Gloat Free Baseball Scores (Wednesday, May 9)

[El Supremo]

5. What is strategy?

A partial list of strategic decisions:

Setting up the starting lineup (probably the most important decision)
Giving the steal sign
Having a batter bunt when it is not expected (unlike a pitcher batting)
Putting in a lefty pitcher if the next batter(s) is right handed (no matter if the pitcher is going to hit next inning)
A squeeze play
A pick-off play
Putting in a pinch hitter because he hits well against this pitcher
Walking a batter to create a force-out situation and/or get to a poorer batter
And on...

None of these decisions have anything to do with having to contend with a pitcher's batting screwing up a rally. A substitution for the pitcher is llike getting a flu shot - a preventative measure, not a maneuver.

And since when do pitchers know how to bunt? I need to find the stats on that.