Baseball Stuff

[Todd4State]

MSU transfer pitcher JP France threw today and was around 89-93 with his fastball. That's faster than what it was when was with Tulane.

Stovall and Mangum are standing out in practice and LA and Stovall are fighting for the SS job still.

Tanner Allen is probably going to start somewhere- second base or outfield.

Cardinals stuff:

Good to see the Cardinals bring back Jose Oquendo. Matheny needs to have his back when the players bitch about him making them do extra infield work. In all honesty, Oquendo probably should be the manager. Willie McGee is another good hire that should help with baserunning and outfield defense. Mike Schildt is moving to bench coach. The pitching coach market is the best I've ever seen. I'd like to see the Cardinals hire Jim Hickey but I'm afraid that he will go to the Cubs to be back with Maddon since they were together in Tampa Bay. Cal Eldred would probably be my second choice on that front. Ideally I would like to get Hickey and Eldred. Dave Righetti would be up there too.

Oquendo and McGee will improve two of the Cardinals weaker areas- defense and baserunning. Paul DeJong probably needs Oquendo more than anyone. I'm expecting some moves this offseason now that the FBI/Astros hacking scandal has been dealt with but we'll see how that goes. Mo is just as much a part of the problem as anyone with his lack of moves and making terrible moves like signing Mike Leake to a five year deal and if the team doesn't perform again, I could see him blaming Matheny and axing him.

I expect Dakota Hudson to be called up next year- if they don't trade him.

[Hasu Dackds]

Not going to lie, I'm finding it very hard to get fired up for baseball considering the following three things:

- Stadium situation. I know it's a means to an end but I think it's going to be kinda terrible this year. I just remember what a pretty good Alabama team went through in 2015, not having a decent home field to play in.

- 80/20 rule. 80% of your production comes from 20% of your team. Best teams usually have 2 guys that carry the rest. We don't have much after Mangum unless somebody steps up. Where's the power coming from? Not sure McNamee or Vansau can be the 'guy'. Good players, yes, but the anchor?

- Still a team full of Cohen guys. May not mean much, but I'll feel better when the team is all Cannizaro croots.

[Tbonewannabe]

Not going to lie, I'm finding it very hard to get fired up for baseball considering the following three things:

- Stadium situation. I know it's a means to an end but I think it's going to be kinda terrible this year. I just remember what a pretty good Alabama team went through in 2015, not having a decent home field to play in.

- 80/20 rule. 80% of your production comes from 20% of your team. Best teams usually have 2 guys that carry the rest. We don't have much after Mangum unless somebody steps up. Where's the power coming from? Not sure McNamee or Vansau can be the 'guy'. Good players, yes, but the anchor?

- Still a team full of Cohen guys. May not mean much, but I'll feel better when the team is all Cannizaro croots.

Are there any redshirt, Juco, or true freshmen that could put some pop in the lineup? Pitching should be pretty damn good if we are getting a possible SEC starter from France. We will go to having Pilk and piecing it together to a quality Midweek guy who would have started probably on Saturdays on last years team.

[confucius say]

The strength of this team should be its pitching staff.

I believe Cann will find a way to score some runs. I expect us to run more this year than last.

[Hasu Dackds]

Are there any redshirt, Juco, or true freshmen that could put some pop in the lineup? Pitching should be pretty damn good if we are getting a possible SEC starter from France. We will go to having Pilk and piecing it together to a quality Midweek guy who would have started probably on Saturdays on last years team.
They could but I've learned to not expect much from JUCO and then be pleasantly surprised if we get something. But to answer your question, Pener and Gilbert.

Beyond that I think if Skelton gets his mind right he can be a star.

[Tbonewannabe]

They could but I've learned to not expect much from JUCO and then be pleasantly surprised if we get something. But to answer your question, Pener and Gilbert.

Beyond that I think if Skelton gets his mind right he can be a star.

It seems if nothing else, Canny has improved our gap power so we have the power and speed to get extra bases. It might be that our extra base hits go up but our homeruns go down. It is hard to lose a Triple Crown winner and not take a step back offensively. If we stay healthy then we probably have an increase at every position but 1st base.

