Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
February 27, 2008
What is it About Bunts?

Billy Wagner was upset a Michigan ballplayer tried to bunt against him.

Of course, if it seemed like a friendly matchup, no one told Billy Wagner. During his one inning of work, Michigan third baseman Kevin Cislo dropped down a bunt that rolled foul. Wagner got him out and then got out of the inning without a run. But he was hardly happy.

"We're trying to get our work in and they're playing to win?" Wagner asked. "Play to win against Villanova. I'm out here trying to protect my guys."

Why do pitchers get upset when batters try to bunt for hits against them? It reminds me of the time Bob Brenly got upset because Curt Schilling's no-hitter was broken up by a bunt. What, can't they take the fact that their power pitches can be undone with a tap?

I like the FanHouse take on the playing to win statement:

All of a sudden, I get this picture of Wagner as Vince Vaughn when he was in Rudy, and he blasted Rudy for playing to win in practice, and coach Ara Parseghian came out tore Vince Vaughn's character a new one. Do you remember that scene? Wouldn't it have been great if Randolph heard Wagner's quote and went nose to nose with Wagner in the lockerroom and said "You just summed up your entire sorry career here in one sentence! If you had a tenth of the heart of Cislo, you'd have won a World Series by now! As it is, you just went from closer to mop up! Get out of here!"

Posted by David Pinto at 07:54 AM | Pitchers | TrackBack (0)
Comments

Hard to blame either party. Of course the college kids are playing to win, trying to get on base. And the Vets are getting reps in, particularly at this point in the spring. Nothing wrong with the kid's bunt attempt, Fanhouse's take is foolish.

Posted by: abe at February 27, 2008 09:21 AM

Sort of like when ML'ers played against the Negro Leagues -- one side is just playing, the other side has something to prove. Good for the kid.

Posted by: rbj at February 27, 2008 09:43 AM

Vince Vaughn wasn't in Rudy -- John Favreau was. And he wasn't the character that the quote is talking about anyway.

Posted by: Fred Mertz at February 27, 2008 10:02 AM

Vince Vaughn was indeed in Rudy. Fanhouse was right on.

Posted by: Jason at February 27, 2008 10:43 AM

Back in HS we're facing a kid who ended up being a 1st rounder pitching for the other team - routinely K'd 18-19-20 guys in a 7 inning game. The second batter for us bunts for a hit, the kid drills the next kid between the numbers and our guy eventually got up but he was really sore afte for a couple of days. The game goes on and he's mowing us down but then maybe 5th, 6th inning I close my eyes and swing and the ball rolls down towards third and stops on the line and I'm on. Now we owe it to the world to make this kid work a little and since this kid never has guys on I take off and there's no throw. The kid is all worked up now and is overthrowing and strikes out 1 guy but the next guy clocks one into the gap and I walk home. Then the kid goes crazy and our guys don't even want to step in the box but he throws at another one of our guys and his coach takes him out. The kid never could get it over in the minors and never appeared in a big league game.

Posted by: Bandit at February 27, 2008 12:59 PM

wagner is done. he has zero control of his slider and his fastball is so straight that when it's not at or near 100 he's cake.

be afraid mets fans... pat burrell's gonna say hi to billy again this year.

Posted by: Tim at February 27, 2008 04:24 PM

You are right, maybe we swap him for Lidge straight up?

Posted by: abe at February 27, 2008 04:42 PM

Wagner is an ass for criticizing a college player. It was a bizarre time to bunt, for sure, but why call him out like that? Talk to him on the side, don't embarrass him.

And I'm a Mets fan.

Posted by: JC at February 27, 2008 07:14 PM

That is just a plain bizarre reaction from Billy Wagner. It's hard to even guess at his rationale for why it is wrong for a college player to bunt against him. Billy surely isn't above needing to practice fielding bunts, is he? I can understand (though perhaps not agree with) Brenly's anger when a bunt breaks up a no hitter. But why should Wagner care if someone bunts in an exhibition game?

Posted by: C Johnson at February 27, 2008 09:55 PM

Sandy Koufax is in Mets camp this year. Billy Wagner is trying to learn a curveball now. I guess bunting college kids wasn't on the docket. Relax Billy, save some of that venom for the Phillies....okay? (dumb college kid!)

Posted by: Leco at February 28, 2008 10:00 PM
Post a comment









Remember personal info?