Nick Hasn't Bunted Since 2007?

[CA-ORIOLE]

Do you really train as often and as thoroughly for rarely-used procedures as you do for ones you might use daily or weekly?

Perfectly valid question. My perspective is from the military. Obviously that type of environment iisn't practical in most cases. I have just seen people respond efficiently in highly complex and stressful situations with no practical experience fairly regularly. The training just kicks in. Maybe one of the fireman or policemen could chime in with their perspective. I guess it's a matter if what processes are prioritized in the training program.

[DrungoHazewood]

I honestly don't know why there are so many people on here defending the fact that Nick may not practice a basic skill of baseball simply because he doesn't use it that much. This is his job that he gets paid very well to do.

I honestly have no idea why there are so many people here who think a player should be proficient in a skill that he's rarely or never called upon to execute.

I honestly have no idea why that should have anything to do with salary. Should Atlantic League players not be called on to bunt because they make $1500 a month? Should Albert Pujols be the best bunter in history?

I honestly have no idea why you think Nick is a terrible bunter, since he's not even attempted a bunt in years. Nor do I understand how you have so much insight into how often he practices bunting.

[jjnono]

Bunting is not a key to the Orioles' offense. Home runs are. Oh wait, Nick doesn't have that skill, either...

[Redskins Rick]

Bunting is not a key to the Orioles' offense. Home runs are. Oh wait, Nick doesn't have that skill, either...

Do you have either at the big league level?

[DrungoHazewood]

I just saw a situation last night where a bunt was the best play for the team and he didn't do it.

That's far from a given.

If you look at the average 2013 run expectancy chart you see:

With 1st and 2nd occupied and zero outs an average team scores 1.42 runs that inning.

If Nick successfully sacrificed that turns into 2nd/3rd with one out. And average team scores 1.28 runs in that situation. So the expected runs scored went down after a successful sacrifice.

Except that you can't expect anyone to successfully sacrifice 100% of the time, especially when they're not commonly called upon to do this. Let's say there was a 75% chance of a sac bunt, a 10% chance of popping out, a 10% chance of bunting into a DP, and a 5% chance of Nick reaching on a hit/error. You can quibble with those percentages, but I don't think it's terribly important. So... that 1.29 is probably optimistic considering all of the possible outcomes.

The only way I can see defending a sac bunt there is the idea that the O's really, really would have benefited from a single additional run. I think it was justifiable, and backed by evidence, that swinging away was a good idea.

[centralpaosfan]

I honestly have no idea why there are so many people here who think a player should be proficient in a skill that he's rarely or never called upon to execute.

I honestly have no idea why that should have anything to do with salary. Should Atlantic League players not be called on to bunt because they make $1500 a month? Should Albert Pujols be the best bunter in history?

I honestly have no idea why you think Nick is a terrible bunter, since he's not even attempted a bunt in years. Nor do I understand how you have so much insight into how often he practices bunting.

1. So your stance is that it's ok for a professional, one of the 750 best players in the world, not to be at least proficient at a basic baseball skill?

2. It absolutely has a connection with salary. I don't think it is asking a lot of someone to possess the basic skills of the game they are getting paid very well for. The Atlantic league player is still learning his skills and thus doesn't make the money someone who is expected to have those skills mastered or at least proficient at. Would you expect the same level of care from a doctor making $1500 a month than one who is making 1,279,000 a month?

3. I never made the claim that Nick is a terrible bunter. I think common sense tells you that if someone is never asked or attempts to bunt in 6 years that they are not very good at it.

[CA-ORIOLE]

1. So your stance is that it's ok for a professional, one of the 750 best players in the world, not to be at least proficient at a basic baseball skill?

.

Good hitters shouldn't be sacrafice bunting therefore it is not really a basic skill. If he's so bad that we have to have him start sacrafice bunting he really shouldn't be playing.

[Frobby]

That's far from a given.

If you look at the average 2013 run expectancy chart you see:

With 1st and 2nd occupied and zero outs an average team scores 1.42 runs that inning.

If Nick successfully sacrificed that turns into 2nd/3rd with one out. And average team scores 1.28 runs in that situation. So the expected runs scored went down after a successful sacrifice.

Except that you can't expect anyone to successfully sacrifice 100% of the time, especially when they're not commonly called upon to do this. Let's say there was a 75% chance of a sac bunt, a 10% chance of popping out, a 10% chance of bunting into a DP, and a 5% chance of Nick reaching on a hit/error. You can quibble with those percentages, but I don't think it's terribly important. So... that 1.29 is probably optimistic considering all of the possible outcomes.

The only way I can see defending a sac bunt there is the idea that the O's really, really would have benefited from a single additional run. I think it was justifiable, and backed by evidence, that swinging away was a good idea.

Add to that the fact that Nick was 3-3 in this game, and we had a 2-run lead already.

