In the 8th with runners on third and first and one out, and Birk at the plate, why didn't we bunt home the third run to tie the game? It would have left a runner at second with two out with a chance to go ahead. Missouri used that kind of ball to take the lead. Won't it work for us???

I really hope this is sarcasm

Told the Ag sitting next to me that was exactly what I would call.

Different offensive strategy. We played that way under SawDog and everyone complained then too.

quote:

---

I really hope this is sarcasm

---

I really hope this is ^

With the way Birk is struggling, a safety squeeze was absolutely what should have happened.

Baseball is a game of situations. Birk's last AB should have been used as a safety squeeze to score the tyiing run for AGGIES. Missed opportunity plain and simple. It is done, move on, get the win tomorrow.

The amount of *****ing and moaning that went on for playing too much small ball the last several years, and now we have complaining because we didn't try a squeeze. Birk struggled, but he was still putting the ball in play. Just wasn't able to get the fly ball deep enough. It happens sometimes. Acting like the safety squeeze was obviously the right decision and that anything else was wrong is ridiculous.

Safety squeeze woulda been good

MU did it pretty well

Although not hitting for average of late, Birk handles the bat pretty well. Squeeze play crossed my mind. But I wouldve let him swing away too. Williams was getting hit around a little bit.

But small ball just doesn't work in the SEC . . .

Said RC's critics the past couple of seasons. The man is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.

The safety squeeze would have been perfect in that situation. Especially with birk struggling.

I think most knowledgeable RC critics don't like the sac bunts before the late innings. Playing for a run or two in the 8th and 9th is way different than in the 1-6th

quote:

---

The safety squeeze would have been perfect in that situation. Especially with birk struggling.

I think most knowledgeable RC critics don't like the sac bunts before the late innings. Playing for a run or two in the 8th and 9th is way different than in the 1-6th

---

This. A situational safety squeeze yesterday has nothing to do with A&M being a "small baseball team" the last few years, even though we weren't very good at it

We didn't do it yesterday. One of those things. Move on and get the series today.

The conversation isn't long ball vs small ball it is understanding the exact situation and playing whatever ball is necessary that gives the highest probability to score. With a man on 3rd and 1 out down 3-2 bunt is the play.

quote:

---

quote:

---

Safety squeeze woulda been good

---

Yeah, good if executed. If not, the same folks would be on here screaming to high heaven "why didn't we just hit a sac fly to tie the game?!?"

---

failed bunt attempt is better than a K, imo.

quote:

---

quote:

---

Safety squeeze woulda been good

---

Yeah, good if executed. If not, the same folks would be on here screaming to high heaven "why didn't we just hit a sac fly to tie the game?!?"

---

I doubt it

And I reviewed the thread and nobody who disagreed with yesterday's call brought up Childress, so I don't know what yall are squawking about

it was a situation where a squeeze probably was the right call, whether it worked or not

That has nothing to do with trying to dink your way around the basepaths for innings, or 56 games

Small ball was maddening for 2 years because
1. We weren't all that good at it, and
2. Even when we got guys on base, we couldn't coach our way out of a paper sack

But that was then. Rob has shifted, and now has a good coach on 3rd base.

Rob's doing a great job this year

We can celebrate that while at the same time aknowledging that we probably should have ran that play differently, and it probably cost us

nm

My personal technique is not to squeeze or safety squeeze with a left handed batter. The catcher can see the runner from third coming in. Birk just didn't get it deep enough. Furthermore, Mizz played outstanding defense and we didn't.

Not counting the home run by Banks, we got 11 hits and only one run. However, 26-2 sounds good to me. Let's show up today and win the series.

I think people saying "you complained about small ball" are completely ignoring the situation. If that runner on third does not get home, the game is over. That's exactly what happened. That's not small ball, that's staying alive in the game.

Small ball is safety squeezing in the 4th inning.

I saw on another thread that Birk hadn't even attempted a bunt in a year and a third. You guys are crazy with the failed bunt better than a K or failed pop up. A bad bunt could be a double play and the game is over. We had another AB.

