Loving the bunt too much?

[Osric]

Two of the local jr. high schools were playing each other last night. Many of the girls I've coached over the years are playing on one of the two teams, so I decide to go down and watch them play. I've always been one of the dumb dads who coach, and have been told that my approach hasn't taught the girls all the skills they need for once they hit the 14U division. Ya...ok...I can live with that. Whatever.

So I'm watching the Jr. Highs play, and I'm seeing girl after girl trying to lay down bunts. This is on both teams, so it isn't like it is one coach who loves the small-ball aspect of the game. Didn't matter if the girl was a fast runner or slow as sin, she would try to put the bunt down. Each team was having moderate success with the bunt, but it wasn't like every girl laid down a bunt and made it to first.

OK, so we get to the top of the last inning. Home team is up by two, away team at the plate. They get 2 of the first 3 runners on base and are sitting on 2nd and 3rd 1 out. #6 batter is up. This girl is one that I've coached for years. She is a solid contact hitter with moderate power. She was probably one of the top 3 hitters in the rec league she played in. (imo, she should have been batting in the 4 or 5 slot...mostly because the 4 and 5 hitters were far inferior to her...other girls I've coached as well). Well, the 'expert' coach at third base gives her the bunt sign; she misses the ball. Gives it to her again; she lets it go for a ball. Gives it to her again; she fouls it off for strike two. Now she gets to swing away (which was actually a relief, because he had given 1 girl the bunt sign with 2 strikes earlier in the game).
1-2 count, she swings and misses for the second out. Game is pretty much over, because the 7-8-9 hitters are not going to drive in the needed runs.

So after all of that, my question: Why do some coaches love the bunt so much? What makes the small-ball mentality so strong that you won't let a good hitter swing away when they have a good chance of driving in runs?

 

[coachtucc]

I found this:
I am 65 years old and have been pitching fast pitch for 46 years and still do today. There are no grips on the ball or any pitch that anyone can come up with that I haven't tried or cannot throw.



About bunting, I was at one time an excellent bunter with an average of over 500 against some of the best pitchers around because of it.



I was very successful because I never and I repeat have never bunted to sacrifice anyone. I have always bunted for a hit and then there were two on base instead of one unless he scored for several different reasons. I was able to put it down no matter where the ball was pitched as long as my bat could reach it.



I would first fake it to see as to what everyone on the field would do and that would determine as to where and what I would do to put it down and I also was very good at not showing it. Some times I would swing at the first or second pitch and miss it by a foot just to bait the pitcher into throwing the same pitch and to the same place again and then I would put it down.



It's beyond me as to why most teams do not do it or teach it. Maybe they don't truly know how to teach it and in that case they should bring someone in that can.



Our men's team once played against a team from Canton, NC and we lost 7 to 3 and they never hit a ball the whole game out of the infield. Every player on that team was an awesome bunter and because of it we had overthrows and misplays they definitely made things happen.



I talked to their coach after the game and he told me that if a player cannot put bunts down successfully at least 90% of the time then they cannot play on his team period."

 

[coachtucc]

I found this:
I am 65 years old and have been pitching fast pitch for 46 years and still do today. There are no grips on the ball or any pitch that anyone can come up with that I haven't tried or cannot throw.



About bunting, I was at one time an excellent bunter with an average of over 500 against some of the best pitchers around because of it.



I was very successful because I never and I repeat have never bunted to sacrifice anyone. I have always bunted for a hit and then there were two on base instead of one unless he scored for several different reasons. I was able to put it down no matter where the ball was pitched as long as my bat could reach it.



I would first fake it to see as to what everyone on the field would do and that would determine as to where and what I would do to put it down and I also was very good at not showing it. Some times I would swing at the first or second pitch and miss it by a foot just to bait the pitcher into throwing the same pitch and to the same place again and then I would put it down.



It's beyond me as to why most teams do not do it or teach it. Maybe they don't truly know how to teach it and in that case they should bring someone in that can.



Our men's team once played against a team from Canton, NC and we lost 7 to 3 and they never hit a ball the whole game out of the infield. Every player on that team was an awesome bunter and because of it we had overthrows and misplays they definitely made things happen.



I talked to their coach after the game and he told me that if a player cannot put bunts down successfully at least 90% of the time then they cannot play on his team period."

 

[Lackawanna Lightning]

very interesting

 

[MTR]

The only problem I have is that he never bunted to sacrifice. While it is nice to have two on with no outs instead of one on with one out, sometimes there is purpose to the sacrifice that should take priority over the base hit. Going for the hit is always risky, but staying back and directing the ball to a specific point on the field that would make it impossible to get the lead runner should be a priority at times. I'm all for the type of game this guy played as it produced runs and wins.

But he is right, no one teaches the bunt and I'm talking from MLB on down. When was the last time you saw someone actually square to bunt the ball with full bat control? And I mean "square", not a scissor-type of stance, but one where the batter's toes are pointing toward the pitcher. From that position, a well trained bunter should have complete control of the situation and be able to drop any pitch in the strike zone for a successful bunt.

