Sunday Morning QB- Spring Sports Edition

[Coach34]

1. What a great Saturday to relax and enjoy some college sports and placing a wager or 5. No powerlifting meets, no 12U baseball practice, no demands from the Ex, no more girlfriend demanding attention...just a peaceful day to watch college ball and yell at the TV with a filet cooked a perfect medium light red/pink, jazzed up creamed corn, and sautee'd squash/zuchini.

2. Let's look at basketball first. Jan has brought a tough, gritty persona to the basketball program which is who we are at Miss State. You play DEFENSE or your ass doesnt play. Defense travels in basketball when sometimes offense doesnt. SOME of our crazy fans were calling for Jan's head just 5 games ago (just a few fringe morons) but now we are riding a 5 game win streak stylin and profiling our way thru Feb with a solid 7th place in the SEC and a pretty much locked up NCAA berth

3. Hubba Hubba Hubba. Hubbard is playing very well and has given us the outside scorer this team has needed so badly. It's changed the way teams are having to defend us. It's opened up the paint more for Tolu which is seeing him work more easily. Had a smooth 19/9 last night and it didnt even seem like it. These 2 guys make us tough to deal with because it forces defenses to defend the entire half court.

4. Davis and Murphy. Both are playing their basketball right now off the bench. They have seemingly accepted their roles and are flourishing. Davis is defending well but also getting in the flow offensively much better now. Not forcing anything. Murphy's length is fantastic and he has come back more aggressive. Shaq is playing a solid PG and leading the team.

5. We've likely done enough to make the NCAA Tourney. Now we are playing for seeding. Huge game Tuesday. Kentucky is good enough to win it all and bad enough to lose in Round 1 of the NCAA's. They are really the proverbial "box of chocolates". After that is two road games at Auburn-which we wont win- and then A&M which will be tough. Finish against SC in a revenge game that we certainly need. Finish 10-8 in conference and it's been a good year. Then let's see what kind of draw we get Selection Sunday.

6. On to baseball.....It's Get It Done or be gone for Lemon. Coaching matters the least in baseball. The HC makes out the line-up and a move or three during a game and thats about it. BUT- he does set the tone for the program which is his most important job. I have never been a big supporter of his but I 100% agreed that he deserved a 3rd year post Natty. Having the school's only Natty gets you that. Especially when you are recruiting pretty well still. We dont really lack talent- altho I would argue we are a position player short- but when it comes down to it we have enough to win games and make the NCAA's. Our problem is our TONE. The baseball program has no tone. There is nothing that the program identifies as. It's just there. You cant have that. That doesnt get it done.

7. GoTro is failing as a hitting coach. Our approach at the plate is terrible. We swing at too many bad balls in advantage counts. LHP's that throw 86 absolutely carve us up on the reg because we try to jerk everything. Good teams crowd the plate against those types of guys. Punish him when he tries to get in on you and drive the ball to RCF on his soft stuff. We dont do that. It's yank yank yank. I would have been yelling that in the dugout after every hitter yesterday. But nothing from our guys.

8. Parker has improved the pitching but it's still inconsistent. Time will tell on this group. Lots of talent but little consistency. Stephen looks great then gets pummeled. Scheulke struggles vs Lefty's, Holcombe has walked 5 and hit 1 in 3.1 IP's. Ligon throws a beautiful sinker but is struggling with location. Lots to get worked out with these guys. A team ERA of 4.86 after these 7 games is disappointing

9. Any line-up with Bryce Trout hitting 4 or 5 hole is lacking a little. It's good we have Mersh and Kohler back- that makes the line-up more formidable. Slow starts by some of our guys are hurting tho. They gonna have to pick it up and get rolling. HugeSak, Hines (I want chunky Hunter back), and the other need to get it together. Hitters hit. a hitting coach can help with a thing or two- but by and large you are up there by yourself and have to perform. You know if you are trying to jerk the ball too much. You know if you the idiot that keeps getting fooled on the 2-0 change. You know if you are trying to pull an outside pitch. You know if you are swinging at bad pitches. That's the bottom line. Get it done. Baseball is an individual sport wrapped up in a team blanket. Pitchers know if they are getting too much plate on 0-2 (I cant f'ing stand pitchers that give up 0-2 hits...that's just incompetent stupidity). Pitchers know if they are nibbling and not getting ahead in counts. Fix it people. It's on you. Have some f'ing pride

