith, David Ortiz, Nishi, and Joe Mauer's Contract.

“Brian Dozier to the Dodgers” will be eligible for election to the Hall in a couple years and is a no-brainer IMO.

[amjgt]

Have any of the Twins said anything about this other than the 30 minutes after the game? I don’t think so. The “unwritten rules of baseball are stupid” crowd and the “we have 24 hours of sports talk to fill” crowd, seem to be the ones keeping this “controversy” alive

[TheLeviathan]

 

Have any of the Twins said anything about this other than the 30 minutes after the game? I don’t think so. The “unwritten rules of baseball are stupid” crowd and the “we have 24 hours of sports talk to fill” crowd, seem to be the ones keeping this “controversy” alive

 

Don't worry, someone will steal a base in the eighth in a 4-2 game they're leading and ignite some easily butt-hurt soul into starting it up again soon enough.  

 

I would just prefer it's not the Twins.  

[Twins33]

By the way, where did Joe Benson end up??

indie league

[Mr. Brooks]

Have any of the Twins said anything about this other than the 30 minutes after the game? I don’t think so. The “unwritten rules of baseball are stupid” crowd and the “we have 24 hours of sports talk to fill” crowd, seem to be the ones keeping this “controversy” alive

Yes. Brian Dozier continues to talk about it.

[KirbyDome89]

 

Have any of the Twins said anything about this other than the 30 minutes after the game? I don’t think so. The “unwritten rules of baseball are stupid” crowd and the “we have 24 hours of sports talk to fill” crowd, seem to be the ones keeping this “controversy” alive

I agree that media tends to sensationalize stories. It's unfortunate but it happens all too frequently. Apart from live games, I can't watch ESPN because at this point it's more sports gossip and fabricated drama than actual reporting. 

 

I'm not sure this is the case with the comments made by Dozier and other Twins players though. If they really didn't think it was a big deal then why not state that instead of their initial comments? Why is Dozier still talking about it and doubling down? Why is Rosario sending out unsolicited tweets? I have a hard time viewing these guys as the victims of a media driven narrative. This is a story because they made it a story. 

[Doomtints]

Buntgate.

[Riverbrian]

If I was a Manager. 

 

If any opposing team deployed a shift that left significant portions of the infield unattended. 

 

I would instruct every single hitter (From Bryce Harper to Ben Revere) to take advantage of this coupon for a free base... every single time.  

 

If they needed help working on bunting... we would work on bunting until every player can easily take advantage. 

 

I would lay down a bunt every single time... which would force the opposing manager to return the 3B to normal position which would then open up holes in the zones that each of your hitters tend to hit the ball. 

 

I don't care what the score is... I don't care what the inning is... I would instruct, insist, declare it mandatory, all hitters that are shifted on... BUNT and take the free base.... Do this every single time until they stop doing it. 

 

If someone felt that I was violating some unwritten rule... they can bite me. 

 

 

[Doubles]

 

If I was a Manager. 

 

If any opposing team deployed a shift that left significant portions of the infield unattended. 

 

I would instruct every single hitter (From Bryce Harper to Ben Revere) to take advantage of this coupon for a free base... every single time.  

 

If they needed help working on bunting... we would work on bunting until every player can easily take advantage. 

 

I would lay down a bunt every single time... which would force the opposing manager to return the 3B to normal position which would then open up holes in the zones that each of your hitters tend to hit the ball. 

 

I don't care what the score is... I don't care what the inning is... I would instruct, insist, declare it mandatory, all hitters that are shifted on... BUNT and take the free base.... Do this every single time until they stop doing it. 

 

If someone felt that I was violating some unwritten rule... they can bite me. 

I mostly agree with this, but baseball is a situational game.  

 

For example, I hated Logan Morrison, pinch-hitting, squaring to bunt in the Top of the 7th after Castro's leadoff walk, Twins down 5-4.  Why do I hate it?  Among the reasons:

 

*  Assuming Morrison sacs successfully, you have only moved a runner from 1st to 2nd.  Still takes a hit to the outfield to get the run in, and it's Castro.  Not a given he scores from 2nd on a hit.

 

*  Castro only represented the tying run.  Twins were visitors, and playing to tie on the road is a silly proposition.  Twins were willing to give up one of their 9 remaining outs to merely tie the game.  Twins were willing to compromise their chance to take the lead and a potential big inning to settle for one run that merely ties the game, while the Buccos had 3 more outs left than the Twins.  Big-time dislike.

 

*  If the Twins were the home team in the late innings, and their opponent had a guy coming off a 38-dinger season square around to sac bunt with nobody out and a runner on first base, I'd say "Thank you very much for not letting that guy swing away..."

[Riverbrian]

 

I mostly agree with this, but baseball is a situational game.  

 

For example, I hated Logan Morrison, pinch-hitting, squaring to bunt in the Top of the 7th after Castro's leadoff walk, Twins down 5-4.  Why do I hate it?  Among the reasons:

 

*  Assuming Morrison sacs successfully, you have only moved a runner from 1st to 2nd.  Still takes a hit to the outfield to get the run in, and it's Castro.  Not a given he scores from 2nd on a hit.

 

*  Castro only represented the tying run.  Twins were visitors, and playing to tie on the road is a silly proposition.  Twins were willing to give up one of their 9 remaining outs to merely tie the game.  Twins were willing to compromise their chance to take the lead and a potential big inning to settle for one run that merely ties the game, while the Buccos had 3 more outs left than the Twins.  Big-time dislike.

 

*  If the Twins were the home team in the late innings, and their opponent had a guy coming off a 38-dinger season square around to sac bunt with nobody out and a runner on first base, I'd say "Thank you very much for not letting that guy swing away..."

 

Sac Bunt is a whole different animal. 

 

I was talking about bunting it where they ain't. No sacrifice intended. 

[ewen21]

 

“Brian Dozier to the Dodgers” will be eligible for election to the Hall in a couple years and is a no-brainer IMO.

That thread was like chocolate.  I knew it wasn't good for me, but I nibbled away on it

[Twodogs]

Both. The Orioles were getting owned by Berrios all day, and the young guy who bunted should have went up there swinging. It was the 9th inning, there was one out, and the Orioles chances of winning were approximately zero whether he laid down a bunt hit or not.

 

Just go up there swinging.

 

That's it. There's really not much more to it than that.

So if Berrios throws 4 balls in the dirt he should swing? I mean they had no chance of winning right? Wouldn't taking a walk have about the same feeling? If I am Cisco and I have that opportunity 20 games in a row I bunt every time to get my self on base, after awhile, you'll find that teams will quit employing a shift on you. What do you think Rod Carew would do in that situation??

[Ncgo4]

I don’t care if you’re down by 20. If they haven’t called the game, the job of the hitter is to get on base...good for him.