David Ross Explains His Dumb Bunt Decision

It’s almost 24 hours later and I still can’t believe David Ross really saw the Cubs get two runners on and asked Patrick Wisdom to bunt with nobody out when the Cubs were losing 7-6 in the seventh inning. What’s worse is that his explanation to give the Reds a free out is still dumb.

It’s actually a great thing, not only because Wisdom is OK, but Ross can’t really fall back on using the hit by pitch in Wisdom’s fifth inning at-bat as an excuse to why he called the bunt. For starters, Wisdom swung perfectly fine in the ninth inning and hit a single to right field, x-rays on his wrist came back clean after the game and the wrist feels good enough that he’s back in the starting lineup on Tuesday. I get that Wisdom was still feeling some pain, but the bunt call was squarely on Ross because he thought it was the right call.

Sure, the wrist may have been a small part of the decision, but ultimately, Ross really thought that a bunt in that situation was the best thing for the Cubs.

Via the Chicago Tribune.

“In my mind, there’s a lot of good there if we get that bunt down,” Ross said. “He kept telling me it was good,” Ross added. “He’s one of our better bunters, to be honest with you, and got in a 3-1 count.”
Ross debated whether to let Wisdom swing once he reached the 3-1 count.
“I didn’t, and a bad result, but he’s a really good bunter, really good player,” Ross said. “I thought the matchup favored us getting that guy over to second and third and it just didn’t work out.”

Let’s just say Wisdom was able to get the bunt down successfully and let’s assume the Reds don’t get a force out at third base or second base, so the Cubs get runners at second and third with one out and the next THREE batters in the lineup are left-handed hitters. The Reds bring in a lefty, Ross had no intentions of pinch-hitting for Eric Hosmer, but then he pinch hit for Edwin Ríos and Tucker Barnhart.

How is that beneficial to the Cubs? I know Hosmer had a solid game, getting his third hit of the night in the ninth inning, but he’s an extreme ground ball hitter. It’s not like him making contact was going to guarantee at least one run scoring. Also, we all know that the Cubs offense is very top-heavy. There is no way you can consistently feel good about the bottom of the order coming through in big spots and that includes the guys you have pinch-hitting.

This is a greater indictment of the roster more than Wisdom, but whether you like it or not, he is currently one of the players you do want at the plate because he can create a lot of damage with one swing. Sore wrist or not, you don’t ask him to bunt in that spot, especially when you consider that the Reds pitcher couldn’t find the strike zone, fell behind 3-0 and the pitch that Wisdom popped up his bunt attempt was ball four. That would have loaded the bases with nobody out.

Also, Ross saying Wisdom is one of the better bunters on the team? Like, in bunting drills during spring training because in 1,010 MLB plate appearances he has two sac bunts. From 2015-20, Wisdom put down a grand total of three sac bunts in 2,140 plate appearances in the minor leagues.

Players have to execute on the mound, at the plate and in the field, but managers are tasked with the responsibility to put players in the best spots to succeed. David Ross failed at that big time Monday night in what ended up being a one-run loss.