True/False? Small-ball develops better baseball fundamentals, including defensive.

#26
#26
There are times it can be very useful. Love a good squeeze play . Never ask players to bunt very much. Won a state tournament game 1 - 0 seventh inning squeeze. The right base runner and the right guy bunting.
OldTimer said:
ever since CTV's tenure at Tennessee, he doesn't necessarily believe in advancing runners with a bunt, he's been able to rely on power, and the SEC is a power league. It's hard to argue with his philosophy or the philosophy of the vast majority of SEC teams.

But to answer your question, small ball probably does develop better fundamentals, and practicing does make the defense better. Over the last several years we have not defended the bunt very well. However, it really hasn't hurt us as a team.
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T
 
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#27
#27
Small ball as an approach ... is short sighted and affirms to the team that they are not a great team. (IMHO) That your team is looking to manufacture runs in order to win games.
Philosophically, I do not buy it. I think it creates a 'defensive' mentality in players. I want attack, I want to punish the ball for crossing into my space.
I was historically, one of the better bunters on the team and was more than willing to bunt and never once regretted doing my job for the coaches call.
We practiced bunting a lot, but I felt like MOST of the players were never trying to develop it as a skill. They went through the motions because it was a required part of practice.
I would never call for a bunt, if the player at the plate was not good at it!!!
A slow roller a foot off the line or a push bunt by the pitcher so the corners can't get it. It is a skill that requires knowing the abilities and speed of the defense on the field AND behind the plate ... it is not simply square up and bunt it.
Really good bunters NEVER pop up and they NEVER put down a poor bunt.
Bottom of the tenth, scoreless game. One out, a fast man on third, and a great bunter at the plate. That would be an opportune time to bunt, if the other team gives you the opportunity?!?! IMO that is not really small ball, that is taking advantage of your best chance to end the game.
 
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#28
#28
SN-A-C Orange said:
Small ball as an approach ... is short sighted and affirms to the team that they are not a great team. (IMHO) That your team is looking to manufacture runs in order to win games.
Philosophically, I do not buy it. I think it creates a 'defensive' mentality in players. I want attack, I want to punish the ball for crossing into my space.
I was historically, one of the better bunters on the team and was more than willing to bunt and never once regretted doing my job for the coaches call.
We practiced bunting a lot, but I felt like MOST of the players were never trying to develop it as a skill. They went through the motions because it was a required part of practice.
I would never call for a bunt, if the player at the plate was not good at it!!!
A slow roller a foot off the line or a push bunt by the pitcher so the corners can't get it. It is a skill that requires knowing the abilities and speed of the defense on the field AND behind the plate ... it is not simply square up and bunt it.
Really good bunters NEVER pop up and they NEVER put down a poor bunt.
Bottom of the tenth, scoreless game. One out, a fast man on third, and a great bunter at the plate. That would be an opportune time to bunt, if the other team gives you the opportunity?!?! IMO that is not really small ball, that is taking advantage of your best chance to end the game.
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I think @txbo may even agree with this circumstance.
 
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#29
#29
The game has changed. At the MLB level, the Braves successfully completed 1 sac bunt in 2022 and that occurred in game 161. They almost completed a regular season with zero sac bunts. The leaderboard for the least number of sac bunts by a team in MLB history shows that the top ten all occurred in the last five years and six of those ten happened in 2022.
 
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#30
#30
VolsFan-TX said:
The game has changed. At the MLB level, the Braves successfully completed 1 sac bunt in 2022 and that occurred in game 161. They almost completed a regular season with zero sac bunts. The leaderboard for the least number of sac bunts by a team in MLB history shows that the top ten all occurred in the last five years and six of those ten happened in 2022.
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Interesting stat. I'm going to guess that modern analytics discourage the practice.
 
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#31
#31
BruisedOrange said:
Debate amongst yourselves.

On the surface, it seems obvious to me that it would, but all my life I've only thought analytically about the sports I played: football and basketball.

