Reader's Choice

This is a new feature to JerseySounder where one of my loyal readers get to choose a topic for me to discuss. This weeks entry comes from my good friend T-Gasp (not to be mistaken with WWE wrestler Shad Gaspard) who is quite fired up over a recent botched suicide squeeze.

I am unable to find video of the entire at bat, but here is the situation. The M's, losers of three gut wrenching defeats the weekend before, played the Rangers, a team they will most likely be battling for first all season long, at home on Friday night. After nine innings the game remained tied 0-0. In the bottom of the 11th with the bases loaded and one out, Eric Byrnes stepped up to bat.

Before I get to Byrnes' at-bat, allow me to play a little Monday Morning QB. What do we know? Well, we know that Eric Byrnes is an above average defensive outfielder who, when signed, seemed to fit perfectly with the M's philosophy. He was meant to be a situational outfielder and nothing more. Yet here he was with the bat in his hands when the game was on the line. Let's look at his average yearly stats - 88 games, .258 average, 10 hr, 36 rbis. Nothing spectacular. Here is the most damning stat of them all - in 11 years he has attempted 9 sacrifice bunts. For you math majors, thats less than 1 a season.

This is what I have a problem with. You have to know your personnel as a manager. You have bases loaded with Ichiro on third, one out and a guy who never bunts at the plate. A fly ball to anywhere in the park will probably bring home the run. A ball on the ground is no automatic double play because Byrnes has some speed. Yet Wakamatsu pretends that he is in the NL and bunts with Byrnes at bat. I'm sorry, I just think its a terrible call. Let him swing. I know no one has scored to that point and that the bases were left loaded in the 10th, but seriously, only the Mets screw up like this.

Ok, that being said, you're a major league hitter and the manager tells you to bunt. You have to get it down. At least foul it off, but don't let it get past you. There is a 5% chance Ichiro scores on the play if you miss the ball. By now you know what happened. Watch the beauty right here. Yeah, it was terrible. I just have to wonder if Byrnes is the M's scapegoat for a 11-12 start amidst all of the heightened expectations. After all, Wakamatsu was partially to blame.

Of course that's just my opinion. T-Gasp had the following to say: "I was watching live and cussed so much that I got in trouble with the wife." He called Byrnes a "So. Cal surfer looking douchebag" and was not encouraging of his future with the M's, noting that "Someone needs to take away his glove, uniform and 'man-card' and never allow him another shot at bat in the big show." well, T, The M's cut him on Sunday so may never have to look at him again.

To help ease the pain, I offer this video on how to properly perform the squeeze.