and the coach to whom you may be referring at least once each year had a player lob a ball to first instead of “step and throw.” I do not know if a high lob is a physical or a mental error. If his sin was not showing that he cares enough, ok. Perhaps he should have done as you suggested. He was stoic. He came back to get the next hitter on three pitches, and I imagine Hinch will take care of any perceived lack of competitiveness. I also do not know what he said to Hinch or to his teammates in the dugout or in the clubhouse. Maybe he said “my bad” to them.
Not you necessarily because I always thing the best of you, but much of the profane venom on here, in my opinion, is directed at his past, not his performance. No one on this team loses composure because of a mistake, not even a big home run or a crucial high lob from SS, and that is good. That coach you had also did not tolerate negative shows of emotion or fits of pique.
Lollygagging a routine out on a speedy runner because you elected to not hustle is a mental error pure and simple.
If he fields, turns , and throws a strike to first, ballgame over and he doesn't have to strike out the next guy with 2 on.
100 percent mental to me.
And who gives a shit what other people's motivations are for being pissed. Osunu fucked up, stupidly. Giving a team 4 outs is never a good thing.
Happy ending is he came back and got the next guy, but that doesn't make a really terrible mental error any better.