Landon appeared Game 1. Shut down Texas.
Bednar got injured and was out a few weeks but pitched really well on the road against LSU in the first SEC series.
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Yes, but both really started dealing very late in the season. The Bednar of the CWS was nowhere to be found throughout the season. He was a good Saturday starter. In the CWS, he was an automatic win.
Sims was "allowed" to pitch 1-2 innings per weekend after that opening game against Texas. He hardly ever threw more than once per weekend during the regular season. As the season went on, he would throw 3 innings to close out a game.
There was some really good coaching in that 2021 season that won our Natty.
Let me say this also. People who have played ball should understand it. I consistently hear about this player needs to show some stones, or this guy has big balls, or this guy needs to nut up. It’s different sophomoric sayings for a player “getting it done”. But don’t ever forget than in athletics, the other guy always has a say-so. Sometimes a pitcher is confident, locked-in, and throws the perfect pitch, but the hitter hits the crap out of it. So it’s not a lack of testicular fortitude. Other times a pitcher is scared to death, timid, and throws a crappy pitch, only to watch the batter whiff. Then everyone talks about how he nutted up. The opponent always gets a say-so. It’s what makes the three major sports so great. In golf, it’s just you and the ball, club, and course.
Man I wished more people understood this. Nobody wanted it more than me but that "want to" would've not helped me one bit against Nolan
Ryan. These kids are out there giving everything they've got and for people to say they don't have stones or are soft is ridiculous and a cop out. These kids put in hours of hours of work before most of us get up in the morning and late after classes. If you've been to this level you know what I'm talking about. I love this post and thank you for posting this!
ETA: example from today. Bryce Chance smokes a ball that probably would've been a game winner but the other guy makes a highlight play. So did chance lacks stones there because he made an out with runners on? Heck no!
My definition of "stones" is he is tuff. Nut up to me is tough or toughness. I don't think of it being negative. But I do see athletes who are soft.
I would have put a left handed pitcher in the ninth to face Fl left handed slugger and told our pitcher to "nut up and let everyone know you got stones"! LOL
I said it last night. At this point we need to mix and match to close games because we don't have a closer. If we have to use multiple pitchers to close do it. Yeah I would've brought in a lefty and then a righty to face the next hitters and go left right if I had to. We need a closer bad it's the missing piece. Last 3 outs are the toughest in baseball and why closers make so much money!
I figured you would go left to left, right to right. After the hit batter to start the ninth, I think it made him anxious. I would have loved to see our freshman Stevens, I just like what I’ve seen of him. Yes he struggled Friday but I just think he can handle pressure. He just needs to pitch to gain experience.
Understood. And I don’t disagree. But the pitcher could have done that very thing and still gotten hit. He could have nutted up, let everyone know he has stones, and still gotten hit. Because the batter gets a say-so.
I agree that toughness is good. It’s not negative. But toughness doesn’t guarantee success. And failure doesn’t necessarily mean you were soft. Toughness does greatly improve your chances for success.
Take him out, leave him in, LOL. 24 I never coached baseball, my Dad coached little league and what was call Dixie seniors for over 20 years. He was a fundamentalist, throw strikes don’t walk them, and don’t stand out the plate and take strike 3. He won lots of championships,LOL.
We need to get together and go to a game. I have connections to great seats.