I got hooked on Vols baseball last season because I could listen to the games on radio while I was packing and emptying two houses for a move. BaseVols home run production generated some much appreciated adrenaline!

So I'm only provoking this debate to learn more about the game.
(...more than how big a dong you need to wear a fur coat in warm weather.)
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Dunno, but I'd like us to be proficient at both because we'll need it to get to Omaha. While it may seem like it, we.dont have the market cornered on good pitching. Sooner or later, you'll need to manufacture runs the hard way.
 
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#32
#32
CAVPUT said:
Dunno, but I'd like us to be proficient at both because we'll need it to get to Omaha. While it may seem like it, we.dont have the market cornered on good pitching. Sooner or later, you'll need to manufacture runs the hard way.
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Reddick was proficient at bunting but not a big fan. He caught the media wave, but later hit one in the 2017 WS.
 
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#33
#33
BruisedOrange said:
Debate amongst yourselves.

On the surface, it seems obvious to me that it would, but all my life I've only thought analytically about the sports I played: football and basketball.

I got hooked on Vols baseball last season because I could listen to the games on radio while I was packing and emptying two houses for a move. BaseVols home run production generated some much appreciated adrenaline!

So I'm only provoking this debate to learn more about the game.
(...more than how big a dong you need to wear a fur coat in warm weather.)
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In the modern game, I'm not sure bunting is even still considered a fundamental. High school and down? Yes. College and up? Certainly debatable.
 
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#36
#36
I think showing opponents that you CAN do it is of some value, forcing them to cover it in the scout. I also think, when the bats are cold, a successful bunt can provide a spark. CTV has actually brought that up a couple times. But yeah, as an overall offensive philosophy, in the SEC, nah.
 
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#38
#38
txbo said:
Well that's not the same thing.

Let me put it this way. In the SEC today, if your offensive approach is a west coast small ball philosophy, you're not going to get a chance to use it in the post season. Hell you may not get to use it in Hoover.
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We got proof of that.
 
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#43
#43
I loved small ball as a kid, I was a big Dodger fan when Kofax and Drysdale were on the staff. Dodgers would get Wills on, steal a base, sac twice and have a run. They'd do that about twice a game. So the pressure was on the pitching staff to keep opponents to 1 run or less.

Now I think the ball parks are smaller, players are probably stronger and hit the ball further. Lot's more long balls. Pitching staffs no longer even try to go 9 innings. Lots more strategy in the bullpen. I think it may be a lot more difficult to win at a high percentage with small ball these days. I just think it is to easy for two or three balls to leave the ball park in todays game.

So I think the margin for error is very difficult with small ball.
 
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#45
#45
I know things vacillate back and forth in baseball and small ball vs long ball is a great discussion. But…back in the 80’s there was nothing prettier than Whitey ball (Whitey Herzog reference of course) when a bunt and stolen base with a hit scored a run from second. BUT…his team was riddled with future HOFers so small ball is a whole bunch easier when you have superior athletes. PLUS…small ball works much better when your pitching staff has a low ERA. I personally must admit I often times miss the intellectual strategy of small ball verses the high strike out and boom game. But that’s just me.
 
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#46
#46
tennrich1 said:
I know things vacillate back and forth in baseball and small ball vs long ball is a great discussion. But…back in the 80’s there was nothing pretty than Whitey ball (Whitey Herzog reference of course) when a bunt and stolen base with a hit scored a run from second. BUT…his team was riddled with future HOFers so small ball is a whole bunch easier when you have superior athletes. PLUS…small ball works much better when your pitching staff has a low ERA. I personally must admit I often times miss the intellectual strategy of small ball verses the high strike out and boom game. But that’s just me.
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This brought to mind the shift in philosophy within Neyland the past two years. An offensive focus due to available talent, scheme and tempo execution away from defense due to portal drain of talent. Ya play with the nine ya got. If we had a Bradfield or two, I may feel differently.
 
#50
#50
Walk takes more skill, hitting a single or getting a walk?
 
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