A 33-18 Record Doesn't Justify Bad Strategy

Last night, I tuned into WCIU (a local station, for those of you non-Chicago area folk) during their broadcast of the White Sox-Indians game just in time to catch some horrendously baffling baseball strategy. With no one out and Pablo Ozuna on second, White Sox leading 3-0 in the top of the third, Tadahito Iguchi attempted a sacrifice bunt that he popped up for an easy out.

Prior to the bunt, the inning had gone as follows: J Uribe reached on infield single to pitcher. B Anderson sacrificed to catcher, J Uribe to second, B Anderson safe at second on throwing error by catcher V Martinez. J Uribe to third on throwing error by catcher V Martinez. P Ozuna doubled to right, J Uribe and B Anderson scored.

The botched sacrifice prompted White Sox commentators Hawk Harrelson and Darren "Dum-dum" Jackson to discuss the team's recent bunting bugaboos. Hawk explained that the Sox have been in a bunting slump "all season long." Jackson then added that first base coach Tim Raines has been "working hard" with the hitters before games to make them practice their bunts.

Now, I assume that Tim Raines values his job and would prefer not to lose it. But should he ever find himself in the mood to risk getting canned to make a statement, he should do the following: In the middle of one of these bunt practice sessions, yell out, "That's enough, boys!," round up his hitters, march up to Ozzie Guillen as a group, and demand to know why in blazes he's wasting outs with sacrifice bunts when his lineup includes Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye, and Joe Crede. And more so, why he insists on wasting at bats by Tadahito Iguchi--a productive hitter in his own right--to waste these outs [you stupid stubborn Venezuelan fool!]

I can understand the situational use of sac bunts to draw in an infield or avoid a double play--especially when the hitter is some weak-hitting chump who can beat the throw to first with normal infield depth. But Ozzie Guillen's sac bunts have little to do with strategy and a lot to do with an impatient, control-freak manager who isnsists on directly impacting the game--even at the expense of the optomizing his team's offensive output.

As I said last week, Ozzie Guillen's arrogant insistance on molding his personnel to his own preferred style will get the better of him soon enough. Until then, though, I fully expect the Chicago and national media to belive, hang on, and bleep his every word.