Texas vs Kansas - Game 3 (recap added)

[armadillo slim]

Your perspective isn't lost on me. Johnson on 2B, T9 last night. Lead off double. We don't move him over. I think you do bunt in that situation. We didn't. I believe it may, have cost us the game.

I said before the game that with our recent struggles to generate runs, we would see Augie go back to more of a small ball approach in this game, even bunting with runners on 2B.

In T1, Shaw popped out trying to SAC Johnson to 2B with 0 outs. That's the absolute correct call, especially understanding we have been struggling to push runs across lately.

I'll give you the Gurwitz failed SAC attempt. Although in his case, there were runners on 1&2, 0 outs, and I can see that the coaches may have wanted him to bunt to 3B to draw 3B in and get the runners both into scoring position.

I truly believe that Augie was going to put on the full small ball press early, and he did.

Hopefully we see today's type of hitting stick around for a while. It's somewhat refreshing. When you get minimum of 2 hits per batter, 13 XBHs, 5 HRs and 16 RBIs, it renders small ball a non factor.

sure, i agree.  in the late innings and situationally thru out the game i do think its the right call.  my issue is the "automatic" call in early innings.  i saw "automatic" because I know its not really automatic, it just seems that way.  i think giving up outs and playing for one run greatly diminishes the chance of a big inning early in the game.  

sacrifice bunting has been well documented statistically to be a less productive strategy.  yes, that's in the pros, but i'm betting in college the practice is even less productive, not more.

but above all things, hitting is an issue of confidence and i think small ball has an impact on the psyche of the team as well.  it says to the players, "i don't trust you to get a hit, so i'm taking the bat out of your hands and playing for one run".  i think that has an impact on players' confidence.  it also puts the pitchers in a pressure situation in late innings to hold one and two run leads and our bull pen has not really showed the ability to do that consistently.

augie is scrambing like hell to find a lineup that works and i commend him for that.  he needs to adjust his baseball strategy too IMO though.  try something else, augie.  let's go up there hacking.  let's hit away with a runner on first.  try some hit and runs, send johnson and shaw if they're on first, try a few butcher boy plays.  make the opponent guess what's coming for a change.

 

[joeywa]

sure, i agree.  in the late innings and situationally thru out the game i do think its the right call.  my issue is the "automatic" call in early innings.  i saw "automatic" because I know its not really automatic, it just seems that way.  i think giving up outs and playing for one run greatly diminishes the chance of a big inning early in the game.  

sacrifice bunting has been well documented statistically to be a less productive strategy.  yes, that's in the pros, but i'm betting in college the practice is even less productive, not more.

but above all things, hitting is an issue of confidence and i think small ball has an impact on the psyche of the team as well.  it says to the players, "i don't trust you to get a hit, so i'm taking the bat out of your hands and playing for one run".  i think that has an impact on players' confidence.  it also puts the pitchers in a pressure situation in late innings to hold one and two run leads and our bull pen has not really showed the ability to do that consistently.

augie is scrambing like hell to find a lineup that works and i commend him for that.  he needs to adjust his baseball strategy too IMO though.  try something else, augie.  let's go up there hacking.  let's hit away with a runner on first.  try some hit and runs, send johnson and shaw if they're on first, try a few butcher boy plays.  make the opponent guess what's coming for a change.

I believe he has changed his strategy this year, more so than I've seen in years past.  By and large, he is letting this team get up to the plate and take their hacks.

I can't find a stat that shows SAC Bunt Attempts, so we have to rely solely on SAC Bunts.

By comparison:

2015 through 40 games: 45 SAC Bunts, (1.125/game 9 SAC Flies

2014 through 67 games; 107 SAC Bunts, (1.60/game 22 SAC Flies

Looking at it as a percentage of ABs:

2015: 45 SAC Bunts/1379 ABs (0.032/AB)

2014: 107 SAC Bunts/2182 ABs(0.049/AB)

Let's look at it on a national level:

2015: Prior to Friday's game, Texas was tied for #15 in the country in Total Number of SAC Bunts, at 39 in 37 games (1.05/game) 

For a Big 12 barometer,

• Ok St has 46 in 36 games (1.28/game)
• K St has 35 in 35 games (1.00/game)

2014: Entire season Texas ranked #1 in SAC Bunts with 107 in 67 games (1.60/gm) 

• Ok St was #3 with 88 in 66 games (1.33/gm)
• KU tied for #10 with 76 in 61 games (1.25/gm)
• Stanford, (a traditional power hitting club,) #15 with 72 in 61 games (1.18/gm)
• Vandy, (Nat'l Champ) #25 with 66 in 72 games (0.92/gm)
• TCU tied for #31 with 63 in 66 games (1.05/gm)

2013: Texas #79 with 51 SAC Bunts in 51 games (1.00/game)

2012: Texas #39 with 66 SAC Bunts in 52 games (1.27/game)

While there is still a tendency to SAC bunt, (especially when the team has been struggling to push runs across early,) I think the overall change in approach that Augie has made, (going the other direction and letting this team hit away,) this year is extremely noticeable. 

 

[streettopeschel]

saw this on OB, but we're ranked 91 in RPI. that's not good.

 

[armadillo slim]

saw this on OB, but we're ranked 91 in RPI. that's not good.

in SOS we're no. 4, so there's that.

i'll admit we've improved, but that brain dead start to the game yesterday just set me off.  if you're going to demand a bunt out of people, then teach them to get the f'king bunt down.  i'd be willing to bet we fail at the sac bunt more than any team in baseball.  it sure seems like that, anyway.

 

[armadillo slim]

we'll see how it goes tomorrow night.  if they come out flat let most tuesdays, then i'll be ready to punt on the season.  if they come out competing like they did on sunday, then my attitude will improve some.

don't go up to the plate looking, boys.  jump on the first pitch you see that's good.  

 

[utisdabomb12]

saw this on OB, but we're ranked 91 in RPI. that's not good.

Win a couple games against TCU and that will drop significantly. 

Arkansas jumped like 40 spots in RPI after beating A&M twice on the road.