HBT: Giants’ Tejada will bunt, doesn’t have to like it

Aug. 30, 2011GIANTS PAGEGIANTS VIDEOAaron Gleeman
HardballTalk.com

With the Giants trailing the Astros by one run in the 11th inning Sunday and a runner on first base Miguel Tejada was summoned off the bench to lay down a sacrifice bunt.

Tejada successfully advanced the runner to second base, but Aaron Rowand and Mike Fontenot stranded him, the Giants eventually lost 4-3, and yesterday Tejada explained that he was both surprised and unhappy to get the bunt sign:

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"I shook my head. I was thinking I was sent up to hit. After that, I did my job. I put the bunt down. Im not the only guy who was surprised yesterday to see the bunt sign. I just work here. Whatever the manager tells me to do, I gotta do. I respect the manager and the team and my teammates. He tells me to do it, Ill do it. If thats the way Im going to help the team, Ill do it."

John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle notes that Tejada initially shook his head no several times when he saw the bunt sign from third-base coach Tim Flannery and didnt run hard to first.

RELATED: Tejada statssplitsgame logs

Tejada indicated to reporters that leg soreness kept him from hustling on the play, but then said the injury was nothing to worry about.