I suspect that a couple reasons instruction is not given the attention it should. One is that it is not spectacular enough to get that almighty carrot unless the player has Watley-type of speed. And to get it right, it takes a lot of practice, steady practice. It's like in the movie Hoosiers where all the players wanted to do is just shoot the ball. The coach knew the importance of the physically challenging and often very hard work that seemed to be more fitting for a lowly manual laborer than that of the star athlete. At the time, it may not seem glamorous or worth the attention it should be afforded, but can make the player a hero when successfully used to win the championship game at the end of the season.

Same with sliding. I've often watched practices where even covering sliding seems to be handled in a cursory manner, not of something as important as it can be in a game situation. I don't know, a good slide can often make the difference between safe and out, win or lose and most important, healthy or injured.

These are two important aspects of the game that it seems some coaches just don't think are important enough to spend a considerable amount of time. Love the coaches who do, because that means their arsenal is complete and when it comes time when you really, REALLY need a player to move a runner, you can be confident the batter can get the job done, not hope she remembers that 20 minutes of training two months ago. Yes, that is an exaggeration........for some

 

[David Carter]

90% success rate for bunts might work in some league somewhere but you are not going to get on base at the high level of fast pitch 90% of the time with a bunt, especially if your speed is average and you are batting from the right hand side. You also are not going to get a bunch of overthrows for extra bases again not disparaging whatever league you were in but there is a reason you don't see it at NCAA World Series or team USA events, you will get out thrown out most of the time.

I actually just did this a few practices ago with my team I demonstrated what I was looking for in a bunt then watched the girls in their attempts, as my number 3, 4 and 5 hitters did the drill I just thought to myself DAVE if you ever have these girls bunt you should probably have your head examined. I have my 1 and 2 hitters as well as 7 and 8 hitters that can bunt and have speed but why would I have the players in my line up that I have designated as my "RBI hitters" bunting.

 

[PA SB Dad]

For the OP, the "poorly coached" aspect of your scenario in the top of the last inning is that the batter failed to put the ball in play on THREE attempts! That is not a "solid contact hitter". Last inning, runners in scoring position in a tight game, a player HAS to put the ball in play, and a kid that is a good bunter has a much higher likelihood of putting the ball in play.

Given that it is relatively early in the spring, I would imagine that the coaches could be trying some different things out, looking to see who can do what. Regardless, unless you are a mind-reader or have spoken to the coach, you really have no idea what his/her goal was for the game. In many friendlies, I have made my entire lineup bunt at least once in a game, primarily because I want to know who can bunt when I need them to. Also, errors can be contagious, and if a bunt to the third baseman results in a throwing error, I will occasionally have my team bunt again and again towards third until she can make the play.

There are many reasons to do what the coach did, and without speaking to him, you really have no idea what he was looking to do.

 

[Sparky Guy]

The right handed bunter is gone.

Not on my team. EVERYONE of my hitters learns how to bunt. They learn different types of bunts and I make them use them in all kinds of different situations. I will bunt with two outs and two strikes on a hitter. I will bunt my #3 & #4 hitters if I think the situation calls for it. Nothing better than watching my #3 lefty take huge cut at the ball and the corners back up. Then I'll have her drop a one-handed bunt. It's fun to watch a defense try and scramble.

 

[Sparky Guy]

And I mean "square", not a scissor-type of stance, but one where the batter's toes are pointing toward the pitcher. From that position, a well trained bunter should have complete control of the situation and be able to drop any pitch in the strike zone for a successful bunt.

What you are describing is an old-school style of bunting. My daughter was taught to bunt that way. I teach the scissors type stance. My kids are balanced and have good bat control covering all the edges of the strike zone. It's a matter of personal preference. I feel the hitter has more options with the scissors type stance.

Same with sliding. I've often watched practices where even covering sliding seems to be handled in a cursory manner, not of something as important as it can be in a game situation. I don't know, a good slide can often make the difference between safe and out, win or lose and most important, healthy or injured.

I absolutely agree with you on this. I teach my players multiple slides. Even at 10U. Had one of my 10's steal 3rd in a game. She performed a perfect slide-by and was safe. After the inning was over the base ump came up to me on my way back to the dugout and said he'd never seen a 10U girl do a good slide-by. I thanked him and told him it's something I work on all winter and summer with my kids.

 

[Indiana]

One of the things I like about watching college softball is the mix of small ball and power hitting - it is one of the reasons I enjoy watching college softball other than professional baseball. A 10U, 12U, middle school softball team is not a college softball team. For this reason, I believe that the bunt should be seldom used at this level. Teach the girls sound mechanics so they can hit the cover off the ball. A line drive to the fence will most certainly move the runner. Yes, you will win games with bunts at this level, but at what cost? At the higher levels, you can teach a girl with A+ mechanics to bunt, but can you fix a kid who has had a messed up swing since age 8?
I agree with the OP - and to answer the question, I think coaches at the beginner/intermediate levels are trying to win games by waiting for the other team to implode with errors, rather than going out and winning it with extra-base hits. In the middle school coach's defense, the school season is so short, there is really no time to create a team of power hitters, so the coach was trying to work with what he felt that he had. It is, after all, more fun to win.