"The bunt play was a big play, as they always are in a close game."

In a bunt play, the batter loosely holds the bat in front of the plate and intentionally taps the ball into play.

He has to learn how to judge the ball off hitter's bats from a much different spot, how to handle the various types of throws from other infielders, how to react on bunt plays and how to hold runners on base.

Before Tony Womack slapped his game-tying double off Mariano Rivera in Game 7 of last year's World Series, Rivera thought the Yankees were assured of securing two outs on a bunt play.

"They're professionals and they're trying to get it right," Showalter said about the bunt play.

So, asked what caused him to be so animated about the bunt play, Showalter said: "They didn't get it right.

At the time a member of the Anaheim Angels, Belcher was pitching when then-Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park attacked him after being tagged out after a bunt play.

With Cleveland, the team practiced a play where he came in from center field to cover second on bunt plays.

Unlike Hernandez and Grace, Mientkiewicz is relatively conservative on bunt plays and believes in getting one out and not whipping the ball to second or third to get the lead runner.

John Olerud charged from first on a bunt play and caught a pop foul some 20-25 feet from home in the third, and lunged to snare a liner in the eighth.