“Sacrifice means you are giving up something. In this instance, you’re giving up an out to the opposition. There are only three an inning, and they should be treasured….You have to know that the one or two runs you’re bunting for will win the game. If not, it doesn’t make much sense to bunt. Bunting in the second or third inning is beyond me. No one alive knows that early in the game if his pitcher is only going to give up one or two runs or five runs.”

 

That’s Earl of course, courtesy of Tom Scocca.

Also, from Beyond the Box Score:

Prior to Weaver’s arrival in mid-1968, the Orioles typically bunted as much or more than the average team (78 bunts per year vs 75 for the league). With Weaver at the helm, the Orioles still used the sac bunt, but they did so an average of 20% less than the rest of the league. If you just isolate 1972-1986, Weaver’s Orioles averaged 27% less bunts than the league, reaching over 40% in five different seasons.

 

Weaver did not manage the Orioles in 1983 or 1984, but when he returned for the 1985 and 1986 seasons the team’s sac bunts again remained well below league average.