10. I really like Long but its also part of our problem. Long is a leader and takes charge on the field. He called a player's only meeting and apparently aired out some grievances. Love that. But he also struggles at the plate. Cupp is an all-star in the field but he is going to struggle at the plate this year. It's tough to have 2 auto-outs hitting 8 and 9. Something has to be worked out there.

HailState

[Schultzy]

7.
and
9.

Yes, this approach at the plate you’re talking about is what I’m seeing.

[CaptainObvious]

Bulldog Bruce, who did a lot of hitting in his day, says do just the opposite of what you suggested in #7. He says batters are crowding the plate too much and need to back off so they can see the spin and also attack the baseball. I agree with him Plus it will make them more prone to let the low and away stuff go because they know they can't reach it anyway. It thru no rings you up on a pitch 3 inches off the plate, you tip your cap and try to get something middle in next at bat. When batters stand right on the inside batter box line, any swing at middle in is going to have to be quicker and tighter. Middle out you get to extent the barrel through the zone and are more likely to take it up the middle or oppo.

How many pros do you see standing so close to the plate their hands are over the inside part of the plate on a swing? I never see pros crowding the plate. I know. A 98 mph fastball encourages no plate crowding. But now we have college guys throwing 95-97 FB and 88 Sliders.

[Coach34]

Bruce knows a lot about baseball as well. There are different strategies for sure. We don’t crowd the plate- not at all. I just believe it’s something you do against soft throwing LHP’s. That’s not a strategy for everybody you face. But considering the tough time those guys give us- we need a new approach.

MLB guys will also crowd the plate. I watched a guy named Bonds do it for years while he swung a 32 inch bat

[CaptainObvious]

Bruce knows a lot about baseball as well. There are different strategies for sure. We don’t crowd the plate- not at all. I just believe it’s something you do against soft throwing LHP’s. That’s not a strategy for everybody you face. But considering the tough time those guys give us- we need a new approach.

MLB guys will also crowd the plate. I watched a guy named Bonds do it for years while he swung a 32 inch bat

Yes Bonds was a dead pull hitter later in life when his focus was more on home runs. He kept his hands in tight and was able to yank a lot of inside pitches out. At the same time Clark and Palmeiro liked to extend their arms and with quick bats they could still control their hands and pull middle of plate pitches out. I don't recall them being plate crowders but they may have been closer to it than I remember I also remember switch hitters like Chipper Jones and Mickey Mantle use different approaches from each side, so I guess it comes back to hitters hit and batters don't.

[Schultzy]

Crowd or not, I’m convinced a hands inside the ball produces more hits while pulling (jerking) pitches middle/out makes for ground outs & warning track fly outs.

[CaptainObvious]

Crowd or not, I’m convinced a hands inside the ball produces more hits while pulling (jerking) pitches middle/out makes for ground outs & warning track fly outs.

Absolutely.

[Commercecomet24]

I've never seen a team that just refuses to change approach and keep trying to pull everything! Mershon the only one who's attempting to stay up the middle or oppo! Our right handed hitters ground out to ss or strikeout and our left handed hitters ground out to 2b or strikeout. Just the most idiotic thing I've ever seen!

[Cowbell]

I've never seen a team that just refuses to change approach and keep trying to pull everything! Mershon the only one who's attempting to stay up the middle or oppo! Our right handed hitters ground out to ss or strikeout and our left handed hitters ground out to 2b or strikeout. Just the most idiotic thing I've ever seen!

What you doing for the next three months coach? We may have a spot...

[Commercecomet24]

What you doing for the next three months coach? We may have a spot...

Lol, the way these guys are being so hard headed about their approach right now might make lose my religion and pull what's left of my hair out! Heck they're almost doing it to me now just watching from afar!

