Your suggestions may be worthwhile. I disagree somewhat with your assessment regarding Jim Presley and his approach affecting other players. Sure, he wasn’t a good hitter in his day, and having a bad hitter be a hitting coach makes no sense. But I don’t think strikeouts and low average are as bad provided you’re walking enough to compensate. Presley didn’t, and that’s probably why he didn’t last in the bigs. But there aren’t too many guys in the lineup that are like that, Bonifacio being one of them that does strikeout too much not to be walking.

It is amazing that Fredi gets credit for the team that they’re fielding, not for his managerial prowess. But most managers only get credit for wins and losses, and honestly, how hard can it be write a good lineup card? I can do it pretty well, and I’m terrible at baseball. Managers simply don’t do enough to get credit for their team’s wins and losses. I’d say the same goes to coaches, with the exception of a few of them like Dave Duncan, who seem to make a tangible difference in the players that pass by under his tutelage.

Assuming Gonzalez will be back next year, for he is Loria’s lackey, here’s what I would like to see happen in no particular order.
1) replace the 3B coach or maybe switch him with the 1B coach…or anyone.
2) Hire a very experienced bench coach ( a Don Zimmer type) to help with in-game decisions. The comment above about Cantu still hitting #4 despite slumps and injuries is very true. If the guy has a bad wrist. or is experiencing dizzy spells from some medication, move him down in the lineup for crying out loud.
3) Possibly replace the pitching coach with someone who emphasizes situational pitch selections. These fellows have the talent yet seem to hit a developmental wall.
4) Insist that Bono be sent to minors for more seasoning…there is potential there but it shouldn’t be learned at the ML level.
5) Insist that Hermida and Pinto be traded for whatever they will bring.
6) Replace the batting coach with someone who emphasizes situational hitting and contact. Current coach was a big HR hitter who stuck out way too much and featured a low batting average…sound familiar?
7) Make Wes Helms team captain…maybe he can get these guys to run all out when they hit the ball.

One last point. JJ has not been anywhere near the same for several starts. Yes, he did win a couple of games but something isn’t right. That dominent command is gone and too many pitches miss the stike zone by too much of a margin. Someone should find out if the guy is hurt.

And, as you and Fishcrazy mentioned, the bunt in this case isn’t a very good idea, because you’re looking for a big inning to score two more runs. Down by one or tied, it may be the right call. In fact, based on Studes’ WPA calculator, the move becomes a 2% positive on our end if successful and the team was down by one.

Deborah: I know you like Andrew Miller, but you can’t deny he had a hand in the team’s loss last night by giving up the homer to Zimmerman. And aside from the homers, which probably are a bit unlucky, Volstad has been better than Miller this year. I’ll take a look at the homers Volstad has allowed to be sure though.

That’s the thing that blows my mind about this situation. As you pointed out, once he squares early it’s a sacrafice and no longer a bunt for a hit as the element of surprise is gone. If the bunt is a successful sacrafice our win expectancy goes down!
Secondly Bonifacio is absolutely horrible from the left side. I honestly feel he would have been better off working on the things that may make him a decent player in the minors this year. He is still only 24 but this was a lost year for him. He learned nothing from Fredi and the coaching staff.

The perfect example of what could have been this year happened in the 1st inning. N.J. walks and Hanley hits a 2 run bomb right behind him. If Bonifacio was batting 1st or 2nd, like he was most of the year, chances are thats a solo shot for Hanley. Ah, what could have been!