How Not To Do It

I never learned to bunt. But I'm pretty sure a Walk advances a base runner from first just as good.

'course, putting a hefty slugger on an empty first base sets up an easy double play, so maybe ole Matt was trying to out-strategerize the opposing team by advancing a runner from second with first base open when that tricky opposing team decided to walk him by throwing real, real high every pitch. Dunno.

I never learned to bunt because backyard baseball is a pure power game. When there are only two fielders behind the pitcher, the one on the left side, and the one on the right, the goal of the batter is to hit it far enough over either of their heads to run to second base before the fielder can run to the ball and throw to the pitcher or the other fielder covering second. In other words, an all-doubles game, with an occasional inside-the-park home run. If you count hitting it up onto the hill as still inside the 'park'. Bunting the ball when the other team didn't even have a catcher would get you called a sissy pretty quick.

And, hey, hello everyone! Almost home from a bidding/estimating trip. AT&T was not kind to the odd corner of the Great Lakes I was wandering, so I couldn't even use my little stash of scans I prepared for the trip with a wireless keyboard and the mobile blogger app. I did get to watch the All-Star game at least...how long has it been since anyone bunted in an All-Star game? Probably a really long time. Bunting is probably not cool for All-Stars. Definitely a pure power game there.

Of course, in the It's Alive! ball era, or the Sabre-Tooth era, or the Enhanced Player era, or whatever you want to call the game today, "They" say bunting is stupid. And perhaps all those strike-outs are worth it too I guess. The percentages say .... just don't ask the percentages about Mr. Stair's technique up there. That might break the calculator.