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Calhoun and Bunting


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I've been reading a lot about Kole bunting in order to offset the shift, to break out of the slump, etc. I wonder if this was discussed in management and they decided against it because this may cause "bad " habits or maybe even worsen his current problem. Any credence to this idea?

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3 minutes ago, Torridd said:

I've been reading a lot about Kole bunting in order to offset the shift, to break out of the slump, etc. I wonder if this was discussed in management and they decided against it because this may cause "bad " habits or maybe even worsen his current problem. Any credence to this idea?

I don't know what bad habits someone can get from bunting.  If anything it would give Kole a little confidence by doing something productive, and hopefully decrease the amount he's shifted on.  But I think the biggest of these would be to gain confidence.   He needs to do something positive pretty soon. 

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1 minute ago, OHTANILAND said:

Bunting to break out of a slump is a myth. He would be better off signing up for the Home Run Derby to get his swing back. 

but maybe it is not so much a slump but this is the new Kole Calhoun? Ever since teams have shifted on him he just keeps getting worse. A slump to me is a couple of weeks maybe a month or two. He has been going on a downward trajectory for a few years now.

 

Like Jordan said he really just needs to start producing to help the team and not hurt the team. I don't care if he wants to bunt for singles or jump in front of a 95 mile an hour fastball and take a bean for the team. The biggest thing with the bunting is it would remove the shift and than he would not be losing those 2-3 times a week where he has a nice shot right into the shift.

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9 minutes ago, Griffey's Corner said:

I think it all comes down to ego. A lot of these guys were such studs from Little League all the way up the idea of bunting is beneath them.

Calhoun was kind of a working class player in that he was passed over in the draft and had to prove his smaller stature could play at the big league level. People forget he is only 5'10" and shouldn't really be a power player in the first place. So to expect him to play like a home run hitter, I think, is placing the bar too high. 

He shouldn't have to bunt to get out of a slump but in this case he should be doing it to force teams to open up the right side of the field so he has a better chance of getting his hits to slip through a defensive hole. It's ok if he is naturally hitting to his strong side, most right handers do the same, but get the fielders to play nuetral is going to be a key to him being more successful.

He really should be getting the bunt sign with open bases to put himself on base. It's almost comical that teams don't require their hitters play against that shift by bunting, it's almost a free ticket. 

 

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13 minutes ago, JustATroutFan said:

Fat Mike needs to do something about and become a leader and tell Calhoun that he should bunt more often and stop trying to pull the ball. Had Calhoun even had a hit this season that has not been pulled yet? Don't remember any. 

His last hit (infield single) was sort of up the middle

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7 minutes ago, True Grich said:

Yeah I definitely don't think that teams will just all of a sudden forget the shift on account of a bunt threat.  But I do like the perceived threat that might just take away a couple of inches ones directions and we know that this game is a game of inches.   But ultimately I just think Calhoun needs to do something positive at this point, and build on it. 

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6 minutes ago, Blarg said:

Calhoun was kind of a working class player in that he was passed over in the draft and had to prove his smaller stature could play at the big league level. People forget he is only 5'10" and shouldn't really be a power player in the first place. So to expect him to play like a home run hitter, I think, is placing the bar too high. 

He shouldn't have to bunt to get out of a slump but in this case he should be doing it to force teams to open up the right side of the field so he has a better chance of getting his hits to slip through a defensive hole. It's ok if he is naturally hitting to his strong side, most right handers do the same, but get the fielders to play nuetral is going to be a key to him being more successful.

He really should be getting the bunt sign with open bases to put himself on base. It's almost comical that teams don't require their hitters play against that shift by bunting, it's almost a free ticket. 

 

I totally agree with you Blarg. 

 

If you watch Calhoun's body language he has little man syndrome. He struts. He has this desire to be mr. tough buff guy. He is trying to play beyond his abilities. I can appreciate that. A few years ago there was a negative post about him diving for fly balls and not getting them. But I like that. He does show grit. But when your ego gets in the way of the team and gets in the way of you performing at a high ability than it is time to have a sit down talk with the manager. Team should always come first. You build a team with 9 guys who are all on the same page & just want to win than great things will happen..... but if you build a team around guys who care more about their ego or personal stats.... or milestones.... cough, cough.... Than your team is in trouble.

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3 minutes ago, Griffey's Corner said:

guys who care more about their ego or personal stats.... or milestones.... cough, cough....

