Why Didn’t Tokyo Make Playoffs? Sacrifice Bunting under Ogawa

Tak-bunting is bringing everyone down around here.

Ah, the beloved Tak-bunt. Tokyo’s current manager didn’t fib when he said that he wasn’t going to make many changes to the way that the team was coached after taking over for Takada at the end of May. The Tak-bunting continued, but thankfully not at the same rate that it had been previously employed. For the [...]

Are sac bunts “productive” outs?

Sacrifice bunting in t-shirt format.

A common conundrum encountered by enthusiasts of NPB is that of the sac bunt. It happens all the time, especially in the Central League where there’s no designated hitter (DH). And because of the absence of a DH, the pitcher often has to hit. You can occasionally find guys that know how to swing a [...]

Is Sacrifice Bunting Worth It?

Sacrifice bunting is rarely a good idea. With a man on first and the pitcher (or Shiroishi) at the plate, it could be argued that giving up an out in favor of advancing the runner is understandable. However, in most other cases it seems like a stupid waste of an out (or maybe it’s a [...]