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jim wrote: And then Rasmus comes up in the 9th in a bunt situation and we don't bunt? Rasmus might beat it out, might cause them to hurry a throw and have something unplanned and good happen ... but nothing. And then he K's, and there we are.

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Some here disagree with you.

jagtrader wrote:

KyCardinalFan wrote:

jagtrader wrote:Dear Ricky Horton,

Rasmus didn't bunt because the pitcher is wild. He walked the leadoff man, got two BS strike calls to Rasmus and hit Freese. You don't give those guys outs.

Sincerely,

Anyone with a [expletive] brain

But after the walk of Holliday, as Rasmus is stepping into the batter's box, Horton is expecting the bunt. How is he supposed to know, beforehand, the "two BS strike calls to Rasmus and hit Freese." How is Horton going to know the batter after Rasmus is going to be hit and therefore shouldn't bunt? He's just remarking what he thinks is SOP in baseball - leadoff walk in extra innings you should bunt the runner into scoring position. It worked out by not doing it, but not dumb to consider it. Your comments seem to be based on after the fact knowledge.

It's not "after the fact" knowledge that Shields has struggled to throw strikes this season (and last) or that he walked the leadoff man on four pitches or that Rasmus has an excellent on-base percentage and is one of the better hitters on the team. Giving up an out with Rasmus is stupid. Complaining about it as a broadcaster displays a mind-numbing lack of awareness of the situation.

The Angels' relievers either walked or hit seven batters in the last 2 1/3 innings. They gave this game away.

jim wrote:This is a subtle headscratcher, but it really encompasses what I call a general lack of consistency that I just can't get my head around. If a football coach had 3 timeouts to burn before the half, and called timeout and then took a knee, called another timeout and then took another knee ... that's the kind of inconsistency that I mean. Obviously it's not to that level, but there are just sequences of incongruous moves that I can't get my head around. Case in point, yesterday.

My high school did this at the end of a game that if we had won would seen us to post-season play. Time out with 60 seconds, 30 yard pass play game. Time out, 45 seconds left. Pass 20 yards to mid-field. Let the clock run out. Left TO's in his pocket. Lost in OT. I digress

Of course, like clockwork, Luddy comes up yesterday and is asked to lay one down. What the hell? It's just completely inconsistent with your thought patterns, your lineup construction, everything. I don't get it. And then Rasmus comes up in the 9th in a bunt situation and we don't bunt? Rasmus might beat it out, might cause them to hurry a throw and have something unplanned and good happen ... but nothing. And then he K's, and there we are.

Could it have anything to do with who he was facing and the situation? It's easier to bunt a FB than breaking ball right? Easier to bunt with 1 out instead of 2? Handedness of the pitcher? That maybe in that situation it made the most sense for Luddy to bunt, even if it wasn't his 'game'?

I might be guessing Tony doesn't trust Colby to lay one down yet.

I might also trying to rationalize an indefensible Tony move, but I see what you're saying.

jim wrote: Of course, like clockwork, Luddy comes up yesterday and is asked to lay one down. What the hell? It's just completely inconsistent with your thought patterns, your lineup construction, everything. I don't get it. And then Rasmus comes up in the 9th in a bunt situation and we don't bunt? Rasmus might beat it out, might cause them to hurry a throw and have something unplanned and good happen ... but nothing. And then he K's, and there we are.

So incongruous, I just can't get my head around it.

I hate being a pollyanna and CT-type whiner. So I'm not going to say the sky is falling. But it does appear to me we've seen more head scratchers like this that don't make sense this year. Add the fact that Pujols and he were arguing. And then MAYBE he and some others are doing more on their own - I can't tell for sure but it looks like that. Well, one explanation could be TLR is leaving a vacuum by doing stuff that doesn't make sense and isn't coming clean about it like you state. It COULD mean TLR's has lost the team's respect or the team is doing their own "WTF Tony?" and tuning him out just a bit.

I don't know. Could just be a collective funk that they all will snap out of after a 4 or 5 game winning streak. Nothing like winning to cure what ails you. We'll see.

I was torn on the Rasmus, my son and I were talking about it and I said bunt and he said swing away. Once he was 0-1, I would have had the bunt on for sure. What really surprised me though was that at 2-1 he didn't hit and run, Napoli is terrible defensively and Holliday runs well and you have a lefty up.

I guess I would be ok with Rasmus swinging away if he let Luddy swing away -- Earl Weaver baseball. I get it, one way to skin a cat. And while I would disagree, I would bet Luddy bunting and then bunting with Rasmus -- Ozzie Guillen (not). Smallball, I get it. Move the runner with Pujols up, don't with Rasmus. Etc... Incongruous.

BTW - my son's Soph year the coach decided for the homecoming game he'd really pull out the tricks. Onside kick where the ball is laying on the ground next to the tee, and when the ref blows the ball in play they break the huddle in mass and kick the ball. Worked like a champ, the poor kid on the front line freaked out when all 11 guys were coming at him, I don't think he even saw the ball.

Beautiful.

Then we kick off to start the 2nd half, and I'm like WTF? Well, it turned out that we actually won the coin flip and elected to KICK. Not deferred, but took our option to KICK. So that we could onside kick and get the ball back. Genius.

edit...
Being wild should not be a factor in whether you bunt. You can pull the bat back.

Watching Shields, I thought the LHBs would have a much easier time hitting him than the RHBs. The historical numbers don't bear that out, but his motion and his slider yesterday seemed pretty tough for RHBs. The way Shields mowed down the three best RHBs in the 9th may have reinforced that idea for La Russa.

Is giving Rasmus only half-time smart or dumb based on splits?

Should TLR be giving him time to 'learn' how to hit Lefties?

vinsanity wrote:Is giving Rasmus only half-time smart or dumb based on splits?

Should TLR be giving him time to 'learn' how to hit Lefties?

You are talking about playing him 1/2 the time vs lefties? I think it's a good approach, it gives him some rest and at the same time exposes him to lefties more regularly than last year. I think giving him an occasional day off vs lefties is letting him learn to hit them.

he knows how to [expletive] manage people!

jim wrote:

vinsanity wrote:Is giving Rasmus only half-time smart or dumb based on splits?

Should TLR be giving him time to 'learn' how to hit Lefties?

You are talking about playing him 1/2 the time vs lefties? I think it's a good approach, it gives him some rest and at the same time exposes him to lefties more regularly than last year. I think giving him an occasional day off vs lefties is letting him learn to hit them.

That's what I thought.

It's a discussion in one of my fantasy leagues. I wanted to make sure I wasn't out of line, even though I'll never be able to convince those numb-skulls.

What the hell was that with Carpenter? 1-0 count and then PH for him?