So tell your young pitcher, a guy you want to build confidence in his ability at the big league level, hey man, we don't trust you to dot corners and not make mistakes in the middle of the plate, so put this guy on even though there's already a guy occupying first? I'm glad you're not my manager! 😉
Joking aside: no sale. Call it stupid if you want, as though Hinch can totally control outcomes like pushing buttons. I think it's merely unfortunate that the mistake went over the heart of the plate, and that we had a better chance of getting him out than giving up a bomb—again, notwithstanding 20-12 hindsight. I know this makes me (even more?) unpopular, but I'm true to how I feel about it.