[Grandstander]

With a good general awareness of the real odds in play for managerial decisions, I tend not to fault managers when something backfires, the odds are typically so close to 50-50 on most moves. Sometimes managers will buck the odds to play a hunch, or because he knows something is going on with particular players which alter the seeming odds.

Now and again though, a manager will do something so extremely foolish that one is left wondering what he possibly could have been thinking.

Such was the case last night with John McLaren of the Mariners. The situation was this: The A's went into the bottom of the ninth with a one run lead and their closer Houston Street on the mound. The first batter for Seattle was Ichiro! and he wound up drawing a walk. The next batter was seconbaseman Jose Lopez, a .319 hitter who was already 4 for 4 on the night. I was fully expecting Lopez to take a few pitches while Ichiro! stole secondbase, and thus was hoping that Street could get in a couple of good strikes while Lopez was taking. Instead, Streets first pitch was high and outside.....and Lopez lunged up after it....in order to bunt. I was shocked, here was a situation where one of the league's very best baserunners is on first, no one is out, a hot, hot hitter was at the plate...and he's ordered to bunt???

Well, bunt he did, popping the ball weakly in the air in foul territory where it was easily caught by the A's firstbaseman. Ichiro! remained at first. After Raul Ibanez flied out, with no attempt at a steal by Ichiro!, Adrian Beltre came to the plate as the Mariner's last hope. Now we have a situation where Ichiro! getting thrown out on a steal attempt will end the ballgame in the A's favor.....and now McLaren sends him. He was safe, but what a foolish risk it was. A few pitches later, Beltre grounded out to end the game.

Anyone understand what McLaren might have been thinking with all this?