Perkins' late bunt provides valuable lesson

This story was excerpted from Adam McCalvy’s Brewers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ANAHEIM – The romanticized view is that every professional athlete wants to take the last shot, to see the Hail Mary pass heaved his way, or to take the final at-bat in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Kudos to Brewers outfielder Blake Perkins for reminding us that sports are a human endeavor. His bunt in the bottom of the ninth inning of Friday’s 6-5 loss to the Reds, and Perkins’ very real reaction when cameras found him in the clubhouse, reminded everyone that even the athletes who have reached the pinnacle of their profession sometimes deal with doubt.

“I still have those thoughts,” said Brewers veteran Rhys Hoskins. “Heck, I had those thoughts [Friday] night. I think it happens more often than you think. I don’t think anybody is immune to it, even if it feels like there are guys like that.”

Hoskins played with a couple of them, not only stars Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, but also still-developing hitters like Alec Bohm, who would knock someone over for a chance at a game-winning at-bat. Brewers hitting coach Ozzie Timmons got the same vibe in his playing career from teammates running the gamut from Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. and Ryne Sandberg to very good players like Shawon Dunston.

Some hitters yearn to be in those spots. But even then, the possibility of failure greatly exceeds the likelihood of success. That’s baseball.

“Being in that situation is a privilege,” Christian Yelich said. “I’ve made plenty of outs in that situation to lose the game, and I’ve also gotten hits to win. So in order to be the hero, you have to sometimes be the goat.

“We’ve all done some stuff where we’ve been like, ‘I probably shouldn’t have done that.’ That’s baseball.”

Said Hoskins: “As competitors, we love the chase for success. But on the other side of that, the failure in those big moments feels bigger. It’s not, right? It’s the same failure. But because it’s towards the end of the game or the last out, it feels bigger. That’s where the concept of 'speeding up the game' can come from.”

Part of the nebulous job of being a hitting coach at the Major League level is to help players slow down those big moments. Timmons said he was encouraged by his conversation with Perkins in the wake of Friday’s loss, saying that while it might not have been the best decision for that moment, Perkins at least went to the plate with a clear plan. That’s what coaches ask hitters to do.

“I think at this level, everybody believes in themselves. Now, can doubt creep in at some point in time?” Timmons said. “Yeah, because it’s a game of failure. But the key is, do you have a plan? Don’t go up there without a plan.

“Now, what did you learn from that? What could I have done differently?”

Credit to Perkins for admitting that the moment sped up on him Friday night, and for laying it all out there for teammates, fans and anyone else to see, saying, “I just was trying not to be the hero, I guess is the best way to put it, and obviously it was a mistake.”

And credit to Perkins for making up for it two days later, when he became the first Brewers outfielder since Jeromy Burnitz in 1997 to throw out a runner at home plate (without a relay) to end a game.

“Obviously we don’t want him to fail, but that failure can be such a catalyst for more success,” Hoskins said. “I have no doubt that ‘Perk’ or any of us in here, when we find ourselves in that situation, we’re all better for it.”

Perkins made clear in his chat with Timmons that he was eager for another opportunity in that sort of situation as soon as possible.

“And the thing about our game,” Timmons said, “is that he’s going to get one.”

Less than 48 hours later, the moment arrived.