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Exactly. There is a perception that to hit home runs you have to pull the ball. IMO you hit more if you use the whole field because it makes you more difficult to pitch to and therefore you get more balls to hit because you are able to handle more pitches.Quote:
Originally Posted by archdog
And let's talk about some elephants in the room as far as pitching goes.
If we make it to a fourth game- Pico (I'm assuming) might be pitching for that third spot in the rotation with Auger. You HAVE TO consider Auger for the third spot now I would imagine regardless of how it plays out in the SEC Tournament.
And because of Auger's Greg Maddux impression we still have our entire bullpen available for tomorrow at least. Obviously, that's huge in the SEC Tournament where it is a pitching staff meat grinder. Having Hardin, Davis, Dohm, and Schuelke available to go tomorrow when we likely expected them to pitch in a bullpen game today is huge. I'm not sure that we can use Auger any more unless we somehow end up in the championship game but let's be honest- he did his job.
It cannot be overstated how special of a night Brooks Auger had. That was Bednar levels of dominance. If he can maintain that, all of a sudden we become REAL DANGEROUS. All of a sudden you could have a rotation of Khal, Cjintje, and double barrel Pico and Auger on Sunday. You also have a 4th starter if you get in a losers bracket
My hitting take: Stop standing on top of the plate trying to pull outside pitches. Sooooo damn many kids are being taught to do this it's killing them! A good pro player can get away with it, the average high school/college player cannot. Selling a kid he can do what pro guys do is an injustice.
Now for State, I get aggravated with us but we don't generally K at a high rate under Geaut. I think it's more on the players lack of ability than on Geaut's coaching really. We know he likes to grind down pitchers, which can get tiring, but it works when you've got players with the ability to adjust. We lack those players.
As for this team, they're all over the place. We could beat anyone or lose to anyone. We're so wildly inconsistent all over. One minute I think we're getting hot and going to roll, next I'm cussing them. Again, talent has to improve to correct that.
Cooter, I've been seeing that hitting approach taught for years and it's being taught at a young age too! It drives me crazy. I taught my players to use the big part of the field, try to drive it right back up the middle. That approach allows you to let the ball travel and be able to hit with authority to all parts of the field. It's called balance and young hitters are not being taught that. Everyone at every level is all caught up in launch angle and exit velo that basic fundamentals are not being taught anymore. I've seen kids as young as 6-7 being coached on launch angle and exit velo, lol. There's a lot of bad teaching being done right now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cooterpoot
This team is very mercurial. We could literally win it all or go out early.
Launch angle and exit velo are like the shiny toys with the bells and whistles. They get your eyes big and fire you up. It's a modern sales pitch because selling hard work doesn't go over much anymore. In reality, exit velo and launch angle work themselves out by getting stronger and working your ass off which brings consistency.Quote:
Originally Posted by Commercecomet24
Nailed it! Just like spin rate and velo. Lot of guys making a lot of money now trying to teach that kind of stuff too! Can you imagine an 8 year old worrying about spin rate, fb velo, exit velo or launch angle when they don't even know how to play the game yet, but its happening out there every single day! Teach kids proper fundamentals and hard work and all of that will take care of itself. We've got a mutual friend that's coached in mlb for a long, long time and he told me once he doesn't really even project what a kid will do until he hits puberty and starts to develop their core, before that point they need to be taught fundamentals and hard work. Baseball requires many many reps and hard work. The rest will take care of itself.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cooterpoot
I just don't understand that line of thinking at any age before like 16. From ages 8 to like Jr High, all I cared about was getting on base. It embarrassed me to strike out or to not get on base. Now it feels like there's 8-10 yr olds that strike out, ground out, or fly out and wear it like a badge of honor because their bat speed was really good.Quote:
Originally Posted by Commercecomet24
I've always said that those types of numbers(bat speed, launch angle, etc.) were just numbers that parents used to brag about their kids when they went 0-4 with 3Ks
I think DJ and Hines need to follow the old Ron Polk philosophy, make hard contact and put the ball in play. I believe they are over thinking and trying to overdo.
