Situational bunting question from last night

Irondawg

Senior
Dec 2, 2007
2,890
548
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Second inning last night we have runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out and Rea up. Cohen wants to bunt them over. Fine, I get it.

Instead we get a wild pitch that moves the runners to 2nd and 3rd. Why not cotinue to bunt and do a safety squeeze since I'm pretty sure the IF was back that early in the game. If you were willing to give up an out to move the runners up, why not give up the out to score a run.

Granted Rea has to get the bunt past the pitcher, but I'd have no problem trying to generate runs that way since our situational hitter has not been great this year.

Thoughts?
 

benatmsu

Junior
May 28, 2007
2,398
223
63
...was to get 2 runners in scoring position, where one hit could give you two runs. The WP gives you that without giving up the out. With a squeeze you always run the risk of getting that runner thrown out at home.
 

Arthur2478

Redshirt
Oct 17, 2010
1,407
2
38
why not give up the out to score a run.

It's certainly no guarantee would would have scored.

I think it was the Vandy series when we threw out 3 Vandy runners at the plate on attempted safety squeezes.
Last week versus UT, we had one of our own runners throw out on an attempted safety squeeze.
 

bruiser.sixpack

Redshirt
Aug 13, 2009
7,346
0
0
I think Rea whiffed on a ball that hit 3 feet in front of the plate in that at bat. His best at bat was the up and in change up that plunked him on the shoulder.

Funny thing is that after he got plunked we tried to hit and run with him on first and fouled it off. Strange goings on there too because had it been a swing and miss, the catcher AND the shortstop could have had a moon pie and RC Cola and still thrown Rea out. It is funny sometimes watching our small ball attempts.

But.....we won...again...only getting 5 hits....again.

Take it.
 

Bulldog Bruce

All-Conference
Nov 1, 2007
4,575
4,845
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...good way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

I haven't watched them this year, but even though Rea is seventh in the order, he is leading the teams in RBIs by a wide margin. The initial bunt might keep you out of a double play so I can almost live with it, but once the runners move up, there is no way you continue to bunt with that player.

If you want to play that type of ball, don't sign that type of player.
 

Irondawg

Senior
Dec 2, 2007
2,890
548
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he's supposedly one of our better bunters I think. I was just asking that if you're a team that likes to bunt like we do, and you haven't been good in situational hitting all year - does it makes sense to do more safety squeezes in this situation.

wasn't really advocating it - just curious as to the mindset