Bunt and run

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Mar 24, 2016
7
1
The bunt and run. Do you coaches use it? Is it a good tool to have in your arsenal? Is it a good possibility for a runner to advance from first to third? Reason I am asking is I am a/c on 16u rec team looking to work on some added scoring opportunities. There are girls on the team that are good bunters. Is it something you would work on. thanks
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
In MS DD was the bunter and yes runner always got to 3rd. Depending on league I would not give up the out.

If we were chasing runs it was Ok.
 
Oct 3, 2011
3,478
113
Right Here For Now
Although long ball has mostly taken over the game today because its much more exciting to watch players hit homeruns, small ball is still a very valid and effective way to generate runs and put pressure on the defense when used correctly.
 
Feb 3, 2016
502
43
Underappreciated part of the game. I'm convinced that the top tier teams can be put under immense pressured unlike the long ball. It seems like the knuckleball seems to lose its allure as kids age up.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
 
Apr 17, 2012
806
18
Wi
Im not sure the level of your team but at 16u its not likely a runner would make it 1st to 3rd on a bunt. You state its rec though?
 
Apr 26, 2015
704
43
Last year DD was struggling a bit in her 1st year at 14s against the better pitching. She started bunting and it was hilarious. I think she got 8 “home runs” off errors on her bunts. Once twice in one game! The overthrows and misthrows were unbelievable. Her team scored a good portion of their runs off her bunts. She could lay them down perfectly and the catcher/3rd baseman would stand there waiting for the ball to go foul and it rarely would. It was rare when she didn’t get an extra base.

She changed teams this year and when she played her old team for the first time the entire field moved in and screamed “watch the bunt”. She unleashed a line dive that fell about 10 feet from the fence. It was awesome!

I love the small game and how it totally puts pressure on the defense!
 
Sep 29, 2010
1,082
83
Knoxville, TN
Im not sure the level of your team but at 16u its not likely a runner would make it 1st to 3rd on a bunt. You state its rec though?
While you can’t do it every batter, I have seen many runners take first to third in A ball on a bunt. You even see it from time to time in P5 college ball. I’m a firm believer that speed kills at every level of ball.
 

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,854
113
In HS, two years ago, we had an extremely fast young lady who we used this about every time she was on base. We added one thing for the hitter. If the pitch was out of the zone, let it go since our runner would just steal 2nd. I can't tell you the amount of pressure this puts on a team. We still use it though not as much.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
The bunt and run. Do you coaches use it? Is it a good tool to have in your arsenal? Is it a good possibility for a runner to advance from first to third? Reason I am asking is I am a/c on 16u rec team looking to work on some added scoring opportunities. There are girls on the team that are good bunters. Is it something you would work on. thanks

A lot depends on the sophistication/skill level of the defenses your are facing.
 
Mar 24, 2016
7
1
A lot depends on the sophistication/skill level of the defenses your are facing.

Thanks for the reply's. The league we play on does not have very good defenses so that is why i was thinking about practicing bunt/steal with the faster runners on base to put pressure on the defense and possibly score on a wild throw. I have not seen other teams in our league try this. They do bunt. Our league has continuous order so it takes a long time to get to the top of the order when you have 14 on a team.
 

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