But just letting things go and still losing to USA would definitely have an impact on the rest of the year.
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Amazing when Bear Bryant did this kind of thing, he was called a great coach. Guess times have changed.
First of all, Andruw Jones wasn't as good as Willie Mays defensively or Ken Griffey, Jr., among others. He's overrated at best, lazy at worst.
Second of all Cox had other outfielders to use.
Thirdly we did try to win the ****ing game by putting the best available players on the field that we could late. You know how I know that? Because of Cann's interview after the game where he told the media that you either give full effort (paraphrase because I know that's not the exact and you're going to nitpick it) you're going to be sitting by him on the bench.
On top of that, I have seen MLB teams use pitchers in the OF before too. I remember the Cubs doing it a few years ago. I remember the Cardinals doing it with Todd Worrell against the Mets in the 80's and then double switching out for a L/R match-up.
The BOTTOM LINE is what he did wasn't risky statistically speaking. NOTHING happened in terms of injury- which is not shocking given the odds. And if you think we weren't trying to win the game- you're clueless. And going after Cann for putting the best players available to us at the time- and remember the Braves can't legally call up players in the middle of a game because of MLB roster rules so get out of here with that bullshit as if the guys at AAA are just as good anyway- and then saying that he "gave up" because he took out players that were already giving HALF ASSED EFFORT and weren't going to change in that moment anyway is contradictory at worst and just plain baseball ignorant at best.
We can't have coaches that yell, or do things that might hurt our players feelings. Or maybe they're just sports/baseball ignorant.
Some of these guys sound like my Mom telling me I could have gotten into an accident on I-55 when I was driving there in high school. Even though- guess what? It didn't happen.
I mean, I can't wrap around my head that they think our coach actually "quit" because he took out players that weren't giving full effort like they should. What the hell do they want? And then because he had to put in pitchers because we're down to like 23 guys or whatever it is they're mad because "someone could have gotten hurt?" And to top it off- NO ONE EVEN GOT HURT!
It's ludicrous.
Yep. I know one thing for sure and without question, the first time you give in and don't correct lollygagging and lack of effort it becomes epidemic and you're screwed. Baseball really is different than a lot of sports because it moves at a more leisurely pace and sometimes it's easy(especially with young,young players) to lose focus and sometimes reality has to hit them upside the head. Had a coach years ago used to call those little teaching moments "brain dusters".
Griffey better than andruw? Lol
UZR...
KG = -110
AJ = 128.8
Def value on fangraphs...
KG = -39.6
AJ = 281.3
Willie mays' best Def value on fangraphs was 20.1 in '54. Andruw topped that 8 times with a max at 38.5
Baseball reference disagrees with you also.
dWAR...
AJ = 24.1
KG = 1.3
WM = 18.1
Using unrefined defensive metrics to prove a point?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rpkco2rHsKc
Times Andruw Jones was pulled for loafing? At least twice.
The only people that think that Andruw Jones is best CF of all time are Braves homers.
This would be like me claiming that Ozzie Smith is a better SS than Derek Jeter solely because of his defense.
Ok, let me see if I can address a few points:
1. Pilk is from South MS, just 20 minutes away from Mobile and USA's campus. He wasn't going to pitch, but his family and hometown friends were there. So let the kid play.
2. Pilk played 1B in HS too, and could crank the ball. But from the look of last night and how he waved at the 3rd strike, he's not picked up a bat in a while. So he could play 1B, but would be a liability at the plate until he got more comfortable batting again. Dual position threat, hardly, but in a pinch, could be.
3. Cann showed NO fire last night and showed me that he didn't care about a mid-week game. There were 2 questionable calls on bang/bang plays at first that from my eye were dead wrong and both went in USA's favor. Cann should have been in the ump's face for that. He did get catcher interference called on USA and we got a free base runner, but still those other plays were difference makers too.
It's dumb if you're a Braves homer. Of course I don't particularly care for players that are lazy and based on this thread you obviously have no problem with that.
MLB Network did a list of the top 9 CF's of all time and Jones didn't even MAKE THE LIST. Griffey, Jr. did. I guess they're dumb too.