You all can argue all you want, I'm bunting, because it's WINNING baseball, bottom line.

You all can argue all you want, I'm bunting, because it's WINNING baseball, bottom line.

 

Blanket statements are not always wise. It can be the right move. It might be a terrible move.

You all can argue all you want, I'm bunting, because it's WINNING baseball, bottom line.

 

I don't think I said never bunt. Bunting can be a useful strategy. It might even help you win a game or two. You will win more games by being a good hitting club. Just being a good bunter doesn't get you to the next level or even in the starting lineup.

For the teams that hit the ball consistently it wont be much of a problem. But for the teams that have trouble getting the bat on the ball it will be huge. Sometimes you can get that double to the gap that will be a momentum changer and then suddenly everyone starts hitting. With the BBCOR bats some of those hits to the gaps will be a fly ball that an outfielder will catch or at the very most, a dinker that an outfielder will get behind and only make it be a single. As little as that sounds the games this year will be drastically different.

As someone who has been around high school baseball for the past few years and am still around high school ball, the types of games will definitely change with the BBCOR bats. Like many have said the number of homeruns will drop and so will the number of flairs that barely make it over the infielders heads. The game this year will center, as TOG said, more around "small ball". Hit and runs, bunts (sacrifice or for base hits), and hitting behind the runner will be much more prevalent. Teams that don't focus on this aspect of the game will find a harder time winning games. Teams like Cov Cath that have focused on small ball for as long as i can remember, will be at an advantage.

As someone who has been around high school baseball for the past few years and am still around high school ball, the types of games will definitely change with the BBCOR bats. Like many have said the number of homeruns will drop and so will the number of flairs that barely make it over the infielders heads. The game this year will center, as TOG said, more around "small ball". Hit and runs, bunts (sacrifice or for base hits), and hitting behind the runner will be much more prevalent. Teams that don't focus on this aspect of the game will find a harder time winning games. Teams like Cov Cath that have focused on small ball for as long as i can remember, will be at an advantage.

 

I'm sure other teams will elect to play small ball. It doesn't necessarily mean Cov Cath has an andvantage on other teams. You may not have seen this type of play from other teams, but it doesn't mean they aren't capable of playing small ball.

I'm sure other teams will elect to play small ball. It doesn't necessarily mean Cov Cath has an andvantage on other teams. You may not have seen this type of play from other teams, but it doesn't mean they aren't capable of playing small ball.

 

And I can agree with this.

I'm sure other teams will elect to play small ball. It doesn't necessarily mean Cov Cath has an andvantage on other teams. You may not have seen this type of play from other teams, but it doesn't mean they aren't capable of playing small ball.

 

I never said they weren't capable of playing small ball, as many teams are. I merely said that teams such as Cov Cath who have been playing small ball for while will have an advantage because it's already incorporated into their game.

This is a great subject. Here's some quotes from Augie Garrido, the winningest college coach of any kind, in any sport, at any level, on small ball:

 

"Nobody hits a home run every time he steps to the plate, so why swing for the fences when it is so much easier to lay down a bunt, take a walk, or hit a ground-ball single and get on base? My contention is that we should use the best weapons available to us."

 

"Our offensive strategy is based not on hitting but on scoring runs."

 

"If your strategy relies on doing the big flashy things such as belting home runs, great pitching will beat you every time. But with small ball, you can kill them with a thousand cuts."

 

"Today, the Longhorns practice bunting for twenty minutes during every practice in the preseason and at least twice each week during the season itself. Every player is required to master bunting."

 

"Our offensive system rewards people not just for the usual glory plays but also for making productive outs, for advancing and scoring runners, for putting down bunts, taking walks, and even taking strikes that aren’t located in the right place for the hit we need."

 

 

And on the results of his small-ball system:

 

"We were 14-3 and ranked No. 3 in the nation. We had racked up only 6 hits more than our opponents so far in the season, but we had scored 26 more runs. Eye-opening, isn’t it?"

 

"In the 2009 regular season, we had 22 fewer at bats than our opponents, but we had 125 more hits and 154 more runs. That happens when you keep people in position to score."

 

If you haven't read Augie's book yet, I highly, highly recommend it.

This is a great subject. Here's some quotes from Augie Garrido, the winningest college coach of any kind, in any sport, at any level, on small ball:

 

"Nobody hits a home run every time he steps to the plate, so why swing for the fences when it is so much easier to lay down a bunt, take a walk, or hit a ground-ball single and get on base? My contention is that we should use the best weapons available to us."

