The Best Bunters Learn the Skill? Or are Born That Way?

Posted in Uncategorized by Flavor on March 4, 2012

Does anyone actually care about the answer?

Last night, Michael posted an interesting stat about bunting for a base hit and the associated batting average. I think we were all surprised at how high those batting averages were.

2011 best bunters:

Here were the 2011 best sac bunters:

Check out Livan. 15 for 15. Now THAT is gettin’ it done, baby.

Find anything interesting about this list of the 2010 Best bunters?:

We plucked a dude batting .706 off the waiver wire. What a pick up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

33 comments

33 Responses

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Bozo said, on March 4, 2012 at 7:21 am

My man Blanco, now you’re talkin’. Not to shabby from our angel in the outfield either.
- Big flavor said, on March 4, 2012 at 7:27 am
  
  When I saw that list I laughed and thought you’d dig it. But seriously, like you could get any MORE on the Blanco train, right clown? Lol
  - Bozo said, on March 4, 2012 at 8:32 am
    
    He’s my guy. We went all out on old Gregor and I expect a breakout year from the kid.
Alleykat said, on March 4, 2012 at 8:22 am

Wow we can start the “Blanco Bunt Gang”
Nipper said, on March 4, 2012 at 9:13 am

No to bunting. I want three-run homeruns!
twinfan1 said, on March 4, 2012 at 9:14 am

Another interesting thing about the list, and I’ll use the 2011 list- most of these guys really aren’t very good. And it would appear that Gregor will be performing his magic in Fresno.
- Bozo said, on March 4, 2012 at 9:23 am
  
  He got a promotion? I thought I might see him in Richmond when I go in July.
- twinfan1 said, on March 4, 2012 at 10:10 am
  
  That’s not to say it wouldn’t help a guy like Burriss. But if it’s an easy skill to learn, why wouldn’t they have tried to teach him? Bochy has issues, as all smart managers do, with overuse of the sac bunt,but not bunting for a hit. There seem to be a lot of things that Bochy does or doesn’t do which cannot be explained. Why would he not want Burriss to improve himself and the team by becoming adept at the drag bunt? Is it a childhood thing? Or was he whacked with an errant bat during a bunt attempt in his playing days? Surely someone has a reasonable explanatiion as to why he doesn’t want Burriss to better himself.
twinfan1 said, on March 4, 2012 at 9:28 am

Well, I’m sure you’ll see a bunch of guys who can’t hit, Bozo.
- Bozo said, on March 4, 2012 at 10:03 am
  
  I guess that’s why their motto is Go Nuts. Speaking of the Squirrels, I see they’re trying to get a new stadium built downtown. I guess the business of baseball is the same no matter what league your in.
  - Nipper said, on March 4, 2012 at 12:24 pm
    
    I can see squirrels for free …….
  - Bozo said, on March 4, 2012 at 5:27 pm
    
    But who drives the van?
blade3coloradoblade3colorado said, on March 4, 2012 at 10:44 am

Flav, in answer to your question from yesterday, I’m at the airport, waiting to catch a flight out of Ecuador back to Panama city. On Tuesday, I head back to Denver – stay there for about a month – then off to SF bay area (watching my Mom’s house for a month, while her and my step dad go on a cruise to Europe).

If you want to get together for the beverage of your choice or catch a game, give me a shout.

🙂
- Big flavor said, on March 4, 2012 at 12:35 pm
  
  Absolutely. Dirt is just moving back to bay area from Reno. I smell “flappalooza 2.0” some time during your stay.
twinfan1 said, on March 4, 2012 at 12:56 pm

So what happened with Blanco? I’m not finding anything on injuries yet he had a pretty good year for KC in 2010 but ended up in the minors last year, hitting .201…
- Flavor said, on March 4, 2012 at 1:06 pm
  
  plus, don’t forget, he can bunt his ass off…….
  - twinfan1 said, on March 4, 2012 at 1:47 pm
    
    It doesn’t seem to be helping him hold a job…
- Bozo said, on March 4, 2012 at 5:52 pm
  
  All I know is the Giants had a lot of OFers to choose from and they went with Gregor. Sabes has proven me wrong so many times that I’m hoping this is one of those times. Plus I railed on the Giants for picking him up so I gotta root for the guy.I actually like it when management proves me wrong, hell I’m still pulling for Happy Pete to get it together (well, I guess getting a ring and being a WS hero for the Phils, I can stop pulling for Pedro).
  - twinfan1 said, on March 4, 2012 at 8:57 pm
    
    Well, he’ll probably have to beat out Pill for a job.
zumie said, on March 4, 2012 at 3:32 pm

A DeRosa sighting. He got a single for the Nationals today.
- snarkk said, on March 4, 2012 at 4:49 pm
  
  I’d rather have a DeRosa wife sighting…
Flavor said, on March 4, 2012 at 6:39 pm

Whew. Just finished my first draft of the year. 12 teams, 30 rounds. It took 3 and a half hours which is about 30 minutes too long.
Barring some fascinating Giants news that I’ve missed in the last 3.5 hrs, tomorrow’s thread will be my 30 draft picks and the reasons I drafted them when I did.
Not interesting to all, but certainly some core flap vets who are participating in our league will be interested…….
snarkk said, on March 4, 2012 at 7:24 pm

Ishi played for the Brewers today in Marryvale against the Giants’ split squad. Minor league deal…
unca_chuck said, on March 4, 2012 at 7:42 pm

Speaking of bunting, the most confoundng to me was Geno. The dude was hitting 1st base from the left side in 2.5 seconds. a 25′ bunt down the 3rd base line, he’d be on 95% of the time.
twinfan1 said, on March 4, 2012 at 8:06 pm

Speed is not essential for successful bunting, Renteria was probably our best when he was here (38 for 67 career). Winn was good also(33 for 63). Royce Clayton 49-100. Durham 36-88. Dave Roberts 71-187. Vizquel 127-213.
- Flavor said, on March 4, 2012 at 8:25 pm
  
  career year shit? Blah. Completely ignore-able stats when you are projecting the upcoming season…
  - twinfan1 said, on March 4, 2012 at 8:45 pm
    
    WTF are you talking about? All I gave was career bunting numbers for some guys who have been Giants. I didn’t project anything.
- twinfan1 said, on March 4, 2012 at 8:51 pm
  
  if i *WERE* projecting bunt hits for this team, I’d say the leader might have 3 and that’s because the third baseman fell down on one…
Del Mar Dennis said, on March 4, 2012 at 8:10 pm

We are the Giants. You know. The World Series Champs from 2010. Bunters? We ain’t got no bunters. We don’t need any bunters. I don’t have to show you any stinkin’ bunters.
twinfan1 said, on March 4, 2012 at 9:10 pm

I forgot Pagan. So who will get more- Pagan or Revere? And will Angel have more bunt hits than errors?
zumie said, on March 4, 2012 at 10:09 pm

I can’t remember if this has been mentioned….the Giants/Brewers game is on the MLB network tomorrow night.
Macdog said, on March 4, 2012 at 10:13 pm

All I know is that Aubrey Huff is a career 1-for-1 bunting.
unca chuck said, on March 4, 2012 at 10:35 pm

Apropos of nothing, Joe Ayoob ex-Cal QB, threw a paper airplane a world record 226 feet at McClellan AFB . . .