To be fair, Hines smoked that last ball. Furness just made a great play.Quote:
Originally Posted by ScooterDog
When he hit i immediately thought, tie game. Kid made a great play cause that ball was smoked.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cooterpoot
Off the bat it looked like it was down the line and into the corner. And in Hoover, and even with Hines speed, that is a triple. It honestly reminded me a lot of Drew McGowan's hit against TCU in the season opening tournament in Arlington in 21. He roped it and the 1B just made a hell of a playQuote:
Originally Posted by Commercecomet24
Yeah, after furniss made that play, I just thought it's not our night. I mean we helped a ball over the fence for them(no blame to Hujsak as it would've been a hekcuva play) Dakota smoked a ball that would've been out in most parks and then fat furniss manages to dive and come up with hines shot and just looked like it was gonna be one of them games. I did have a lot of confidence with Hujsak batting and thank goodness he was the one hitting in that spot because he seems to have that clutch gene. He's a lot like Macnamee to me.Quote:
Originally Posted by StarkVegasSteve
He does. That's why I prefer him in clutch situations over just about anyone on the team. There's actually a few similarities between this team and that 18 team because Mershon is a better version of Hunter Stovall.Quote:
Originally Posted by Commercecomet24
I agree! And you know one thing with Hujsak hitting in a clutch spot he's definitely gonna battle and he's gonna put the ball in play. If DJ and can produce some and with getting Dohm and Pico back and seeing that Auger can handle the spotlight we may be in for a good run. The bullpen is still a question mark but it looks like Davis has cemented the closers role and if Hardin can do what he's done pretty much all season outside a couple of bad outings we've got the 8th and 9th covered, just need middle relief to be solid(hopefully that's where one of Dohm, Pico or Auger can step up).Quote:
Originally Posted by StarkVegasSteve
Quote:
Originally Posted by Commercecomet24
Yea it's big getting Pico and Dohm back with Auger showing what he has as of late because now you have:
Starters: Stephen, Cjintje, Pico/Dohm/Auger
Middle/Long Relief: Dohm, Auger, Pico
Matchup: Schuelke
Relief: Hardin, Davis
I would love for Stevens to emerge and be a matchup lefty guy but I just feel like his confidence is shot for this year.
NoQuote:
Originally Posted by HoopsDawg
With Auger emerging, Pico and Dohm along with Khal and Lo our starting pitching is pretty deep, and if we can just get the right mix in middle relief, with Hardin and Davis at then we maybe cooking with gas. I think I would keep Auger in that 3 spot and use Dohm and Pico in the middle, unless we face someone that doesn't hit leftys well and then you can go with Pico. Getting those 2 back has really added some options for us on the mound. I think you're righ about Stevens, may just need to let him watch and learn rest of the year or give him some batters when we're way up or way behind(hope not) to maybe get his feet under him again in case we need him if we make a deep run.Quote:
Originally Posted by StarkVegasSteve
I tend to agree. I know Brooks is going to go out there and pound the zone. We may not get 13Ks to 12 balls every time out, but he's going to put it in the zone and if they hit it, he trusts the guys behind him. I also know we can stretch him. Still would make me a little skittish extending Dohm past 3-4 innings.Quote:
Originally Posted by Commercecomet24
Amazing how good a pitcher can be when he gets ahead in counts and doesnt walk people! Auger is gaining more confidence each time he pitches. Yeah Nate isnt at the point where we can extend him right now but if he can give us 2 innings or 3 in middle relieft dang that would be awesome!Quote:
Originally Posted by StarkVegasSteve
And I thought that was the biggest thing last night. He was always working ahead and he was hitting his spots. Even on the Furniss HR, he hit his spot. Furniss just had a better swing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Commercecomet24