Game 145: What's wrong with the bunt?

"What's wrong with the bunt?"

-Rick Sutcliffe


What's wrong with the bunt, Rick, is that it doesn't work. Sure, there are individual situations when a bunt, in retrospect, was a good idea-IE Ellsbury grounding into a DP with the men on first and second in the bottom of the third.

But you don't govern, and you don't manage, by anecdote-you are supposed to manage based on evidence. And the evidence is that the bunt, over time, does not pay off in more runs than swinging away does.

And Our Man DP proves Francona right by doubling into the corner, driving in Farmer Jed Lowrie to tie the game at one.

I am not in a snit anymore. Apologies were exchanged, and it's all good in the hood again.

Boston and Tampa are tied at 1 after three innings. Boston is 1 1/2 games out of first in the AL East, and 6 games up on the Twins in the wild card.

Apparently, the news from Patriot Land is worse, but not catastrophically so-Tom Brady tore TWO ligaments in his knee, but not all three, so he is on target to return for the 2009 season.

The Angels have CLINCHED the division, a downright silly thing to say at this point in 2008. They are the first team into the postseason.

Wow.