DoneI agree 100% with the recently graduated player, now coach. Playing small ball ensures that your team will finish games with a small number of runs. A bunt is a wasted out. On the younger levels, having a good hitter bunt makes no sense at all. More commonly, a poor hitter is told to bunt a lot just to avoid a strikeout, which ensures that the player never develops into a good hitter. As players get older and fielding improves, bunting is just giving away an out and you only get three of those per inning. I have seen a lot of potentially big innings fizzle out because a coach gave away an out or two calling for bunts. Bunting certainly has its place, but most coaches are just lazy and call for them without looking at the big picture.