March 18, 2007
One Run Strategies
Lou Piniella talked about his use of one-run strategies early in the game:
This is now the Lou Piniella era with the Cubs and you pretty much can forget about giving up outs.
There will be no "small" in his ball. Piniella believes in the offense going on the offensive.
"No, no, no," Piniella said when asked about sacrificing in the first inning on a cold day. "I like to bunt more, believe it or not, when we have a lead so we can add on. I like those situations better than any other time.
"I've never really bunted early. I'm going to run, hit-and-run, steal, double steal, but I don't like the idea of bunting early in a game. Late in the game with a 3-2 lead, 4-2 lead, you get the first couple of runners on, you're looking to tack on, I like the bunt then."
I like the idea of bunting later in the game with men on first and second and a weak hitter up. You put two men in scoring position and set up the sacrifice fly to score a run.
Posted by David Pinto at
08:46 AM
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Strategy
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I think Pinella's got the right idea, seeing as the Cubs under Dusty Baker would often run themselves out of an inning when the bunt failed or the leadoff man didn't get on base. And with Soriano, whoever's at #2, Lee, Aramis, Floyd kicking off the lineup - this isn't a team that should have a strategy of bunting first and praying for ninth-inning three-run-homers later.
To Baker's credit, over the last two years the Cubs didn't have the pop that Pinella's offense looks to have (on paper). But Baker's use of the sac bunt was ridiculously predictable - and pitchers would pitch stuff that some of the inadequate bunting Cubs just couldn't convert.
Lou is SO right. I grit my teeth every time Ichiro gets on in the first inning and Dave Niehaus says the next batter's goal is to "move him over." In the first inning, the goal is for each hitter to get a hit, keep the inning going, and score a bunch of runs. Small ball is the correct strategy in the late innings when you need a run to break a tie, or ad to a one run lead. In the early innings, don't move the runner from second to third, get a hit and drive him in, then hope the next guy gets a hit and drives you in.
