Regarding the 2004 Game 6:
I think that quote about Torre respecting the game is a bunch of nonsense. The Yankees really didn't bunt that much all season. Jeter (21 bunts) and Cairo (13) combined for 34 of the team's 48 non-pitcher bunt attempts. If you look at the game situation:
First inning: Top of the lineup (Jeter, A-Rod, Sheffield) that had such great success against Schilling in Game 1 was naturally expected to swing away to see if Schilling has anything; noone on either team knew what to expect at that point.
2nd inning: Matsui, Williams, Posada. It was again best to use the middle of the order to put the ball in play, which they did. I also do not believe Posada attempted a bunt all season.
3rd inning: Neither Sierra nor Clark are really candidates for bunting there, and Jeter came up with a guy on 2nd and 2 outs, so swinging away was the only option.
4th inning: Sheffield came up with A-Rod on first and none out. Perhaps he could have bunted, but he got a single anyway, which is a better outcome. Matsui hadn't bunted all season, and the Yankees were behind 4-0 at that point, so it's not like swinging away was the wrong choice. And there is a real risk of a double play if the bunt goes the wrong direction. Turns out the heart of the Yankees lineup went meekly, with Schilling getting a putout to help kill any chance of a big inning.
5th inning and 6th inning: Cairo came up with 2 outs in the 5th, which is not an ideal bunting situation. Perhaps Jeter could have tried to bunt his way on to start the 6th. But he also had 23 HR's and 44 2B's that season, and so it's a tough bat to take out of the lineup.
7th inning: None of the players due up (Matsui, Williams, Posada, Sierra) were bunters at that point in their careers. Williams hit the one out HR, so allowing Posada and Sierra to see what they could do with the bat was the smart play there.
It wasn't a team built to take advantage of bunting opportunities, which really weren't there to begin with.
Then there was Tony LaRussa and the Cardinals in Game 2 of the World Series:
1st inning: Swinging away with the top of that lineup (Renteria, Walker, Pujols) made perfect sense. And Pujols hit one hard. Rolen happened to hit one at Mueller to end the inning.
2nd inning: Womack led the team's positional players with bunt attempts, and he came up with Sanders on first with one out. He singled anyway. With 2 on and one out, perhaps Matheny could have attempted the bunt. But going for the big inning wasn't wrong in that situation either.
3rd inning: Marlon Anderson led off the inning, and he was a utility player that attempted one bunt all season. With the top of the order due up, and the Cards having baserunners the first 2 innings, it was not the opportunity for attempting bunts.
4th inning: Pujols led off with a double, and neither Rolen nor Edmonds are guys that normally bunt. Pujols scored anyway, cutting the Sox lead to 2-1. And while Womack did come up with a runner on 1st, there was already 2 outs.
5th inning: Renteria was up with 1 out and a runner (Matheny) on first. Probably the first true bunting opportunity. But the Cards were down by 3 at that point.
6th inning: With the heart of the lineup (Walker, Pujols, Rolen, Edmonds) due up, it's hard to criticize the strategy here.
So, among the 2 games, there was at best 1 opportunity where bunting may have made sense.