Seth Heck has really helped settle our infield...

[maroonmania]

everything just looks more in sync defensively with him out there. He is pretty close to locking that position down defensively in my mind. He also is not terrible with the bat. He had our hardest hit ball of the night until the Garner base hit, a liner down the left field line that was caught but Heck ripped it good. I'm sure glad we picked him up out of JUCO late. He's not flashy out there but he looks very smooth.

[CJDAWG85]

Couldn't agree more. He has done a great job to this point.

[Drugdog]

I agree..he looks the part...Sitting with a long time Bulldog fan whose daughter was a diamond girl...We were discussing the slow start of the team.
We both agreed that the team looks bored. She commented" how could you not after last year".
Something to think about. I think we may have "Woken up" after last nights guts pitching by Ross and clutch hits in the 8.
I believe the HORRIBLE CALL AT HOME pissed our boys off.
I can say this between the Egg Bowl and last night, my Ass has been Cold!

[messageboardsuperhero]

I agree..he looks the part...Sitting with a long time Bulldog fan whose daughter was a diamond girl...We were discussing the slow start of the team.
We both agreed that the team looks bored. She commented" how could you not after last year".
Something to think about. I think we may have "Woken up" after last nights guts pitching by Ross and clutch hits in the 8.
I believe the HORRIBLE CALL AT HOME pissed our boys off.
I can say this between the Egg Bowl and last night, my Ass has been Cold!

This.

As soon as I saw Cohen leap out of the dugout after that screw job, I thought that could be the one little spark that lights the fire under our ass.

[Original48]

We were discussing the slow start of the team.
We both agreed that the team looks bored
I think this is part of it. I also think they are in search of an identity. By the end of last year that team had reached rock star status. And watching the game last night on the computer my wife kept asking 'who's that?...hey who's this guy?' After last year it's gonna take a while for guys to find their roles. And they don't need to try to force an identity. Just let it happen and play tough baseball. I can tell you this..watching that mid season lull last year I certainly didn't see Girado becoming a nasty shutdown guy, Renfroe becoming a hero, Rea turning into the most clutch player on the team, a group called the 'bench mobb' garnering celebrity status and I definitely did not see us playing in front of over 20,000 hungry MSU fans for a national championship. These guys are trying to find out who they are. It will come.

[Dawgface]

I agree..he looks the part...Sitting with a long time Bulldog fan whose daughter was a diamond girl...We were discussing the slow start of the team.
We both agreed that the team looks bored. She commented" how could you not after last year".
Something to think about. I think we may have "Woken up" after last nights guts pitching by Ross and clutch hits in the 8.
I believe the HORRIBLE CALL AT HOME pissed our boys off.
I can say this between the Egg Bowl and last night, my Ass has been Cold!
You never know in baseball. We could get on a win streak and be 16-4 before you know it. Most won't even remember the slow start if that happens. Not saying its going to happen, but we could get on a roll.

[I seen it dawg]

I think this is part of it. I also think they are in search of an identity. By the end of last year that team had reached rock star status. And watching the game last night on the computer my wife kept asking 'who's that?...hey who's this guy?' After last year it's gonna take a while for guys to find their roles. And they don't need to try to force an identity. Just let it happen and play tough baseball. I can tell you this..watching that mid season lull last year I certainly didn't see Girado becoming a nasty shutdown guy, Renfroe becoming a hero, Rea turning into the most clutch player on the team, a group called the 'bench mobb' garnering celebrity status and I definitely did not see us playing in front of over 20,000 hungry MSU fans for a national championship. These guys are trying to find out who they are. It will come.

Hmmm...almost like you've been on a real team before that has to go through these things on the field and in the locker room. Not necessarily baseball.

[Goat Holder]

I'll admit I was a little bit wrong on Heck. He's not as physically gifted as Britton, but he HAS brought an intangible benefit to the table. I'm still an advocate of Britton, I think his talent is almost too much to keep off the field. Anybody who watched them in the fall knows how good he is in practice anyway. Maybe he takes 2B next year, or even 3B this year or next. He's certainly got the arm. I would really like to see Humphreys lock it down in the field and plate next year, but that just doesn't seem to be happening with anyone.

I think we know now that Garner has to be the DH, so that means Detz at 3B. So really the only shot Britton has to play 3B is Detz just completely sucking, which I doubt will happen.

[thedawg]

We really need Heck to hit... Badly

[The Croom Diaries]

I'll admit I was a little bit wrong on Heck.

I knew I would win, just didn't know it would be 11 games into the season.

And since you asked me to save the thread where I said Heck was a better defender than Britton, and you said that was completely false, here you go: http://www.elitedawgs.com/showthread.php?12687-Who-s-going-to-be-the-DH

[maroonmania]

I'll admit I was a little bit wrong on Heck. He's not as physically gifted as Britton, but he HAS brought an intangible benefit to the table. I'm still an advocate of Britton, I think his talent is almost too much to keep off the field. Anybody who watched them in the fall knows how good he is in practice anyway. Maybe he takes 2B next year, or even 3B this year or next. He's certainly got the arm. I would really like to see Humphreys lock it down in the field and plate next year, but that just doesn't seem to be happening with anyone.

