Two-out productivity a sign that we're playing too-small ball?

[BaseVol]

Game notes for Missouri include several stats about our offensive productivity with two outs:

- Team is batting .247 with less than two outs v. .325 with two outs.

- Of the team’s 103 RBIs, 58 have come with two outs.

- Maddox is hitting .522 and recorded 9 of his 14 RBIs with two outs.

- Price is hitting .412 and recorded 6 of his 10 RBIs with two outs.

- Team got 9 hits and scored 9 runs in one inning against Western Carolina with two outs.

I can understand that in many ways we have small ball to thank for our offensive productivity with two outs.

But I can't help but wonder if we might be selling our offense short by so willingly trading those first few outs for scoring position or a run here and there.

Are we playing too-small ball?


(Before anyone challenges my baseball expertise, I admit I don't have much. I observe the game and think logically ... usually.

 

[lovavol]

So firing R Del was a bad thing......been saying that the whole time that we have been sucking...and I'm not a bb intelect either

 

[BaseVol]

So firing R Del was a bad thing......been saying that the whole time that we have been sucking...and I'm not a bb intelect either

I'm not saying that! I don't even know enough about the two coaching staffs to know that's a point of contrast.

I'm also not saying small ball isn't the right strategy! I'm just saying that we might be playing it TOO small, and that a slight adjustment the other direction might yield better overall results.

(And now that I think about it, that might not even hold true as we get into SEC play when "manufacturing" runs might be the best way to get them.)

 

[Fullfillmer]

Here I will try to help.

Todd Raleigh was not a very good coach. He wasn't a very good coach when Hamilton hired him and where ever he is today - you can bet he is setting baseball back.

It an age of restricted bats - Todd was still trying to play Gorilla ball - he was a joke.

Where we are - to play small ball effectively you need good pitching - to not play small ball effectively - you need good pitching.

We don't appear to have good pitching -- we are young and we lost a couple of prospects to the draft.

I have not been to a game this year but I see a lot of freshmen and small guys - so we are going to have to play a lot of small ball - like it or not. I went to a game last year and it was some of the best bunting and "small ball" playing that I have seen in a while at any level.

So - if we had Vanderbilt's pitching with this team - freshmen or not - hitting woes or not - small ball or not - we would be tough to handle. I don't think that we are exclusively small ball -- it just might appear that way - also -- guys are trying just as hard to get hits, and have a high average with no, and one outs as they are with two - just haven't been as successful. Playing small ball really doesn't come into play there because when you are bunting you typically either sacrafice which doesn't affect your average or you get a hit which actually helps your average.

Don't know if this helps or not - but we should be much improved in the next two years or so.

 

[Folks]

I just don't like playing small in situations like the one from the first inning against WCU. We got the first two runners on base and then Scott Price, presumably our best hitter other than Maddox, bunted to move people over. He didn't get the job done and there was one out. I know the strategy is to get the lead and build on it, I just don't like taking the bat out the best hitters hands when it is 0-0. Other than small ball all day long with players who can handle bunting.

 

[BaseVol]

Thanks for your reply, Fullfillmer. You make some good points: our pitching is less than ideal for any type of offense, and our hitters are generally better suited for small ball.

I LOVE small ball, by the way, so don't get me wrong. I just wonder if there might be a few guys in the lineup and/or a few situations that warrant a different approach. (Eg, let our better hitters swing away with a runner on 2nd instead of sac-bunting him over to 3rd, which I've seen us do).

Also, you're right that sac bunts don't calculate directly into your batting avg., but they can impact it ... because it might have been a hit that would have improved your avg., and maybe even driven in a run!

 

[fryeguy93]

I LOVE SMALL BALL!

My White Sox won the World Series in 2005 playing small ball after decades of trying to outmuscle everyone

It does take good pitching but a team that plays small ball in college does have a bit more wiggle room with less proficient defense.

 

[Backwards K]

Game notes for Missouri i



Are we playing too-small ball?

That is an interesting question (with facts to back it up). I have never heard that concept but there could be some validity to it. However, with the new bats in college baseball, you have to be able to manufacture runs in ways other than a 3 run homer.