Buck's Worst Move

[Mackus]

How do you let Izturis bat in that situation? Expanded rosters and you let the single worst hitter in the entire league (by a mile) bat with the tying runs in scoring position?

We've been (justifiably) slow to criticize Buck since he's come here, but the way he managed in the 9th tonight was completely indefensible, IMO.

[Steve I]

How do you let Izturis bat in that situation? Expanded rosters and you let the single worst hitter in the entire league (by a mile) bat with the tying runs in scoring position?

We've been (justifiably) slow to criticize Buck since he's come here, but the way he managed in the 9th tonight was completely indefensible, IMO.

Completely agree, you sacrifice to move 2 runners into scoring position and you send up your worst hitter, perhaps the worst hitter in MLB.

[clapdiddy]

I asked this in the game thread, but is Patterson hurt? Is that why he bunted? If you're going to let Bell hit, why not let Reimold hit? He gave up his 7 hitter to let his 8 and 9 hitters hit. I don't get it.

[Steel Curtain]

People will mention the lack of better options - Fox, Andino, Tatum, and Snyder - but I'd take any of them over Izturis.

[Frobby]

There weren't any good options. But I might have let Reimold hit (and maybe bunt anyway), and saved CPat to hit for Izturis.

[JTrea81]

Not to make excuses but there's been talk that the Orioles might want Izturis back. Buck may have wanted to make a point.

Hopefully tonight put an end to that idea if it did exist...

Ditto for Bell. If he can't come up with a hit in that situation, he may not deserve that 3B job.

[BRob51]

How do you let Izturis bat in that situation? Expanded rosters and you let the single worst hitter in the entire league (by a mile) bat with the tying runs in scoring position?

We've been (justifiably) slow to criticize Buck since he's come here, but the way he managed in the 9th tonight was completely indefensible, IMO.

I liked the bunt, I liked Bell hitting. But keeping Cesar in inexcusable. I would stay on the game to listen to the presser, but I'm pretty mad and I'd rather watch the last two minutes of Panthers preseason.

[SteveA]

Agree. You can't let Izturis bat with the game on the line.

[Mackus]

perhaps the worst hitter in MLB.

No perhaps about it. He's got a .539 OPS. Next worst in all of MLB is a .605 among qualified players. He's the worst by a mile.

[Crazysilver03]

There weren't any good options. But I might have let Reimold hit (and maybe bunt anyway), and saved CPat to hit for Izturis.

We don't know if Patterson was healthy enough to actually go for an at-bat.

[Crazysilver03]

Not to make excuses but there's been talk that the Orioles might want Izturis back. Buck may have wanted to make a point.

Hopefully tonight put an end to that idea if it did exist...

Where is this said talk?

[Mooreisbetter27]

I agree 100%. I was saying the same thing aloud to myself and then posted it in another board.

Worst move Buck has made all year by far. You don't leave the game in the hands of the worst hitter in all of baseball followed by a VERY struggling rookie. Just awful awful move.

[adamwolff11]

Terrible, terrible, terrible decision.

Izturis is one of the worst hitters in the majors. Under no circumstances does he bat in the 9th inning in a clutch situation. Sorry Buck, but you really, really screwed that one up.

If DT did this, we'd be flipping, so I think we should show that we aren't idiots and show the same reaction to Buck. I've agreed with nearly everything Buck has done to this point, but that 9th inning management was very, very subpar.

I know every one of us was saying, whatever you do, make sure Izturis doesn't bat. So let's pinch hit Reimold, who if nothing else is going to have a good AB, for Patterson, another better hitter than Izturis, to bunt, to let Izzy hit? That's a joke. I guess maybe we've painted Buck into this amazing light where he doesn't screw up and he's always ahead of the game, but EVERYONE who's watched Orioles baseball knew Izturis was nothing against Papelbon.

[NCRaven]

Using a pinch hitter to give up an out with a sacrifice bunt was easily Buck's worst move, especially with Izturis and Bell coming up. If you're going to pinch hit Patterson for Reimold, let him hit away. I don't get the strategy here at all and nothing he says is going to change that.

[Crazysilver03]

Using a pinch hitter to give up an out with a sacrifice bunt was easily Buck's worst move, especially with Izturis and Bell coming up. If you're going to pinch hit Patterson for Reimold, let him hit away. I don't get the strategy here at all and nothing he says is going to change that.

Not if he trusts Patterson to put down a better bunt and Patterson isn't healthy enough to have a real at-bat.