Is bunting considered "old softball"

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Aug 18, 2019
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If its not important then why does everyone practice bunt defense. Small ball is very effective when called and played correctly.


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Jul 31, 2019
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Our current team is largely composed of power hitters. I did not think we had the overall team speed or number of lefty batters to really make small ball successful. Probably only two or three girls on the team, by the eye test, that I would consider fast or at least speedy. Besides, who needs small ball when you have the long ball...

Well, this past weekend our bats weren't really working. One of the teams had a very good pitcher--big, strong girl throwing gas. Hammering outside corner. Had an up pitch too. In pool play, we tied 1-1. The next day we met in the semi-finals. They pitched the same girl. Game seemed like it was going to fall into the same pattern, though we were having better quality ABs against her the second time around. Our head coach decided to change the script and went small. He was bunting our clean up hitter. We created chaos and exposed that the team could not field bunts very well. The pitcher, because of her size, was defensively useless. The catcher and third baseman were getting wore out on bunts up the first base line. Their first baseman was also big and slow to react. They could not adjust. The added defensive pressure also led to a number of throwing errors on their part. Looked like a track meet on the basepaths. We knocked the pitcher out of the game and won easily.

We won the finals using a similar strategy when the opposing team tried to neutralize the power in our line up by throwing primarily change ups. It was working pretty well for them, until it wasn't. We countered with small ball.

I know our head coach prefers the power game (though he will certainly sacrifice to move runners over at times), but well executed small ball (and opponent's poor ability to deal with same) was the difference for us this weekend. We have a station at almost every batting practice where every girl on the team is made to bunt all manner of pitches and get them down.

Great example. Those who feel they have no use for small ball have pre-determined their teams ceiling. I agree that a straight sacrifice is a wasted AB, but bunting is a weapon that when taught and used correctly can beat even the best of teams. SPEED KILLS!!! Put pressure on the defense at all times. Whats easier to defend, a ground ball to an IF, or a bunt requiring 2 IF's, a catcher and pitcher to attack, field than in many cases throw behind them, a 2B to run 30' to cover a bag, and a SS to cover a bag? Not to mention the 3B or P having to go back and cover 3B. Dismissing the bunt as a weapon would be like a pitcher not using a change-up.
 
Nov 30, 2018
359
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Marikina, Philippines
I ran into a former HS player at a tournament who graduated from a Big 10 school this year. She had just gotten a job at a midwest college as an assistant coach. We spoke for several minutes on the state of our HS program, and game strategy we play. Near the end of our conversation she flat out said "and don't waste outs bunting".

I've always believed in small ball as a weapon. Is this now considered "old softball"?

The better the pitching, the more small-ball MUST be a weapon. In 2016-17 Dallas Escobedo of Mexico/Arizona State and Stacey King of Peurto Rico/Florida State both struck out 17 batters against us. We were terrorizing them with the thought of putting a ball in play! She is an ideology; not going anywhere!
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
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Unless you can bunt for a double it's a wasted at bat.

This is why professional MLB players do not lay down the bunt against the shift (or even hit the opposite way). It's not that they can't lay down the bunt or poke it the other way. What the cant do is lay it down/poke it for a double.

This is the point that many people don't understand about analytics.

Yes I understand that there are certain times you would bunt in a game but it's not a viable strategy against a real team (long term).
 
Jul 29, 2013
6,782
113
North Carolina
Great example. Those who feel they have no use for small ball have pre-determined their teams ceiling. I agree that a straight sacrifice is a wasted AB, but bunting is a weapon that when taught and used correctly can beat even the best of teams. SPEED KILLS!!! Put pressure on the defense at all times. Whats easier to defend, a ground ball to an IF, or a bunt requiring 2 IF's, a catcher and pitcher to attack, field than in many cases throw behind them, a 2B to run 30' to cover a bag, and a SS to cover a bag? Not to mention the 3B or P having to go back and cover 3B. Dismissing the bunt as a weapon would be like a pitcher not using a change-up.
Great post and I 100% agree! Last time I checked this was DiscussFastpitch.....NOT DiscussBaseball. Will I give up an out for a run, heck yeah! Will I give up an out to move a runner to 3B with no outs or one out, heck yeah!

Okay, I get these big power bruisers saying "we don't bunt!" :rolleyes:, well you prideful bruisers better figure something out when a pitcher is handing you your butt, you don't score without baserunners!! At least make the defense work, do something, put pressure on them, who knows?
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Will I give up an out for a run, heck yeah! Will I give up an out to move a runner to 3B with no outs or one out, heck yeah!
Always? Would you do this in the 1st inning when you know your pitcher is going to give up some runs? How about down by 5 runs in the last inning?
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
Great post and I 100% agree! Last time I checked this was DiscussFastpitch.....NOT DiscussBaseball. Will I give up an out for a run, heck yeah! Will I give up an out to move a runner to 3B with no outs or one out, heck yeah!

Okay, I get these big power bruisers saying "we don't bunt!" :rolleyes:, well you prideful bruisers better figure something out when a pitcher is handing you your butt, you don't score without baserunners!! At least make the defense work, do something, put pressure on them, who knows?

Retracted post.
 
Last edited:
Jul 29, 2013
6,782
113
North Carolina
Always? Would you do this in the 1st inning when you know your pitcher is going to give up some runs? How about down by 5 runs in the last inning?
You know the answer to this, always situational. Where are we at in the game? What's their pitcher doing to us? As you said, what's our pitcher doing to them? Where are we in the lineup?

5 runs down in the last inning.......NO!
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
You know the answer to this, always situational. Where are we at in the game? What's their pitcher doing to us? As you said, what's our pitcher doing to them? Where are we in the lineup?

5 runs down in the last inning.......NO!
Ok, so I am not sure who you are arguing with because even if somebody goes purely by analytics there will be situations that call for a sac bunt (not many but some)...On the other hand there are some coaches (around here at least) who would bunt in the situations I gave because they view their use of "small ball" as a way to express their "genius"...
 

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