Worst AB of the season nomination

[Fargo Red]

While last nights game was quite fun to watch, I could not believe what I saw from Ryan Ludwick, in the 8th. He looked like a little leaguer out there, with the game on the line. Bruce on 2nd, tie game, no out. Apparently he is incapable of squaring to bunt? Perhaps Price knows this. Everyone in the stadium had to be expecting him to square up. I know I was. The guys in the booth were. Instead, he swings (feebly) at 3 pitches, none of which were anywhere close to the strike zone. This is a situation where you expect a seasoned professional to move the runner over, via whatever means. Hell, I'll settle for letting those awful pitches go...and taking the walk! He looked completely lost. Clueless. Awful. It's almost inconceivable that this is a guy who has played in almost 1000 MLB games. Thankfully, the ROOKIE bailed him out, in the 9th. Rant over. Go Reds!

[RedFanAlways1966]

I am normally pretty even-keeled when watching the games. I must admit that I muttered a few four-letter words while watching that AB. After strike three I was ready to release Ludwick lol. But then I reminded myself that even Babe Ruth had a pathetic looking AB from time to time. Of course that was probably related to a hangover and/or two hours of sleep the previous night. I was torn on "to bunt or not to bunt'. The only reason "not to bunt" I can think of was Ludwick must not be a good bunter.

[westofyou]

Guy has 9 sacs is over 3500 MLB PA's, 0.25% of his PA's he's sac bunted.

Yet last night was the time to do it and he failed.

If you say so.

No outs guy on 2nd, bottom of order coming up.

I don't bunt a guy with 9 sacs for his career there

[cumberlandreds]

I wouldn't expect Ludwick to bunt because he never does. But I would expect him to try one time to hit the ball to the right side.

[Fargo Red]

Guy has 9 sacs is over 3500 MLB PA's, 0.25% of his PA's he's sac bunted.

Yet last night was the time to do it and he failed.

If you say so.

No outs guy on 2nd, bottom of order coming up.

I don't bunt a guy with 9 sacs for his career there

I have not attended a game in some time...but it used to be that every big leaguer (minus a few MVP type sluggers) is asked to square up a few times during BP. It's a part of being a PRO. It's another tool in your box of abilities. It's called knowing how to handle the bat. So yeah, I say so. Even the guys in the booth (including a former big leaguer) expected him to try it, at the very least. The 'bottom of the order' contains one of the Reds scrappiest players, in Schumaker. While his numbers are anything but gaudy, I trust this dude more than several others to put the ball in play...or at least not flail like a little girl up there, with the game on the line.

[westofyou]

I have not attended a game in some time...but it used to be that every big leaguer (minus a few MVP type sluggers) is asked to square up a few times during BP. It's a part of being a PRO. It's another tool in your box of abilities. It's called knowing how to handle the bat. So yeah, I say so. Even the guys in the booth (including a former big leaguer) expected him to try it, at the very least. The 'bottom of the order' contains one of the Reds scrappiest players, in Schumaker. While his numbers are anything but gaudy, I trust this dude more than several others to put the ball in play...or at least not flail like a little girl up there, with the game on the line.

The pros in the booth call for a sac every time the chance arises, the "pros" are ex pitchers (who combined for 200 abs) who couldn't hit and spend their whole lives bunting.

Scrappy?

With 2 outs he's .171/.227/.171/.398, he has twice as many GB's as FBs, I'm not hanging my hat on him to get in the run based on a sluggers bunt

[dfs]

I wouldn't expect Ludwick to bunt because he never does. But I would expect him to try one time to hit the ball to the right side.

What made the whole episode more curious was that the previous evening with the reds up 4-1 with a runner on second and one out Ludwick bunted leading to
...Schumaker strikes out
...Santiago walk
...Leake strikes out.

I thought it was odd to ask your left fielder to bunt in such a situation. He did get the bunt down. The run didn't score. They won the game anyway.
Last night was absolutely the time you do ask him to bunt. He didn't get it down. The run didn't score. They won the game anyway.

Go figure.

[RedlegJake]

I don't like to bunt - even in that situation, not with Ludwick. But yes, I was very frustrated. He didn't get a single strike thrown and struck out. Except for that last inside pitch (which was a perfect pitcher's pitch - credit to pitcher). Those first two swings were at pitches a couple inches off the ground and several inches outside. Not even close to hittable. He lays off the bad pitches and he walks, or at worst, gets a better hittable pitch with the count 2-0 or 3-0. Terrible AB.

[Fargo Red]

The pros in the booth call for a sac every time the chance arises, the "pros" are ex pitchers (who combined for 200 abs) who couldn't hit and spend their whole lives bunting.

Scrappy?

With 2 outs he's .171/.227/.171/.398, he has twice as many GB's as FBs, I'm not hanging my hat on him to get in the run based on a sluggers bunt

The only pro I was referring to is Chris Welsh. You can mock him all you want, but he was indeed a pro...no quotations needed. Perhaps you were too...but with 42k internet message board posts, I seriously doubt that.

I do consider Schumaker scrappy. Apparently so do the Reds, as they're paying him 2mil a year. He has a decent (.285) career average. He was an integral part of a championship team. He also has a solid reputation as being SCRAPPY. I don't care what his situational stats are...THIS YEAR. The guy is never an easy out. I'm glad the Reds have him. Do you even watch the game, or just look at the box score?

[gilpdawg]

Do you even watch the game, or just look at the box score?

That meme was old 10 years ago.

[dougdirt]

Do you even watch the game, or just look at the box score?

Argument. Over.

[jojo]

Do you even watch the game, or just look at the box score?

If you're kvetching about Ludwick not successfully laying down a sacrifice bunt in an rbi situation, one wonders if you actually do either.

But that meme needed viagra before video even killed the radio star.

In fact, your critique of WoY is a little like Hendrix being forced to open for the Monkees-ya, that didn't make sense either.

[RedlegJake]

Do you even watch the game, or just look at the box score?

Caught us. Me and WoY go back and forth between KC and Oakland, with our laptops in tow, and pocket calculator and for me, a slide rule (old fashioned I guess). We then pop a couple cold ones (host buys) and peruse box scores all night. We'd watch the game but neither of us can afford cable with all that travel. We then create complicated statistics just to understand what we are looking at. You should see our scrappy formula. So we know: Skip is .398171 scrappy. Welch was only .112768 scrappy as a pitcher batting. The inversion of scrap, we discovered, is parcs. So we named our DO NOT BUNT theory "parcs syndrome" but the exact numerical formula is in patent process so I can't discuss it here. Do you have cable? Maybe we could travel to your house next and actually watch a game? Remember - host buys the beer....

[jojo]

Caught us. Me and WoY go back and forth between KC and Oakland, with our laptops in tow, and pocket calculator and for me, a slide rule (old fashioned I guess). We then pop a couple cold ones (host buys) and peruse box scores all night. We'd watch the game but neither of us can afford cable with all that travel. We then create complicated statistics just to understand what we are looking at. You should see our scrappy formula. So we know: Skip is .398171 scrappy. Welch was only .112768 scrappy as a pitcher batting. The inversion of scrap, we discovered, is parcs. So we named our DO NOT BUNT theory "parcs syndrome" but the exact numerical formula is in patent process so I can't discuss it here. Do you have cable? Maybe we could travel to your house next and actually watch a game? Remember - host buys the beer....

Have you guys derived a formula for MANLINESS?

[RedlegJake]

The Senilnam Process? But of course. Rocco broke the computer. It was WoY's, though, so who cares?