Hey Commerce

[Commercecomet24]

We would have been better off with some random bench player tossing them 75 mph straight fastballs to atleast give our defense a chance

It's one of the oldest coaching cliches in the book but so true, There is no defense for a walk. And it always seems like walks are contagious, once it starts it's like no one can throw strikes. Friday and Sunday our pitchers were very competitive and got the job done. Saturday and yesterday not so much.

[Commercecomet24]

Kudos to Cowbell for starting this thread. This has been a very good baseball discussion without any name calling or insanity(so far, lol). I love these type of discussion threads with all the excellent insights. Good stuff.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Cowbell again

[Goldendawg]

it All starts at the top
That post game press conference told me a lot and It was weak

You are either coaching it or allowing it to happen..

Clock is ticking on this staff, shit better get fixed ASAP, and I?m not sure you can just flip a switch .. if so he better flip that mother ****er

Most every team has injuries. Did we have more than our share last year, I don't know but it was stated as an excuse. However, even with injuries there is something wrong when you fall from National Champs to last in your own conference division the next year. Something big may be wrong.

[smootness]

Another thing that I noticed is we have alot of cross body pitchers. Cross body pitchers are a low statistically slower to home plate and also more susceptible to elbow injuries. I know Dierker made it a well established point of NOT even drafting ?crossers? as he called it.

FYI, I think it is pretty self explanatory but a cross body pitcher is one who starts on edge of rubber far right for righties and left for lefties and plant and rotate and finish on opposite side.

I don't think this is correct. A cross-body pitcher is one who goes even further with his plant leg to the side of his pitching arm. So a RHP who is cross-body plants his left leg further toward the 3B side; a cross-body LHP plants his right leg further toward the 1B side.

[maroonmania]

We would have been better off with some random bench player tossing them 75 mph straight fastballs to atleast give our defense a chance

Don't understand why you don't throw strikes to a team that can't hit up 10-1. Apparently the answer is because you simply cant.

[Santiago]

Someone tell me how good is Mershon at the plate?

[Randolph Dupree]

Lots of good posts in this thread. Hopefully Lemo and the team can get this turned around. One of the things that REALLY concerns me about Fox is the lack of development on the mound. I don't see how Fox survives at this point. How do you recruit top caliber pitching talent if your coach can't point to anyone he's developed recently? You can't.

Also, FWIW, defense has been a let down for sure but that doesn't concern me yet. I feel like we're pressing right now and those gremlins will work themselves out I feel.

[StarkVegasSteve]

I'm talking from a program perspective, not just this team. We fought thru a metric shit ton of adversity from 2009-2021 and had our best decade in program history and we finally got over the top.
But, much like we learned in the JoMo experiment, we need a fire breathing dragon running our programs for some reason. Mullen, Vic, the Intense Bastard, and now Jans fit that. Leach was a little different, but he was old school and you didn't **** with that.
As much as some dislike Cohen the AD, the Intense Bastard could recruit, motivate, and established a culture that carried us through the Cann/Hendo/Lemo transition and got us that CWS ring finally. As much as I though Lemonis' first 3 seasons were carrying that forward, it looks like I may have been wrong and that mojo may be gone.

We all underestimated how much Rowdey and Tanner meant to the team. After Sims went down no one has ever stepped up to fill that leadership void. From 16-21 we had a solid group of leaders. We haven't had one in over a year though. It's time for a group of 4 or 5 guys to step the F up.

16- Dakota, Sexton, Reed, Lowe, Kruger, Gavin, and Robson
17- Rooker, Mangum, Brown, Pilk, Gridley, and Cole
18- Mangum, Cole, JB, Pilk, Small, LA, Mac, and Stovall
19- Mangum, Cole, Small, Skelton, Mac, Westburg, and Foscue
21- Allen, Jordan, Hatcher, Self, and Sims
22- Sims
23- None

[Goldendawg]

Our recruiting classes have been ranked very highly under this coaching staff, yet we are picked dead last in the coaches's poll this year. Very troubling.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Our recruiting classes have been ranked very highly under this coaching staff, yet we are picked dead last in the coaches's poll this year. Very troubling.

Well they are, but 3 or 4 never make it to campus and 5 or 6 transfer out in the first two years so it's great on paper but when you dive into it how many of those players are we getting contributions from? Not many.

19- #7 class. Signed 18 players. We've gotten production from Sims, Bednar, Logan Tanner, James, and you can throw KC in there as well. The rest transferred, went in draft, or were cut
20- #17 class. Signed 17 players. We've gotten production from Kellum Clark, Cade Smith, and Lane Forsythe. The rest transferred, went in draft, or were cut.
21- #16 class. Signed 19 players. We've gotten production from Slate Alford, Pico Kohn, and Cole Cheatham. The rest transferred, went in draft, or were cut.

