THE BOOK--Playing The Percentages In Baseball

BTW, what about the adage that, “Pitching is all about the legs?” Seriously.  Is that another baseball truism down the drain?

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It’s his lower legs, below the kneecap. Muscles down there contribute extremely little to the kinetic chain with regards to accumulating fastball velocity.

“It’s all in the legs” is not totally false, but it’s more like “it’s all in the hips.”

Terrible story, BTW.

This reminds me of all the people who used to bunt against Jim Abbott. I saw Ohio State bunt against him three times in one game - producing four outs.
As for other teams bunting against Anthony, if there’s one school like this who feels winning is that important “at this level” then there’s probably some others in their conference.
Am I wrong or would an inability to drive off the mound to field a bunt also imply that he wouldn’t be able to drive off the mound with enough oomph to throw 80mph?

Yeah, I agree with #2. Plus it says he’s been able to do it before. I highly doubt he has trouble walking/sprinting to field a bunt when he’s doing one of the most complex anaerobic activities known to man without much trouble. (80 MPH as a sophomore is no joke.)

Fair enough about the hips, legs…

“I saw Ohio State bunt against him three times in one game..”

Is that a lot?

I seriously doubt that he would be able to get anyone out on a bunt unless it was hit directly at him.  But, again, how is that an issue unless there was some imperative to win at the high school level?  Or at least that that would outweigh the advantage to everyone of letting this courageous person compete…

What percentage of bunts are fielded by pitchers anyway?  50% at most?  Couldn’t he compensate by shifting his 1B and 3B accordingly in the correct situations or choosing an athletic catcher who could get to more bunts and then actually teaching how to field bunts?  The unwillingness to make it work just seems like lazy coaching to me. 

I can see how squeeze plays could be a problem; however, but I doubt they’re too common in HS.

I can’t decide whether the better solution would be to fire the idiot coach and idiot principal or allow Anthony to transfer to another high school within the district that would allow him to play and hopefully pitch against and whup the idiot coach at his former school.

Jim Abbott: going solely by memory, the story I remember is that a team bunted their first 10 times up, was safe on the first attempt, and made out the next 9 times.

Let me google my memory, see if I’m officially an old man, or if I can still keep up with the pups…

According to this story about Abbott which seems well-researched:

http://www.uwire.com/2010/08/02/michigan-alum-jim-abbott’s-unlikely-trip-to-the-major-leagues/

Abbott was not only an adequate fielder — he was exceptional.

As a local legend goes, a Little League coach once tried to exploit the lefty’s handicap by having eight consecutive batters lay down bunts. The first one reached — Abbott threw out the last seven.

“The intent was clear, but that’s the way things are,” Abbott said, laughing at the distant memory. “I suppose everyone, one-handed or two-handed, comes across those points in life where they have to prove themselves. I guess it was almost a tribute to the kind of pitcher I was.”

Seems to me that all that bunting is a losing strategy, even if the pitcher can’t field very well.  How many good bunters are there at the major league level, let alone in high school?

http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&bid=1593&pid=13

On bunts and slow rollers Abbott often didn’t have time to field the ball with his glove and make the transfer. So he usually discarded the glove and fielded bunts barehanded. In high school, an opposing coach once ordered the first eight batters to bunt. After the first one reached base, Jim shut down the bunting game by retiring the next seven in a row.

So, not sure if it’s in high school or little league (or both?!).

Let’s hold our indignation and moral outrage until we know more of the story.  He was a sophomore cut from the varsity.  Presumably he’ll be able to play for the JV.  I’d also be interested to hear what the coach has to say; it’s not clear who is the source of the blurb excerpted by mgl, but there are no quotes from any baseball coach.

I think its important to know how the same coach handles the rest of his players.  Were a lot of people cut on day two, or just this one player? 

It also says that was his “main concern” was the bunting, could his other concerns be his actual playing ability?  Velocity and a “wicked curve” does not necessarily make you good enough to make a team.  What if he made the team just because of his “handicap”? Would that make him feel better? Highly doubt it. 

I agree with #11.  I will hold off on my moral outrage until I hear more details.

Some H.S. baseball coaches are all about winning.  The bunting strategy, even without a pitcher with a handicap.  This is usually done at lower levels where none of the players have even a glimmer of hope of moving on to the local Juco.  The defense is horrible and just getting the ball in play usually means a hit.

Teams I have watched actually have a defense set up for players that bunt all the time.  With 2 players playing next to the mound and all but one of the entire OF in the infield.  Game theory at its best.

