TOBTTReds
03-31-2007, 01:59 PM
OK, stick with me here.
Even though I don't like this lineup (which we will see):
Freel
Dunn
BP (this is the one I really don't like)
Griffey
EdE
...think about this situation. Freel gets on base around 37% of the time in the 1st inning. Dunn comes up with a huge shift. Although I tend to disagree with the sentiment of a slugger bunting, he could get on base so easily (if he can manage to get the bunt down unlike Thursday). Say he quasi-perfects the bunt, what do you think of him bunting with Freel on 1st with no outs.
Probably 80% of the time (if he is good at it) we would have runners on 1st and 2nd with 0 outs. Then this is where BP comes in. He could sacrifice them over, and with his speed, have a chance to make it on safely.
This would make it 2nd (Dunn) and 3rd (Freel) with 1 out and Griffey up, followed by the "clutch" hitting Encarnacion.
Pros
Possibility of having two men in scoring position with 1 out and our 4 and 5 hitters coming up.
Scoring early
Cons
Taking the power out of your power bat
If he or JN think he is a better bunter than he is, it is a bad out.
I'm sure there are more pros and cons, but this is just an idea I thought of that I think could work. The other day on radio when Dunn popped up his bunt, Marty and JB both said if the 2 hole is going to bunt, it might as well be Gonzo. But that really isn't the point. If gonzo gets down the bunt, it is a sacrifice, if Dunn bunts, it could/should be 2 men on with no outs.
So what do you guys think?
*Disclaimer: My baseball philosophies revolve around stats, so this is slightly out of the norm for my thinking. But I really think this is a possibility of happening. I'm going to duck now.
Even though I don't like this lineup (which we will see):
Freel
Dunn
BP (this is the one I really don't like)
Griffey
EdE
...think about this situation. Freel gets on base around 37% of the time in the 1st inning. Dunn comes up with a huge shift. Although I tend to disagree with the sentiment of a slugger bunting, he could get on base so easily (if he can manage to get the bunt down unlike Thursday). Say he quasi-perfects the bunt, what do you think of him bunting with Freel on 1st with no outs.
Probably 80% of the time (if he is good at it) we would have runners on 1st and 2nd with 0 outs. Then this is where BP comes in. He could sacrifice them over, and with his speed, have a chance to make it on safely.
This would make it 2nd (Dunn) and 3rd (Freel) with 1 out and Griffey up, followed by the "clutch" hitting Encarnacion.
Pros
Possibility of having two men in scoring position with 1 out and our 4 and 5 hitters coming up.
Scoring early
Cons
Taking the power out of your power bat
If he or JN think he is a better bunter than he is, it is a bad out.
I'm sure there are more pros and cons, but this is just an idea I thought of that I think could work. The other day on radio when Dunn popped up his bunt, Marty and JB both said if the 2 hole is going to bunt, it might as well be Gonzo. But that really isn't the point. If gonzo gets down the bunt, it is a sacrifice, if Dunn bunts, it could/should be 2 men on with no outs.
So what do you guys think?
*Disclaimer: My baseball philosophies revolve around stats, so this is slightly out of the norm for my thinking. But I really think this is a possibility of happening. I'm going to duck now.