Pujols would bunt but the shift would have to be to the right side of the visitors dugout for him to beat the play. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, I opened that can of worms.

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5 minutes ago, Blarg said:

Pujols would bunt but the shift would have to be to the right side of the visitors dugout for him to beat the play. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, I opened that can of worms.

Hopefully Pujols will retire at the end of the year. A great player for the Cardinals. Either that or find some special sauce to keep him as productive as he used to be. Of course when he used to be so productive they did not test for those kinds of things.....

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36 minutes ago, JustATroutFan said:

Fat Mike needs to do something about and become a leader and tell Calhoun that he should bunt more often and stop trying to pull the ball. Had Calhoun even had a hit this season that has not been pulled yet? Don't remember any. 

Wait... isn't the narrative normally that Fat Mike is a dictator that tries to make everyone play small ball?    Now Calhoun's inability to go against the shift is Fat Mikes fault...  because he's NOT bunting?

Mind blown.

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9 minutes ago, Griffey's Corner said:

Hopefully Pujols will retire at the end of the year. A great player for the Cardinals. Either that or find some special sauce to keep him as productive as he used to be. Of course when he used to be so productive they did not test for those kinds of things.....

I'm just hoping that with hit #3000 being out of the way, he's more relaxed and puts together a nice 1-2 months stretch of hitting (.800+ OPS).   

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1 minute ago, Inside Pitch said:

Wait... isn't the narrative normally that Fat Mike is a dictator that tries to make everyone play small ball?    Now Calhoun's inability to go against the shift is Fat Mikes fault...  because he's NOT bunting?

Mind blown.

Fat Mike isn’t a “leader” 

that’s the most important thing here. 

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I would not say that this is Scioscia's fault. But as a manager you do what is best for the team. It is pretty obvious that doing it Kole's way is not working.... the manager should order him to start bunting against the shift..... so yeah I guess I am saying it is also Scioscia's fault.

 

is Scioscia really playing small ball? I do not see a lot of it. I have not seen a squeeze play in a long time... or a lot of stolen bases either.

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8 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Wait... isn't the narrative normally that Fat Mike is a dictator that tries to make everyone play small ball?    Now Calhoun's inability to go against the shift is Fat Mikes fault...  because he's NOT bunting?

Mind blown.

Mike is shifty that way, you can't trust guys from Philly.

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19 minutes ago, Griffey's Corner said:

I would not say that this is Scioscia's fault. But as a manager you do what is best for the team. It is pretty obvious that doing it Kole's way is not working.... the manager should order him to start bunting against the shift..... so yeah I guess I am saying it is also Scioscia's fault.

 

is Scioscia really playing small ball? I do not see a lot of it. I have not seen a squeeze play in a long time... or a lot of stolen bases either.

Why are you guys pretending that bunting is such a guaranteed thing ? Calhoun hardly ever bunts and probably isn’t great at it.  Even if it works out; are a handful of cheap singles really that important ? Calhoun’s problem isn’t the shift.  His problem is inability to make good contact with the baseball.  His problem is horrible swings and horrible AB’s.  Since the first game he’s rarely hit anything hard.   Is it mental ? Is it physical ? I don’t know.  He appears to not be seeing the ball.  You sound ridiculous going along with this “Scoscia isn’t a leader” because he hasn’t ordered Calhoun to bunt.  Some of you guys will blame Scoscia for literally anything.  Now Calhoun’s struggles are because of Scioscia.  Lol. 

Edited by UndertheHalo
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Calhoun is not in a slump. He's plain bad. And has been, for a very lengthy time. 

He should bunt more to combat the shift but so should anyone who gets the shift every single time. For some reason rarely anyone ever bunts in these cases though. I hope it's not because of the "unwritten rules" of playing dirty by trying to defeat a shift. The shift is a strategy, and so should be bunting to defeat it.

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When he goes on the 10-day DL for a, I dunno, let's say Biceps Strain, send him to extended Spring training to rehabilitate (read: learn how to freakin' bunt).  And yeah, if he can get a half dozen additional hits, it makes a huge difference. If you're not on base, you can't score. Will it ultimately affect the shift? If he consistantly succeeds, then yes, over time it will. But if it doesn't, it STILL doesn't matter because he's producing. 

And while I agree his problem isn't ENTIRELY the shift, I would argue that it started with that (I think the numbers back that up) and has wound up messing up his swing.  Get back to basics, and succeed at something. Success breeds success.

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