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Just The Sports: Captain Idiot

Just The Sports

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Captain Idiot

Just because something works doesn't make it a good idea.

Yankees vs Mets, top of the 8th inning, score 4-2, zero outs, runners on first and second, and Derek Jeter is striding up to the plate. Yankee fans are excited because their golden boy is coming up to bat. And Jeter squares around to bunt?! What the fuck? Up to that point in the game, Jeter was 2 for 4. For the season, Jeter is batting .331/.413/.488 against right handed pitchers, numbers that make sacrifice bunting a ridiculous plan of action. By bunting, Jeter was basically gift-wrapping the Mets an out while lowering his team's run expectancy. Not to mention the Yankees needed two runs and not one so that made Jeter's decision even worse. Luckily, Jeter was able to successfully bunt for a base hit since Duaner Sanchez was unable to catch his bunt attempt. But still, it was an idiot move by whoever signed off on that bunt.

However, I cannot say I'm too surprised by Jeter's questionable decision since he has a notorious habit of being selfish to the point of hurting the Yankees. Sort of like how he wouldn't change positions when the team acquired a better offensive and defensive shortstop than he in Alex Rodriguez. While laying down a sacrifice bunt may seem like the "team" thing to do, in actuality, it is pretty selfish since all it does is place the onus to get a base hit on his other teammates, setting them up to be the goat while Jeter still looks good. He did the same thing in the 2004 ALCS, and just like tonight, Alex Rodriguez ended up taking the fall.

By the way, laying down a sacrifice bunt is really only prudent when the team needs one run and the game is in the late innings. Or when the player up at bat is an especially weak hitter.

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