Going to go a little OT hre

I don’t have a problem with the situation depending on coach’s philosophy he preaches.  I think teams have to decided if they are either going to have fun or try to win.  The coach should tell the players ahead of time if all are going to play or just the best team all the time.  I never found it more frustrating being on a team that said everyone would play, but if we are in a tight game, the idea went out the window.

This goes in both case.  If the coach says we are here to win and only the best will play, so I work all off season to get ready to play and am busting butt.  Then he puts an inferior player in at the end and cost me all the work I put in.

Also, if we are in a fun league where everyone plays that shows up.  The game gets tight and the coach won’t let everyone play, just the best players.

Everyone with the team needs to know and stick to the expectations laid out before the season starts.  This in my opinion is the cause of many player-coach conflicts.

Don’t pitchers have to hit in high school?  Couldn’t this be part of the problem, too?  I know the article says its primarily because he can’t field bunts, but like one commenter above, we should probably get the other side of the story.  This has the feeling of the media jumping behind a sympathetic figure without getting the whole truth out.

I grew up in Texas, where I actually heard a school principal, during a public prayer, utter the phrase, “and thank you, Lord, for high school football”. Sentiments like that, to me, reinforce just how some coaches are given free reign to act like Napoleons when it comes to their sports.

Nevertheless, I can agree to an extent that we should probably wait for more details to emerge about this story. It’s possible that the coach cut this kid for other reasons, and the bunting thing just came out somehow. However, assuming that the reporter did his job and the quote is accurate, that coach is an idiot and a jerk. I will refrain from further name calling and generalizations about high school sports and coaches, and hope that there is a legitimate reason behind this coach’s decision.

The disabled do not need special favors from the abled, but they do deserve equality.

@#11: From the article:

“Anthony isn’t looking for any sympathetic do-overs. He doesn’t want to play for Bradley, who offered Anthony a position as a team manager keeping stats and such, which sounds one-step-up from a mascot.”

It sounds like JV is not in the equation.

Still, I think there’s a valid argument that—if he truly wasn’t good enough to earn a spot on the roster—he would have been blocking a potential other player. Of course, I would have happily quit the team if it meant a roster spot for young Mr. Burruto.

Here’s hoping he finds a starting slot on a team that wants him!

I believe an inability to field bunts is given as the reason for Monty Stratton’s failed comeback from shooting his leg off.  Not a bad movie, either.

i think high school varsity sports is an appropriate level to start making cuts based solely on merit. playing time and game strategy should be also focused on winning. JV and other rec leagues are an appropriate venue for calling off bunts for certain players and other such accommodations. i would think the player in question wouldn’t want special treatment either. if the coach is just making an excuse to cut a disabled player because he doesn’t want disabled players on the team, then he is a despicable person etc, but if there are limited roster spots and the other pitchers are more valuable to the team, then the coach made the right decision.

I’m going to take this article at face value (probably a mistake) and assume nothing else is going on here.

If winning is the only motivation at this level, and I’m not saying it should or shouldn’t be, then I find it hard to believe you wouldn’t want this kid on your team even if his talent isn’t quite up to the standards of the league. A decent coach could use his example for motivation and inspiration. Even MLB teams roster ‘clubhouse’ guys over more talented players.

If it were me, I’d ask the coach for a run expectancy assessment of how many bunts are expected to be hit, how many he’s expected to field, and the net impact of the runs allowed.  Of course, if the kid can throw 80mph, he’ll probably have plenty of strikeouts to even limit the need to field a bunt.

But, hey, the coach has drawn a line in the sand, because he simply doesn’t want to bother doing the cost/benefit analysis.

I would evaluate players based on talent, not talent relative to disabilities. It’s one thing to cut the kid if you could just keep him on the roster, but if he’s taking another kid’s spot who the coach thinks helps the team win more, then what’s the issue?

Anon/21 wrote: “if he’s taking another kid’s spot who the coach thinks helps the team win more, then what’s the issue?”

That reasoning would make sense. The problem is that the reasoning supplied falls well short of this minimum standard. We aren’t given the impression that they considered how his pitching ability might mitigate the damage caused by his fielding ability, or even that they specifically tested his ability to field bunts. (From the very limited information in the video, I certainly don’t get the impression that he’d move particularly poorly. It would have to be one excellent bunter who wants to hedge his bets.)

