Was Pablo Sandoval’s bunt OK?
Posted By Jeff Fletcher on June 12, 2009 10:01 pm
You know the old unwritten rule about breaking up a guy’s no-hitter with a bunt, don’t you? Well, apparently that doesn’t apply to what Pablo Sandoval did tonight.
A’s rookie Vin Mazzaro had not allowed a hit through the first four innings, but Sandoval led off the fifth with a bunt single. Although that raised some eyebrows in the press box, it didn’t in the A’s dugout.
Manager Bob Geren said he had on his scouting report that Sandoval was a bunter (this was his third bunt hit of the season), and he actually had moved third baseman Jack Hannahan in a little, although not all the way in. Mazzaro said he wasn’t expecting it, but he didn’t seem to mind that Sandoval bunted.
Really, it’s only a violation of etiquette to bunt for a hit when a pitcher has a no-hitter if it’s later in the game (like the seventh) or if the game is not close or if the hitter is not someone who normally bunts. This met none of those requirements.
Shouldn’t the connective be “and”? late in the game AND game not close AND batter rarely a bunter for a hit. In a one-run game, say, no etiquette ought to apply, since it’s the batter’s job and duty to get on base for his team to have a chance to win.
Jeff, I thought that this was a head’s up play by Sandoval, and I saw absolutely nothing wrong with it, especially in what was at the time a close one run game and situation. This illustrates why Sandoval is batting over .300. I wish he would show Burriss and Lewis how to bunt more and maybe then they would not slump so badly.
Sorry, but that was a total puss move by Sando. Zero Zero, cmon now be a man. They should have drilled his keester the next time he was up….
Louie K, sorry dude … but that was not a puss move. It was the fifth inning, hardly anywhere close to being a no-hitter, so I give Sandoval kudos for doing something to get his team going. If it was the 7th or something, and that happened, ok, maybe then I can see your point. But not when it’s a close game in the fifth.That aside, the A’s didn’t seem to have a problem with it, only the A’s fans …
I thought it was a smart baseball play. The game was deadlocked, Mazzaro and Lincecum were both dealing, and he spotted an opportunity to get on base and laid down a very good bunt.
If it was the 8th or 9th you could start talking about ettiquette but not that early in the game.