I don't know why you wouldn't want to give credit for a hit, no matter how "wimpy" it was. A duckfart into no-mans land in the outfield counts the same as a line drive single. It counts the same as a bunt against the shift.
Phil wants to get back to small-ball, he summarizes in his OP. Which seems to be contradictory to the Little Phil bit. He'd rather see 8 singles instead of two homers. MLB agrees with the Little Phil, no more wimpy hits. But Little Phil was, according to big Phil,...wrong. Big Phil wants to see small ball. Big Phil now wants to see wimpy hits...as he said, he'd rather see 8 singles instead of two homers. He wants to get back to that and doesn't understand why we aren't.
Let's not forget that MLB instituted a rule last year and carried it over to this year where a runner starts on 2nd base to start extra innings...which sets you up for small ball. A runner on 2nd, no outs, you sacrifice bunt that runner to 3rd and now all you need is a long fly for the sac fly walkoff. The new rule is absolutely designed to bring small ball back.