[gtowndawg]

Murphy has really been a pleasant surprise. March is lining up to be fun for basketball!

[somebodyshotmypaw]

Murphy always struck me as tall and gifted offensively. But also lazy and soft. But the last few games we’ve seen a tougher and grittier side to him. He’s played better defense, he’s hustled more, he’s rebounded and fought for loose balls better. When he plays well he makes us a ton better. He’s got a ton of potential.

[MetEdDawg]

Murphy always struck me as tall and gifted offensively. But also lazy and soft. But the last few games we’ve seen a tougher and grittier side to him. He’s played better defense, he’s hustled more, he’s rebounded and fought for loose balls better. When he plays well he makes us a ton better. He’s got a ton of potential.

Jans said in his post game that Murphy didn't know how to spell defense last year. He obviously can now and gave LSU fits on the perimeter yesterday. He's a matchup nightmare for a lot of teams both offensively and defensively.

Jans has built himself a team that can go 8-9 deep and matchup a lot of different ways and still play defense. I really like what we look like right now.

[Coach34]

Jans said in his post game that Murphy didn't know how to spell defense last year. He obviously can now and gave LSU fits on the perimeter yesterday. He's a matchup nightmare for a lot of teams both offensively and defensively.

Jans has built himself a team that can go 8-9 deep and matchup a lot of different ways and still play defense. I really like what we look like right now.

agree

[smootness]

Bruce knows a lot about baseball as well. There are different strategies for sure. We don’t crowd the plate- not at all. I just believe it’s something you do against soft throwing LHP’s. That’s not a strategy for everybody you face. But considering the tough time those guys give us- we need a new approach.

MLB guys will also crowd the plate. I watched a guy named Bonds do it for years while he swung a 32 inch bat

Bonds also had the quickest hands of all time. Most will lose the ability to punish pitches inside if they crowd.

[Coach34]

Bonds also had the quickest hands of all time. Most will lose the ability to punish pitches inside if they crowd.

Not against a guy throwing 86 mph

[TNDawg35]

I watched Dakota today. He is guessing every pitch. He swings at a change up or breaking ball before it leaves the pitchers hand and his swing plane is exactly where the ball would have been had it been a fastball. Hines is hitting the ball hard when he touches it, but off speed low and away is tearing him a new one.

I do agree to some extent that they have to perform, but it is Gotro's job to put them in the best possible position to be successful. All I have ever seen him do is sit over there and fill out notes. Get off the notebook and talk to the damn hitters. My god, be a coach. Make adjustments, tell them what they are doing wrong, hell anything at this point.

You can bet your ass we are gonna see shifty lefties out of the rest of these non-con games. He better figure it out or we will drop more of them.

[maroonmania]

I watched Dakota today. He is guessing every pitch. He swings at a change up or breaking ball before it leaves the pitchers hand and his swing plane is exactly where the ball would have been had it been a fastball. Hines is hitting the ball hard when he touches it, but off speed low and away is tearing him a new one.

I do agree to some extent that they have to perform, but it is Gotro's job to put them in the best possible position to be successful. All I have ever seen him do is sit over there and fill out notes. Get off the notebook and talk to the damn hitters. My god, be a coach. Make adjustments, tell them what they are doing wrong, hell anything at this point.

You can bet your ass we are gonna see shifty lefties out of the rest of these non-con games. He better figure it out or we will drop more of them.

I'm wishing Lemon had just cleaned house last year. I'm sure he wanted to keep Gotro for his recruiting but I think we just needed a fresh approach with everything.

[Johnson85]

I'm wishing Lemon had just cleaned house last year. I'm sure he wanted to keep Gotro for his recruiting but I think we just needed a fresh approach with everything.

I'm sure it could have helped, but I don't think Gotro is the real problem. We have just been too bad across too many areas for it not to be a Lemonis issue at heart.

[MrCoachKlein]

What kind of psychopath cooks a filet past med rare. Should be mooing and borderline burnt on outside