The 20 and 21 classes just killed us. Especially 21. A couple didn't make it to campus. We had 2 or 3 transfer before fall ended and almost the entire rest of the class transferred after the season.

[Goldendawg]

Well they are, but 3 or 4 never make it to campus and 5 or 6 transfer out in the first two years so it's great on paper but when you dive into it how many of those players are we getting contributions from? Not many.

19- #7 class. Signed 18 players. We've gotten production from Sims, Bednar, Logan Tanner, James, and you can throw KC in there as well. The rest transferred, went in draft, or were cut
20- #17 class. Signed 17 players. We've gotten production from Kellum Clark, Cade Smith, and Lane Forsythe. The rest transferred, went in draft, or were cut.
21- #16 class. Signed 19 players. We've gotten production from Slate Alford, Pico Kohn, and Cole Cheatham. The rest transferred, went in draft, or were cut.

The 20 and 21 classes just killed us. Especially 21. A couple didn't make it to campus. We had 2 or 3 transfer before fall ended and almost the entire rest of the class transferred after the season.

Thanks. Meanwhile other SEC teams recruiting better than this I am sure.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Thanks. Meanwhile other SEC teams recruiting better than this I am sure.

Yep

19- #7 class. 5th in the SEC
20- #17 class. 8th in the SEC
21- #16 class. 10th in the SEC
22- #5 class. 3rd in the SEC

[BrunswickDawg]

It's one of the oldest coaching cliches in the book but so true, There is no defense for a walk. And it always seems like walks are contagious, once it starts it's like no one can throw strikes. Friday and Sunday our pitchers were very competitive and got the job done. Saturday and yesterday not so much.

I think Lemonis is going to go through the whole staff and see who performs and then look at what roles players fit. It may cost us a few OOC games, but it could pay off in a couple of weeks.
We turned over this roster, and it may take some time to really see who has it.

We started a little bit like this in '16 - losing 2 of our first 4 opening weekend, and even ended up losing later to Eastern Kentucky (a game we led 7-1 and lost 12-16 due to a 4 run 10th) and Oral Roberts. Jake Mangum started the first game and looked lost, then only got 1 AB each game until a spot start against OK, and didn't become an every game starter until April.

[smootness]

Well they are, but 3 or 4 never make it to campus and 5 or 6 transfer out in the first two years so it's great on paper but when you dive into it how many of those players are we getting contributions from? Not many.

19- #7 class. Signed 18 players. We've gotten production from Sims, Bednar, Logan Tanner, James, and you can throw KC in there as well. The rest transferred, went in draft, or were cut
20- #17 class. Signed 17 players. We've gotten production from Kellum Clark, Cade Smith, and Lane Forsythe. The rest transferred, went in draft, or were cut.
21- #16 class. Signed 19 players. We've gotten production from Slate Alford, Pico Kohn, and Cole Cheatham. The rest transferred, went in draft, or were cut.

The 20 and 21 classes just killed us. Especially 21. A couple didn't make it to campus. We had 2 or 3 transfer before fall ended and almost the entire rest of the class transferred after the season.

I mean, 21 did give us Hunter Hines, too. Bryce Chance and interestingly, Dohm, were also in that class.

[StarkVegasSteve]

I mean, 21 did give us Hunter Hines, too.

You're right. I missed him on the list.

[State82]

Kudos to Cowbell for starting this thread. This has been a very good baseball discussion without any name calling or insanity(so far, lol). I love these type of discussion threads with all the excellent insights. Good stuff.

Definitely good, interesting discussion.

[StarkVegasSteve]

I mean, 21 did give us Hunter Hines, too. Bryce Chance and interestingly, Dohm, were also in that class.

Bryce was in that class. I didn't add him because we're only through 4 games. Dohm was added to the class once he transferred. They added Ledbetter to that class as well.

[SilentSteel16]

I don't think this is correct. A cross-body pitcher is one who goes even further with his plant leg to the side of his pitching arm. So a RHP who is cross-body plants his left leg further toward the 3B side; a cross-body LHP plants his right leg further toward the 1B side.

No sir, that is incorrect. It literally means there is no center to your stance or follow through, more torque up top and longer elongated motion. Which means more torque on elbow and base runners delight.

[SilentSteel16]

Going downhill is the ideal motion and for most it is slightly open with plant leg from left foot start point on rubber. Follow through with the arm across the body is not necessarily a cross body. I know there are several MLB teams that watch plant foot reps and make their decision on a guy and don’t even watch where the ball ends up …. Sounds crazy but 100 percent true

[Topbulldawg]

One other factor I see impacting throwing out runners is our pitchers control. If the ball isn't where the catcher expects, it makes their job even harder. I am not saying its the only cause, but its a factor.