Cozart

[JohnU]

This from the wires:

Reds shortstop Zack Cozart exited Saturday's game after being hit on the hand by a pitch while attempting to bunt. X-rays on the two fingers struck came back negative. He is considered day-to-day.


Looks like we get somebody with a "Z" in his name to play SS for awhile.

 

[redsfan03]

I don't think Zack Cozart should attempt a bunt for a while. He's got to go back to Bunting 101. Good news about the x-rays being negative, though.

 

[eburg5000]

The Reds players are terrible at bunting as a whole. But its probably not just the Reds. I think bunting is becoming a dieing art in baseball

 

[Ryanballa]

Great news about the Xray.I was nervous when I saw him get hit by the pitch.We couldnt afford to lose another player and it looks like at the max he stays outta the lineup for a day or 2.

 

[chico ruiz]

a couple of years ago the reds were shortstop rich. now, i don't believe they have a true shortstop at the AA or AAA level. maybe burriss, but he has played most of his career at 2nd base. donald? could present some defensive problems. as far as intensely practicing bunting and situational defenses in spring training? apparently, that is an apparition from the past.

 

[JohnU]

I think Gregorius was a pretty nice defense infielder, so that's part of the link that gets us to Shin-Soo Choo. I thought, though not a SS, that Brodie Greene was a prospect a couple of years back. He's a 2B. Evidently he has fallen off the wagon since then. Of course, Billy Hamilton is a converted SS.
As for bunting, I think part of the problem really is in what pitchers throw now. It's rather hard to bunt some of these slurves and cutters. And in an obvious bunt situation, like Cozart faced, the fastball is up around the letters. Can't bunt that pitch, no matter what.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Cozart can bunt. It's an anomaly... Made a little worse by Dustaroo passing on 75% of logical position player bunt situations, then expecting execution on a whim. Cozart is a fine SS, he just isn't a great hitter, although he has a little power.


Heisey on the other hand, is doing a Corey Pattterson impersonation with his " opportunity". Walt may have to trade him to get Robinson or XPaul an AB. Outfielders just gotta hit more than that.

 

[chico ruiz]

not sure what game you were watching john. it was a fastball about belt high on the inside corner. may have looked higher because cozart was leaning over. it was definitely tailing in. 2 seamer or cutter doesn't matter. it had decent movement, but could have been bunted.

 

[JohnU]

I suppose "up around the letters" is a catch-all.
My comments were intended to be pretty general about bunting. I think the entire craft of pitching is light years ahead of the hitters now.

 

[eburg5000]

Well anyway doesn't look like Cozart is going to be out of the lineup for any length of time. But Hanagan could be heading to the DL with his thumb injury. It might take the Reds medical staff, a week or two to decide if its bad enough to go on the DL.

 

[chico ruiz]

here we go again. players aren't getting enough reps or opportunities because dusty doesn't call for the bunt enough in -apparently- obvious situations. "expecting execution on a whim"? come on 1507. by that logic, virtually every manager in mlb is indictable. you can do better than that. cozart didn't pull the bat in quick enough and had his finger too exposed around the bat. you can't spin everything dusty's way.

 

[JohnU]

Hanny really has no choice but to hit the DL. He can't even hit, let alone catch. A backup catcher really needs to be able to ... um ... play.