A No-No during a "No-No"

[beantownbruins]

So I was playing a franchise (fantasy draft) game last night and was pitching a no-hitter with Derek Lowe. Up comes Chone Figgins (who I love in real life) and he lays a bunt down the 3rd base line!!! Of course he placed it perfectly right between my 3rd baseman who was charging in, my pitcher who was coming over, and my catcher who was charging out. It went for an infield single.

Now, I know the computer isn't trained in baseball ethics but I wanted to get some opinions on this. If you were being no-hit would you drop a bunt down to try and get your fist hit? Or better yet, if in real life your team was being no-hit, would you want them to try and drop a bunt down for the first hit of the game. My feeling is that if it is after the start of the 5th inning...HELL NO! There is just something cheap in my opinion about doing that. What do you guys think?

[The Amaizen Blue]

Figgens always bunts against me. Regardless of what inning and how many hits they have

It wouldn't be so cheap if the catcher could throw the ball without stopping and planting his feet first... That's what's annoying. Automatic single.

[spitoon]

He gets one in the ear hole next time if it's me.

[CabreraMVP]

I Think the unwritten Baseball rules are BS in no hitters.

What is so special about a no hitter if the guys hitting in the late innings aren't trying to get hits???

Let's say you got a kid trying to make a name for himself in the majors, trying to stay with the big league club, how can you expect him not to try to get on base anyway he can? He's trying to stay alive in the majors. Lets say he has speed and whoever is on the mound is just unhittable. This guy has all the right in the world to lay down a bunt and try to get on base. That's his game. He's got to show the manager what he can do. Let say they are down 5-0. A 5 run comeback starts with 1 run. They are trying to win the game.

No hitters wouldn't be very special if the offensive team had to lay down like dogs in the 6th inning and just totally give up. They are trying to win the game and get hits. And once the batter is restricted by "the unwritten rules" you've lost all integrity.

[treyraq]

What inning was it, and what was the score?

[TheSoutherner1405]

Quote: Originally Posted by CabreraMVP

I Think the unwritten Baseball rules are BS in no hitters. What is so special about a no hitter if the guys hitting in the late innings aren't trying to get hits??? Let's say you got a kid trying to make a name for himself in the majors, trying to stay with the big league club, how can you expect him not to try to get on base anyway he can? He's trying to stay alive in the majors. Lets say he has speed and whoever is on the mound is just unhittable. This guy has all the right in the world to lay down a bunt and try to get on base. That's his game. He's got to show the manager what he can do. Let say they are down 5-0. A 5 run comeback starts with 1 run. They are trying to win the game. No hitters wouldn't be very special if the offensive team had to lay down like dogs in the 6th inning and just totally give up. They are trying to win the game and get hits. And once the batter is restricted by "the unwritten rules" you've lost all integrity.

Exactly.

[tessl]

Quote: Originally Posted by CabreraMVP

I Think the unwritten Baseball rules are BS in no hitters. What is so special about a no hitter if the guys hitting in the late innings aren't trying to get hits??? Let's say you got a kid trying to make a name for himself in the majors, trying to stay with the big league club, how can you expect him not to try to get on base anyway he can? He's trying to stay alive in the majors. Lets say he has speed and whoever is on the mound is just unhittable. This guy has all the right in the world to lay down a bunt and try to get on base. That's his game. He's got to show the manager what he can do. Let say they are down 5-0. A 5 run comeback starts with 1 run. They are trying to win the game. No hitters wouldn't be very special if the offensive team had to lay down like dogs in the 6th inning and just totally give up. They are trying to win the game and get hits. And once the batter is restricted by "the unwritten rules" you've lost all integrity.

I remember when the Cardinals were up a few runs in the 80's and one of their speedsters stole a base the other manager complained that was against the "unwritten rule". Whitey Herzog said "You tell your home run hitters to stop trying to hit home runs and I'll tell my base stealers to stop stealing bases".

[chrishthomas]

I'll lead off with this caveat...seeing it done in this game would be very frustrating because drag bunts especially those fielded by the catcher on the 3rd base side are virtually impossible to defend due to the slow plant-turn-and-throw catcher animation. However...

All things being equal...perfectly legitimate move, especially if the game is still close. If it is a blow out, and getting a runner on (or even scoring a run) won't really make a difference, then it's a bit iffy. But, bottom line, these guys are professionals, it is their job to get on base and help their team win. If I think I can beat out a bunt, I'm laying it down. If you are pitching and you know I'm capable of doing it, then get your third baseman playing in.

This topic comes up a lot in discussions about no-hitters and baseball etiquette. Nolan Ryan was known to be a curmudgeon when it came to this, and thought it was particularly disrespectful. However, Jim Palmer, Goose Gossage, and Bert Blyleven were on an ESPN forum once and all echoed my remarks above.

Gossage went so far as to say, "Usually a no-hitter is a tight ballgame, and they're trying to beat you. You need baserunners, and I can't blame the opposition for trying to get on base. If the game is out of reach, then it's a different story. I would take offense to that. I'd drill the SOB. 'If you want to get on base, here, I'll put you on base.' ''

No-hitters are special feats...think about the Sunday afternoon dinner conversation at the Crandall's house back in 1918, when Doc's no-hitter bid for the Los Angeles Angels was broken up with two outs in the 9th by his brother Karl. Granted it was a sharp single, not a bunt, but if your own brother won't lay down and give it you, don't expect anyone else to either.