[El Gordo]

Ok.....That is a valid point. I guess my next question would be why not? I find it hard to believe that in 6 years there hasn't ever been a situation where a bunt was the best play for the team when he was up to bat. I just saw a situation last night where a bunt was the best play for the team and he didn't do it.

Nick has been a middle order bat, until this year. How often do you see middle order bats asked to bunt with RISP? Why is this so hard? Yeah he's been bad this season, so maybe Buck should have asked him to bunt more but, I'd be surprised if Nick wasn't one of the better bunters on the team

[NJ BIRD FAN]

I honestly have no idea why there are so many people here who think a player should be proficient in a skill that he's rarely or never called upon to execute.

I honestly have no idea why that should have anything to do with salary. Should Atlantic League players not be called on to bunt because they make $1500 a month? Should Albert Pujols be the best bunter in history?

I honestly have no idea why you think Nick is a terrible bunter, since he's not even attempted a bunt in years. Nor do I understand how you have so much insight into how often he practices bunting.

It's a chicken and egg thing really. It is possible that Nick isn't asked to bunt because he is not good at it. Maybe his lack of bunting ability takes that move out of the managers hand, if he decided to go that route. I don't know if he is a good bunter or not. But you cannot assume that if he is not asked to bunt it is always the move the manager wanted to make. I will say this, the type of player that Nick has become SHOULD know how to bunt and bunt well.

[fearthenoodle]

I just saw a situation last night where a bunt was the best play for the team and he didn't do it.

I would disagree, pretty vehemently with that.

[NJ BIRD FAN]

Good hitters shouldn't be sacrafice bunting therefore it is not really a basic skill. If he's so bad that we have to have him start sacrafice bunting he really shouldn't be playing.[/QUOT

Of course it is a skill set. Does this mean that if Nate sac bunts he shouldn't be playing? I have seen Adam Jones bunt for hits, not sure if he has sac bunted. It is a basic skill set and Nick should know how to do it.

[fearthenoodle]

BTW, Nick had a bunt basehit in 2011 (2nd of his career).

[DrungoHazewood]

1. So your stance is that it's ok for a professional, one of the 750 best players in the world, not to be at least proficient at a basic baseball skill?

Yes. Every single lineup ever fielded (ok I exaggerate, but only by a little) has players in it who are not proficient in one or more basic baseball skills. There have been any number of players who were terrible at one or more skills who were among the most valuable players in the league. Miguel Cabrera has certainly cost his teams more runs with his fielding adventures than Nick has by not bunting. Adam Dunn is a fielder and a baserunner about on par with guys in a church softball league, but has other skills that (mostly) make up for that. As far as I know, almost the entire All Star pitching staff has no idea how to bunt, play shortstop, steal a base, frame a pitch. There are LOOGYs and submarine relievers who may not have made it out of the Appy League if removed from their very specific roles. Adam Jones is a marginal MVP candidate despite having plate discipline that Nate Spears would laugh at.

2. It absolutely has a connection with salary. I don't think it is asking a lot of someone to possess the basic skills of the game they are getting paid very well for. The Atlantic league player is still learning his skills and thus doesn't make the money someone who is expected to have those skills mastered or at least proficient at. Would you expect the same level of care from a doctor making $1500 a month than one who is making 1,279,000 a month?

It has zero connection to salary, which is based on overall ability to contribute to a team. Cliff Lee is making $25M a year, and he can't play the outfield at all.

And I wouldn't even go to a doctor making $1500 a month, not unless he's performing ridiculously simple work or I'm in a third world country.

Would you ask a brain surgeon to reconstruct your ACL? If he's making a lot of money shouldn't he be able to? Would you ask your well-compensated dentist to give you Tommy John surgery? Can you podiatrist diagnose that red patch on your neck?

3. I never made the claim that Nick is a terrible bunter. I think common sense tells you that if someone is never asked or attempts to bunt in 6 years that they are not very good at it.

I think common sense tells you that if someone is never asked to do something there could be a wide variety of reasons. Most likely in this case is that you don't ask productive hitters to do unproductive things. Nick is in the lineup to hit and field and get on base and throw people out on the bases, not to give the other team outs. He has been selected for those skills, and not for nearly useless ones, much like pitchers may or may not be able to hit - no one cares, and most of the time no one even bothers to check.

[El Gordo]

Good hitters shouldn't be sacrafice bunting therefore it is not really a basic skill. If he's so bad that we have to have him start sacrafice bunting he really shouldn't be playing.[/QUOT

Of course it is a skill set. Does this mean that if Nate sac bunts he shouldn't be playing? I have seen Adam Jones bunt for hits, not sure if he has sac bunted. It is a basic skill set and Nick should know how to do it.

Speed guys like Roberts, Nate, and AJ, bunt as a part of their game. Not the same thing as with Nick who would most likely just sac. bunt.