That batter. One out. Down 1. Winning run on first. Hitting away was a good call.

I put in a thread yesterday....Birk literally hasn't put down a sac bunt in his career at A&M. That would be a hell of a time to ask him to get his first one (or place one down the line that the pitcher can't field), considering there's probably a reason he hasn't been asked to do it before. The alternative is to ask McLendon to do it, but subbing him there for Birk lets everyone in the park know exactly what you're doing.

Birk isn't a huge strikeout threat, so it wasn't a crazy idea that he'd put it somewhere to get the run in. Just didn't happen.

quote:

---

quote:

---

quote:

---

Safety squeeze woulda been good

---

Yeah, good if executed. If not, the same folks would be on here screaming to high heaven "why didn't we just hit a sac fly to tie the game?!?"

---

failed bunt attempt is better than a K, imo.

---

With one out? Not so fast. If you K, at least you know you've kept the guy at 3rd base with an opportunity to try again to get him home during the next at bat.

If you lay down a **** bunt and get the guy thrown out at home, or they somehow turn a double play...you've just killed yourself.

quote:

---

I put in a thread yesterday....Birk literally hasn't put down a sac bunt in his career at A&M. That would be a hell of a time to ask him to get his first one, considering there's probably a reason he hasn't been asked to do it before. The alternative is to ask McLendon to do it, but subbing him there for Birk lets everyone in the park know exactly what you're doing.

Birk isn't a huge strikeout threat, so it wasn't a crazy idea that he'd put it somewhere to get the run in. Just didn't happen.

---

Good point

quote:

---

quote:

---

quote:

---

quote:

---

Safety squeeze woulda been good

---

Yeah, good if executed. If not, the same folks would be on here screaming to high heaven "why didn't we just hit a sac fly to tie the game?!?"

---

failed bunt attempt is better than a K, imo.

---

With one out? Not so fast. If you K, at least you know you've kept the guy at 3rd base with an opportunity to try again to get him home during the next at bat.

If you lay down a **** bunt and get the guy thrown out at home, or they somehow turn a double play...you've just killed yourself.

---

runner at third can see the effectiveness of the bunt before breaking.

quote:

---

quote:

---

quote:

---

quote:

---

quote:

---

Safety squeeze woulda been good

---

Yeah, good if executed. If not, the same folks would be on here screaming to high heaven "why didn't we just hit a sac fly to tie the game?!?"

---

failed bunt attempt is better than a K, imo.

---

With one out? Not so fast. If you K, at least you know you've kept the guy at 3rd base with an opportunity to try again to get him home during the next at bat.

If you lay down a **** bunt and get the guy thrown out at home, or they somehow turn a double play...you've just killed yourself.

---

runner at third can see the effectiveness of the bunt before breaking.

---

And he can conceivably get it wrong. Maybe you take the risk (there is risk to every decision made) but I'd rather see him strike out than us screw up the bunt attempt.

Maybe you still think the bunt is worth the risk, and that's fine.

(Or in the case of a guy at first, they get the double play via two force outs even though the guy at 3rd saw it was a **** bunt.)

With a safety the worst case scenario there would be men on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs. I don't think it was an egregious mistake, but with the day birk had had and Nau's recent struggles I think it would have been the right call.

I could go either way on the ninth inning strategy (or lack thereof). However, sacrificing an out to move a runner to third base in the 3rd inning is what I don't like.

With runners on the corners, worst case scenario is a double play. No outs and the squeeze is correct absolutely. Game on the line and no experience at the plate - hit away.

I guess that's possible, but i would think the odds of ground ball double play would be higher than however you're invisioning the safety double play. The safety double play would take combining a crap bunt, good defensive play, and a horrible base running mistake. While a ground ball double play would just take a ball hit at someone.

Oh well it's over, it wasn't a terrible decision. It is fun to debate it though

quote:

---

With runners on the corners, worst case scenario is a double play. No outs and the squeeze is correct absolutely. Game on the line and no experience at the plate - hit away.

---

Pretty sure there was one out.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! I love TexAgs..

Ain't it great, Shane?