What we *do* know is that he’s 15 and throws an 80 mph fastball and good curve. It strikes me as unlikely that there are a dozen guys at his school who can hit 80, (while hitting the strike zone) much less combine it with a decent curve. And if that were the case, I’m sure that’s the case that would have been made.

That’s fair. I was responding to this part of the post: “Who the f**ck cares if their team wins with him pitching?  How is that relevant in high school sports?” I think winning is very relevant in high school sports (though obviously not as much so as college and pro).

I agree that winning is important.  When kids are 8 years old, sports are an activity that everyone gets to participate in and learn the fundamentals.  When you are in high school, you know how to play and are trying to win.  I assure you the players on the team want to win.  Why would there even be tryouts, if not for the purpose of selecting the best players?  Do you advocate allowing anyone in the school on the team and letting them each pitch an inning during the season?

If you have tryouts, then it’s about winning.

The kid himself said he wants to earn a spot.

This is NOT the issue.

The issue is if the coach was able to properly value his apparent lack of skill at fielding a bunt with respect to his other ability.

It’s like saying Frank Thomas can’t play MLB because he can’t field.  It’s very possible he can be an effective 1B overall because his bat is that good.

The coach implicitly decided that his fielding was so poor that it completely wiped out his pitching.

I’d like to see him actually make that case.

[1] If an opponent wants to bunt everytime ... accept the offer ... take the easy 3 outs EVERY inning.

[2] Pitchers don;t field the vast majority of bunts. The 3rd baseman does. The pitchers main job is to (a) get the hell out of the way, and (b) go cover 3rd base, after the 3B fields the ball anbd throws to first ... to make sure the runner advancing to 2nd, doesn;t take an uncovered 3rd base.

[3] An 80mph pitcher with a good curve can pitch on essentially any high school team.

Unfortunately at the HS level, pitching isn’t “all about the legs”. I see plenty of kids that simply throw hard because they “out muscle” everyone.

The kid throws 80mph which is above average for HS pitchers. Does it matter if the source of his power is his legs, shoulder, ears, etc?

The fact is that the stated reason for the cut is not based on relaity, and if I were the parent, I’d take the case to court and haul in every coach saying that bunting time and time again would be the single dumbest strategy ever ... and would be a huge advantage to the defense.

I would think t hat issues like pickoffs, rundowns, etc would be greater concerns than bunt coverages (where the P’s main job is to get out of the way).

Note: I coach HS pitchers.

The coach could make the arguement, and perhaps did in the long version, that the kid could not cover bases on bunts, or cover home on wild pitches/passed balls, etc.

Still, a kid fitting his description would, overall, at the HS level be a valuable pitcher.

I’d have him on my team, for numerous reasons. He can pitch, if only in certain situations.

I’d consider making the kid a captain. He likely has tow rok harder than most just to complete the same tasks ... that’s the type of model I want for my team.

Looking at his mechanics, he has a decent stride length, gets out over a bent front knee (nose over knee), but he’s letting the glove get crazy and not keeping the gloveside elbow tight. I’d be all over him that, but by the end of a single practice, we’d have that corrected.

Double-amputees have run marathons. I don’t really want to hear about bunts.

"And besides, how cheesy would it be for any team to try to take advantage of a kid battling out there like Anthony? Would a coach be so obsessed with winning that he would order every player to bunt?”

I do have an issue with this sentiment.

The answer to the question is “Hell yes”, if it meant the difference between winning and losing.

You have to respect the kid enough to treat him like any other player on the field, and give him your best. If you bunted against a team, and they could not defend it ... you’d bunt again ... and again ... and again. You’d stop once the lead was safe. But, under no condition would you “not bunt” because the other team couldn;t field it.

If the P was the only player allowed to field a bunt, it might be an issue. It’s not.

I don;t like the idea that you need to give the kid special treatment. I think he deserves a fair shot like everyone else. If not being able to field a bunt meant you couldn’t play, the 2006 Detroit Pitching staff would not have shown up for the 2007 season. Heh Heh.

It should also be pointed out that the pitcher is a sophomore, and (presumably) was cut from varsity tryouts.

Michael Jordan, as a sophomore, did not make his high school’s varsity team.

A sophomore mkaing the varsity team, ahead of other juniors and seniors, really needs to be a dominant athlete. The sophomore also needs to be one that will play a lot ... otherwise he’s probably better off playing on the sophomore team and gaining experience.

