Ogasawara's WBC Failure

I believe Matsunaka got hurt and didn't make the cut (I could be mistaken on this though).

I can't believe I'm going to say this but removing Ogasawara from the lineup (and overall team) would be a bad idea. The bottom line is: Ogasawara draws and is good for business. I was in the outfield for all the Japan WBC games and it seemed that most fans were the proverbial "wovles in sheep's clothing," meaning they were Giants fans wearing Team Japan jerseys. Also, while some of the Giants fans around me (and you could tell who they were) were cheering the entire game, the majority of them didn't. And only when Ogasawara or Abe came up to bat did they get up and cheer for the team.

But try to give Hara a little credit as he did bench Ogasawara in the last game of the series.

How can you give Hara credit? I can't stand him. What was that bunt in the bottom of the 8th vs. Korea? One out and you have Ichiro at 1st and Nakajima at the plate. Instead of showing some guts and let Ichiro steal 2nd, Hara plays it "super safe" and bunts Ichiro over to 2nd with their best batter so far in the WBC. I just couldn’t believe it.

And what if Ichiro would've been caught stealing, or what if Nakajima would've grounded into a double play, or grounded into a force? Then there would've have been less of a chance to score a run. Nothing is a given in this sport, so yes, while you typically bunt with NO outs and a runner on first, I can see why Hara did what he did. So even if it may look stupid, there is a method to the madness sometimes. It's better to have a small chance (however small it may be) than none at all.

I'm not the type of person to rip somebody else for choosing to play it safe, so that's why I can give Hara credit. And besides, Hara has done worse, like leaving Daisuke Ochi in for too long during the last game(?) of the Japan Series last year for example.

I honestly think that Hara was trying to morph into "なべQ" and do something crazy and unexpected, but he failed as no one can match "なべQ" in pulling a rabbit out of their hat. I do love that man, and I have no idea why he wasn't picked to lead Team Japan.

- [...] I have no idea why he [Nabe-Q] wasn't picked to lead Team Japan.

Watanabe-kantoku straight out said he didn't want the job in no uncertain terms. Much like Ochiai-kantoku. After the Olympics, it became the least wanted job in Pro Yakyu. In fact, the only person who said he wanted the job was Bobby.

What I find interesting is that so many people were calling for Hara-kantoku to "stick with what Japan does best - Small Ball" after the game with China. He does it, and now he's criticized for thinking too small.

I'm no fan of Hara's. I think that the Giants have won the last couple of Central League Pennants despite him, not because of him. But I don't envy his position where interested parties from all sides of the Small Ball issue are pushing in on him. It seems like a no-win situation for him no matter what he chooses. The only way out is to pull Nabe-Q's proverbial rabbit out of his hat (nice analogy, by the way). Then we'll all have to suffer the G-FanBoys coming out of the woodwork to congratulate his "make miracle" management.

Jim Allen's Hot Corner has some very perceptive comments on Hara and on the bunt. TV and radio commentators have a vested interest in suggesting something different, but given the level of pitching the Koreans displayed it would have been difficult to suggest what he could have done apart from the eighth innings.

Ogasawara hasn't delivered and why he was preferred to Uchikawa is probably down to team prejudice. He is a Giants player but his first out in Monday's game where he flailed ineffectively at three outside pitches to strike out is indicative of not being ready. However, Iwamura and Fukudome have also been ineffective - not everyone performs.

Unlike Ogasawara, Iwamura and Fukudome seem to have a good idea of where the strike zone is though. However, it could be interesting to see Kataoka in place of Iwamura. In the OF, Uchikawa could replace Fukudome I suppose (with Aoki shifting to centre), but Uchikawa needs to replace the ineffective first basemen.

Hara should have had Ichiro run. Over the last three years in MLB, Ichiro is 125/139 in stolen base attempts, an 89.9% success rate. This is against MLB catchers and pitchers who have seen him over and over again. He should have challenged the Korean catcher. Then you have Nakajima bunt him over to third if you really want to. "Small ball" doesn't necessarily mean "bunting."

- So even if it may look stupid, there is a method to the madness sometimes.

I'm not saying that Hara's bunt-move was stupid. All I'm saying is that he didn't show any guts. Sometimes when the game is on the line, you just need to risk it to be able to win the game. Hara didn't do that at all. By bunting Ichiro over he gave the team only one chance to score a run instead of two if Ichiro had stolen second. Would he have been successful? Well we will never know, but I don't think giving up a crucial out in the bottom of the 8th inning was the right call.

It's like when Dave Roberts stole second in game 4 of the ALCS in 2005. Everybody knew he was going to steal and yet he still managed. And because of that stolen base Boston won the game (the ALCS and eventually the World Series).

Uchikawa needs his at bats. Change Uchikawa with Ogasawara or Inaba. Hara also needs Kataoka to come in as pinch runner. He is the best base runner on the team, even better than Ichiro in my view.