I think we know now that Garner has to be the DH, so that means Detz at 3B. So really the only shot Britton has to play 3B is Detz just completely sucking, which I doubt will happen.

Sorry, I just don't have any confidence in Britton. I don't deny he is very talented but you can't have a guy at SS that is not dependable. All of the things you are saying about him now were said when he was a FR but once he was out on the field he had the same issues and that is he is not reliable and you can't count on him to make the routine plays. And hopefully Humphreys will come along and help us during the year, but for right now we can't take out Detz's bat when Humphreys is apparently not really ready in the field or at the plate just yet.

[Goat Holder]

Thanks, you saved me from looking that up, although I did anyway:


Britton is a good fielder but if he's starting at SS it's because of his offense. Seth Heck is the best fielder on the team. I wouldn't be surprised if he spells Britt late in games for defense.

That is still an insanely stupid statement. None if it is true. You also said this on 2/24:


I agree. SS is a huge issue right now. We've gone from having a guy who had a couple of hits per game and made every play in the field to a .136 average through 8 games and a few errors. Heck hit really well in fall ball, and considering that he won a gold glove with only 1 error all year in juco he's a solid fielder. It may be something like he's been sick or has some type of injury we don't know about. Keep in mind last year Cohen hid Trey Porter's eye troubles the entire year until the end and no one knew about it.

You said that Britton starts because of his offense, then you acknowledge he's a .136 hitter. Then you praise Heck's hitting (which has been shitty), but in the other post you say he's the best defender on the team.

So in other words, you lose (whatever that means). And furthermore, you contradicted yourself. And I'm bi-polar, right? Ha.

All Britton's got to do is clear out his head, and he's the starting SS. Heck was a safety measure (and a smart one). Cohen said as much in his press conference. We're a better team with Britton fulfilling his potential as SS. I wouldn't mind him at 3B due to his cannon of an arm.

[The Croom Diaries]

I didn't contradict myself. I said IF Britton is starting it is because of his offense. I didn't say Britton starts because of his offense. I said IF.

I don't care what Britt does in practice. Devon Bell is an all-American in practice but he sucks in games too. I saw how much Britton sucked in the field his freshman year, and how Heck actually played well IN ACTUAL GAMES in juco. Thus I think Heck is a better defender until proven otherwise. And so far he's proving my point.

So if Heck is a better defender in my opinion, then in my opinion the only reason Britton would start is because he is hitting better. And I don't care who hits better in practice. In-game production is what I'm talking about. They are both .250ish type hitters, so the defense is going to carry the weight.

[Goat Holder]

I didn't contradict myself. I said IF Britton is starting it is because of his offense. I didn't say Britton starts because of his offense. I said IF.
But the problem is, he WAS starting. Cohen chose to put him on the field. He started him as a true freshman too. Has to be a reason for that. And it's likely what he does in:


I don't care what Britt does in practice. Devon Bell is an all-American in practice but he sucks in games too. I saw how much Britton sucked in the field his freshman year, and how Heck actually played well IN ACTUAL GAMES in juco. Thus I think Heck is a better defender until proven otherwise. And so far he's proving my point.
Your point about practice players is taken, but I think we all understand that principle. Britton lights it up in practice and his talent is undeniable. Cohen agrees. That's why he's always gotten first shake at the job. You've got to give talent a chance to shine. That's the conundrum.

Britton makes plays that Heck can't. Similar to Humphreys. He makes plays that Detz simply cannot. But at this point, it's sound to play Heck and Detz because the light hasn't clicked on for Britton and Humphreys. For Humphreys it's understandable, he's a freshman. Britton is a little more concerning. It's not hard to understand this principle, but correcting it is. Maybe he's not working hard, who knows. You say he sucked in 2012? No way. He made some errors like all do, but he also turned some eye-popping double plays.

Heck should be starting, but Britton has more potential. It's really as simple as that at this point.

ETA: That's the frustration that I alluded to the other day, why our talented players aren't taking positions. Britton, Norris, Bole, Woodruff. That's a lot of scholarship money sitting on the bench while 'solid' JUCO guys start.

[Original48]

Sorry, I just don't have any confidence in Britton. I don't deny he is very talented but you can't have a guy at SS that is not dependable. All of the things you are saying about him now were said when he was a FR but once he was out on the field he had the same issues and that is he is not reliable and you can't count on him to make the routine plays.
I'm in this camp. There's just something about him that I can't put my finger on. He's like a Polk II player. He just doesn't seem to have the mental and physical toughness that position demands.

[Coach34]

Britton has the most talent- but cant put it together- for whatever reason. We have to be strong defensively thru the middle- and Heck is giving us that right now...

We arent missing Renfroe- it's losing our SS and catchers that is hurting this team so far