On the topic of winning in high school sports: This isn’t little league anymore. There are offseason workouts, weightlifting sessions, tryouts, morning practices before school for a few months before the season, and then practices every day. If, after all that, the coach/team doesn’t care about winning… well, I’m not sure I care all that much about playing. High school is an appropriate age for competitive sports, and by the varsity level, I have no problem with a roster that gives highly variable playing time to different players, with the idea that winning is important.

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As for the kid, if he does throw 80 with a good curve and gets cut, that’s his coach’s fault. Maybe the coach felt he wasn’t ready as a sophomore, (which is understandable; most high school teams don’t carry all that many players that only pitch. They don’t have that many spots to work with) but in the long run, he should get another chance. Any coach with a brain takes the good fastball and has his third basemen play in a step or two.

I doubt any HS manager will have his best hitters bunt, and for the other hitters, you could position one of your OF’ers beside the mound to field bunts for the pitcher.

As for hitting, if he hits like an average pitcher, you can just concede an out and not lose much offense.

I suspect his being able to control the running game might be more of an issue than fielding bunts.

I also wonder about the liability of the HS should he be injured failing to get out of the way from a pitch, LD or bat.  But if they let him play JV that should not be it.

I’d say let him play.. but I actually wouldn’t be concerned about the bunts. I’d be more concerned if he was covering first base or home and a runner slid into him. Seems like there’d be some kind of safety risk there, higher chance of injury and concussion etc.

We are talking about high school coaches here. They would literally do anything to win even if it meant playing a pitcher with 1 arm and no legs. I doubt the coach cuts him because of disability instead of ability to play. Something is missing in the article. I’m pretty sure all coaches could see the value of 80 MPH and a nice curve.

[1] The primary issue is that he is a sophomore. Sophomores don’t make varsity unless (a) they are simply outstanding, and (b) they will be a starting player. That issue has been severely downlplayed, because it ruins the “story” part of this situation.

[2] Would coaches really bunt with every hitter? No, but they might with their 6-9, and perhaps even 1-2 hitters every time, if the team could not get them out. Again, this is not a primary issue, because pitchers don’t often cover bunts. Hell, the best bunt coverages I’ve seen are ones where the 3B and 2B come charging in an literally give you nowhere to bunt. They come charging in so hard and fast that it almost creates a safety issue. If the team cannot cover bunts, that is primarily a “coach/team issue”.

[3] Covering bases is going to be a major problem. If I am a coach, and we have a runner on 1st, and we bunt to the 3B who throws out the runner at 1st, do i really not advance my runner to 3rd because the pitcher is unable to cover 3rd due to having amputated legs? Would I give the same courtesy to a fat pitcher, or one with a bad ankle? Pickoffs could also be a problem. If runners can nget a 1-2 step better jump on this guy than others, teams will take bases. While it’s not the karate kid “sweep the leg” situation, you’re also not going to get any special favors.

[4] Furthermore, once that runner makes it to 3rd because the pitcher cannot cover the bag, do i also tell him not to take home after the pitcher uncorks a curve in the dirt that makes it back to the backstop?

IMHO, after thinking about this a lot ... is that the situation is being falsely represented in order to create an issue and story where there is not one.

The article does what it intends ... create an emotion-based reaction to a story where the seemingly irrational and cruel decision keeps the real and logical situation in the shadows.

The parents IMHO are askinf for A LOT in this szituation, and going about it by “any means necessary”, whether it is accurate or not. Shame on them.

Note: We have a soph pitcher whothrows 80-83 with perfect mechanics, is an exceptional athlete, and was our #2 our state title JH team, and whose brother was our ace last year. He did not make the varsity team, and he’s a genuine 3-sport standout as a junior. Sophs generally do not make varsity teams. I cannot reiterate that enough.

No news article or one person’s point of view should be taken at face value.  In order to make a rational and cogent evaluation of a controversy, one usually needs to be aware of most or all of the pertinent facts as well as the arguments by all relevant sides.  That is how our justice system typically works and that is the reason why it works that way (because it the best way at arriving at the “truth").

There’s a new article on CNN.com that provides some additional information:

“He was among 63 student athletes who were evaluated for a position on either the varsity or junior varsity squads. With only 40 roster spots, Anthony and 22 other students DID NOT MAKE EITHER TEAM.” [Emphasis mine]

“Bradley also told the spokeswoman no conversations occurred regarding bunting since it was not part of the tryout.”

“Anthony and his mother say Bradley discussed bunting with them both.”

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/02/17/florida.double.amputee.baseball.player/index.html?hpt=Sbin