[The Federalist Engineer]

Not going to lie, I'm finding it very hard to get fired up for baseball considering the following three things:

- Stadium situation. I know it's a means to an end but I think it's going to be kinda terrible this year. I just remember what a pretty good Alabama team went through in 2015, not having a decent home field to play in.

- 80/20 rule. 80% of your production comes from 20% of your team. Best teams usually have 2 guys that carry the rest. We don't have much after Mangum unless somebody steps up. Where's the power coming from? Not sure McNamee or Vansau can be the 'guy'. Good players, yes, but the anchor?

- Still a team full of Cohen guys. May not mean much, but I'll feel better when the team is all Cannizaro croots.

Alabama is a mentally weak Baseball culture, cannot be compared to us. I'm not worried about the stadium because it's college baseball and there is no such thing as an intimidating home field outside of drunk LSU people. Baseball crowds are basically professionals and beautiful coeds.

We will have more team power because our coach emphasizes physicality. He drives fitness, strength, and powerful bodies. Vansau, Mac, and LA will be power hitters this year. That's not counting the big bodied freshmen that will only get better as the season gives them experience. The coach has mentioned the power of Foscue specifically...but Westburg and Lovell are big kids too

Cohen's party boys are gone...from Ryan Cyr to Reed Smith. This is a Cannizzaro squad now.

[bulldogcountry1]

I'm pretty excited to see what Cann can do now that he actually has a chance to coach and implement his plan.

AND we have the same pitching coach for the first time in a while, so that can only help.

[Randolph Dupree]

I think many of the guys made progress in summer ball and they've been putting in WORK in the weight room. I think we are going to see some guys step up and be much improved and with more power. Anxious to see how the pitching staff comes together and how a full year under Cann looks. FWIW I'm only mildly concerned about the field situation, the guys know it's coming and you have to remember these guys grew up traveling all over to play ball and home field advantage isn't the same as it is with football and basketball.

[Hasu Dackds]

Yeah I noticed some of them were throwing some 500+ lb deadlifts

[Dawg-gone-dawgs]

any chance Halter makes it to campus?

[Todd4State]

Alabama is a mentally weak Baseball culture, cannot be compared to us. I'm not worried about the stadium because it's college baseball and there is no such thing as an intimidating home field outside of drunk LSU people. Baseball crowds are basically professionals and beautiful coeds.

We will have more team power because our coach emphasizes physicality. He drives fitness, strength, and powerful bodies. Vansau, Mac, and LA will be power hitters this year. That's not counting the big bodied freshmen that will only get better as the season gives them experience. The coach has mentioned the power of Foscue specifically...but Westburg and Lovell are big kids too

Cohen's party boys are gone...from Ryan Cyr to Reed Smith. This is a Cannizzaro squad now.

Well said. Plus Alabama playing in Hoover would be like us playing at Smith-Wills all year.

[Todd4State]

any chance Halter makes it to campus?

Better than you would think.

[Hasu Dackds]

Well said. Plus Alabama playing in Hoover would be like us playing at Smith-Wills all year.

Yeah except another 1:15 away.

Not to mention the sheer number of road games we will be playing. "Weak baseball culture", what does that even mean? They are 18-22 year old kids.

[The Federalist Engineer]

Yeah except another 1:15 away.

Not to mention the sheer number of road games we will be playing. "Weak baseball culture", what does that even mean? They are 18-22 year old kids.

Great Baseball Culture = LSU (Expect to be National Champs every year)

Strong Baseball Culture= MSU (Expect to be in Super Regionals every year)

Competitive Baseball Culture = USM (Expect to be in a Regional every year)

Weak Baseball Culture = Bama (Softball has more fans than baseball)

[TStationDawg]

I couldn't be more fired up about this year. And not because I expect us to be great but because I believe this year will be a turning point when we look back on how we got to our first NC as a program. The strides we are making in recruiting: phenomenal. The stadium we are building: phenomenal. The upgrade in coaching, IMHO: phenomenal. There MAY be some growing pains this year, but to me, they are necessary to move forward and I'm glad we are taking the steps. I am enjoying "the process" that is currently underway for our program.

[I seen it dawg]

I don’t think everyone quite understands what we’ve hired as our head baseball coach.

[basedog]

I don’t think everyone quite understands what we’ve hired as our head baseball coach.

Same with our football coach ISID!