 

"Our offensive strategy is based not on hitting but on scoring runs."

 

"If your strategy relies on doing the big flashy things such as belting home runs, great pitching will beat you every time. But with small ball, you can kill them with a thousand cuts."

 

"Today, the Longhorns practice bunting for twenty minutes during every practice in the preseason and at least twice each week during the season itself. Every player is required to master bunting."

 

"Our offensive system rewards people not just for the usual glory plays but also for making productive outs, for advancing and scoring runners, for putting down bunts, taking walks, and even taking strikes that aren’t located in the right place for the hit we need."

 

 

And on the results of his small-ball system:

 

"We were 14-3 and ranked No. 3 in the nation. We had racked up only 6 hits more than our opponents so far in the season, but we had scored 26 more runs. Eye-opening, isn’t it?"

 

"In the 2009 regular season, we had 22 fewer at bats than our opponents, but we had 125 more hits and 154 more runs. That happens when you keep people in position to score."

 

If you haven't read Augie's book yet, I highly, highly recommend it.

Nice post,:thumb:

I never said they weren't capable of playing small ball, as many teams are. I merely said that teams such as Cov Cath who have been playing small ball for while will have an advantage because it's already incorporated into their game.

 

It can't wait, this season will be fun to watch!

I am willing to bet that the average score this season will be higher than last year......I ONLY say this because, more than likely, the weather HAS to be better than last year. My point is that the weather is a bigger factor than the bat's "coefficient of return". I like the new standards, and having seen my share of wooden bat tournaments, I understand the psychological aspect of stepping up to the plate without confidence in the old broom-handle. What do you guys think?

 

To split hairs, it is actually the coefficient of restitution, or commonly known as trampoline affect (as you know).

This is a great subject. Here's some quotes from Augie Garrido, the winningest college coach of any kind, in any sport, at any level, on small ball:

 

"Nobody hits a home run every time he steps to the plate, so why swing for the fences when it is so much easier to lay down a bunt, take a walk, or hit a ground-ball single and get on base? My contention is that we should use the best weapons available to us."

 

"Our offensive strategy is based not on hitting but on scoring runs."

 

"If your strategy relies on doing the big flashy things such as belting home runs, great pitching will beat you every time. But with small ball, you can kill them with a thousand cuts."

 

"Today, the Longhorns practice bunting for twenty minutes during every practice in the preseason and at least twice each week during the season itself. Every player is required to master bunting."

 

"Our offensive system rewards people not just for the usual glory plays but also for making productive outs, for advancing and scoring runners, for putting down bunts, taking walks, and even taking strikes that aren’t located in the right place for the hit we need."

 

 

And on the results of his small-ball system:

 

"We were 14-3 and ranked No. 3 in the nation. We had racked up only 6 hits more than our opponents so far in the season, but we had scored 26 more runs. Eye-opening, isn’t it?"

 

"In the 2009 regular season, we had 22 fewer at bats than our opponents, but we had 125 more hits and 154 more runs. That happens when you keep people in position to score."

 

If you haven't read Augie's book yet, I highly, highly recommend it.

 

Except Drew Stubbs...

To split hairs, it is actually the coefficient of restitution, or commonly known as trampoline affect (as you know).

Wouldn't that be trampoline effect instead of affect? Point is, I think that it is like metal cleats vs. molded cleats.......metal cleats will not turn your average high school kid into Roberto Clemente, they are more of a confidence boost than a performance boost.

AMEN

 

I grew up in the 70's and 80's, and can appreciate the way the game used to be played. It takes skill to drop a good bunt. But all the sports have evolved. How long has the 3 pt shot been part of basketball?? It wasn't too long ago you had to run the football and play good defense to be successful at football. Baseball players have gotten bigger and stronger, even at the youth level. I coached 14u in SWOL last year and we had several kids well over six foot tall and hitting home runs over 350 feet. That didn't happen when I played youth ball. Couple that with the evolution of bats (even the new BBCOR bats will have more pop than the Green Eastons, and Black Magics I used in high school and college), and the game is just fundamentally different. You mentiond how the kid in right field that can throw and track a ball will be more more valuable this year. I'd argue, he's always been valuable, but nowadays, you have to be able to hit. Good pitching and defense are important and always will be, but you can't win games 0-0...you have to hit the ball. Even the best pitchers now give up a few runs a game, and with pitch counts, your stud pitcher can't always finish a game. The physical and equipment advances are quickly rendering the bunt towards nostalgia. That being said, I still LOVE the suicide squeeze, which is why my kids all practice bunting.