(03-27-2015 08:51 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Again, we really need the offense to return to form, and break out of it's 2+ week funk.

In the last two plus weeks (i.e., La Tech series to present), the offense has batted >0.300 and averaged 5+ runs/game. No game with fewer than three runs scored. Not counting tonight, our team batting average is #11 in the country.

We need our starting pitching to improve. Our offense seems fine.

(03-27-2015 10:12 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 09:58 PM)13thOwl Wrote:  Anyone get the feeling that to start the game S. Miss. were taking a lot of pitches. About the third inning or so, they started swinging at fastballs. If it looked straight, they were hacking. It seemed like they LOVED fastballs above the belt. I wonder what their approach against Fox will be?

They swung at everything in the first inning.

Maybe you are correct? It wouldn't be the first time I misremembered...

(03-27-2015 10:06 PM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 07:10 PM)elf owl Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 07:08 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  5 consecutive hits. Appeared they had runner at the plate, but it appears Reeves missed the tag.

Problem is the runner never touched home. He knew it. He came back to tag the plate AFTER he was ruled safe.

This is the way I saw it also. Curious how the base runner attempted to touch home well after the play was over.

I initially thought the USM runner might have missed the plate, too, but the TV replay showed clearly that he touched it with his left hand after sliding head-first past Reeves, who had caught the ball and was diving backward and turning counter-clockwise to apply the tag.

It was a great slide by the runner; no fault to Reeves at all. If the ball had been there a fraction of a second earlier, the runner might have been tagged out.

(03-27-2015 10:46 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 10:06 PM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 07:10 PM)elf owl Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 07:08 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  5 consecutive hits. Appeared they had runner at the plate, but it appears Reeves missed the tag.

Problem is the runner never touched home. He knew it. He came back to tag the plate AFTER he was ruled safe.

This is the way I saw it also. Curious how the base runner attempted to touch home well after the play was over.

I initially thought the USM runner might have missed the plate, too, but the TV replay showed clearly that he touched it with his left hand after sliding head-first past Reeves, who had caught the ball and was diving backward and turning counter-clockwise to apply the tag.

It was a great slide by the runner; no fault to Reeves at all. If the ball had been there a fraction of a second earlier, the runner might have been tagged out.

Well, heck! Props to the runner in avoiding the tag and still getting some of the plate.

(03-27-2015 10:20 PM)temchugh Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 08:51 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Again, we really need the offense to return to form, and break out of it's 2+ week funk.

In the last two plus weeks (i.e., La Tech series to present), the offense has batted >0.300 and averaged 5+ runs/game. No game with fewer than three runs scored. Not counting tonight, our team batting average is #11 in the country.

We need our starting pitching to improve. Our offense seems fine.

I'm well aware what our seasonal AVG is. I also have followed closely the games from the TCU series onward...and with only one or two exceptions, our offense has really sputtered the past 2 - 3 weeks. Sure, we're getting 7 - 10 hits per game, but not in the clutch, and many of our runs-- particularly against both LaTech and ODU-- were gifted. Also, many of those hits were erased with mental errors on the base paths. Our offense the past 2 - 3 weeks has not been as potent or anywhere near as efficient as it was the first 6 weeks of the season, despite playing weaker opponents. The OG has all but abandoned the bunt, rather than practice proper technique.

(03-27-2015 10:05 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  There was a lot of love for WG all night from the Fox Sports 2 broadcast crew of Ron Thulin and Pat Combs (Rice letterwinner in 1986, then transferred to Baylor, was drafted in 1988, played 1989-92 with the MLB Phillies. His 1989 was a "golden year" ... reaching every level in professional ball from A to major leagues: A/ Clearwater Phillies; AA/Reading Phillies; AAA/Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons; MLB debut: Sept. 25. But the 229 innings he pitched that year may have burned him out and doomed his career.)

The game finished so quickly that they had time for a long, cheerful post-game interview with McCanna. When asked "what exactly" WG was telling him during his two mound visits, about which the commentators had noticed some significant head nodding that usually meant some stern lessons were being communicated, McCanna smiled and said "I don't know if I can really say what he was telling me," but professed his love for WG as a coach and the need to keep his fastball down in the zone.

They also showed a quick video clip from WG's 1,000-win celebration, featuring a lovely tableau with Tanya and unnamed other young men (former players? family members?).

WTG, Owls!!

It was great to see the Owls win on national TV. That was good coverage overall from Fox Sports 2. As with most national broadcasts I've seen lately, they usually get around to talking about how smart the Rice players have to be. This led to some ribbing of Combs from Thulin about how Combs got into Rice. Two things that struck me about Thulin; he sounds just like Greg Gumbel and he constantly pronounced Reckling like "rackling", which was slightly annoying.

(03-27-2015 11:48 PM)4GOwls Wrote:  Two things that struck me about Thulin; he sounds just like Greg Gumbel and he constantly pronounced Reckling like "rackling", which was slightly annoying.

Agree totally! His voice and style was absolutely like Gumbel.

(03-27-2015 07:29 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Kevin deserved much, much better. No official error that inning, but the D was awful, and resulted in at least one, if not two, of those three runs. Fortunately, he stranded two runners by striking outKKKKK the final two batters. Offense better wake up, and it would be nice if we would try to manufacture a run, for a change, when we get the leadoff runner on.

Reeves cannot get around on Carroll's fastball-- every foul ball is off to the right side....leadoff walk. Nice AB. Can we please play small ball here with a slow runner on 1B.
Taylor swinging away...fly out. And we one again REFUSE to capitalize on a leadoff baserunner. The OG has totally abandoned the bunt, and we never hit behind the runner.
Warren line single. Runners on 1B and 2B, one out.
Gray RBI single! Runners on 1B and 3B, one out. Come on, Connor, get a ball to the OF.
Teykl first pitch RBI single! Runners on 1B and 2B, one out.
Wild pitch moves both runners into scoring position, one out. MUST put the ball in play here (if not a free pass).
Williamson struck out looking. Awful, just awful. We don't know the meaning of situational hitting.
Chandler struck out swinging.
Just shaking my head. Again, one of the most inefficient offenses I can remember.

Good guys retake a 4-3 lead heading to the top of the fifth inning.

Just kids Walt. The offense isn't that inept. Bunting is only useful when done to win a game in the late innings. Other than that let them swing away. They should know how to hit behind a runner or make contact with man on third and less that 2 outs. Glad they have abandoned the bunt now if they would only abandon calling pitches.

We REALLY need the offense to show up in force this afternoon. Not only are we facing USM's worst starting pitcher, but USM's right-handed laden lineup poses a bad matchup for a struggling Fox, who has given up 1.33 hits per IP, with a WHIP over 1.5, so far this season. The good news is Blake's great pickoff move should keep USM's running game at bay. Needless to say, given Blake's very low strikeout rate, we need the defense to play solid today.

(03-28-2015 08:42 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  We REALLY need the offense to show up in force this afternoon. Not only are we facing USM's worst starting pitcher, but USM's right-handed laden lineup poses a bad matchup for a struggling Fox, who has given up 1.33 hits per IP, with a WHIP over 1.5, so far this season. The good news is Blake's great pickoff move should keep USM's running game at bay. Needless to say, given Blake's very low strikeout rate, we need the defense to play solid today.

I believe Fox will do fine today even with righties. That whole righty lefty thing is a bit over rated. Lefties have an arsenal of well placed fastballs, change ups and back door breaking pitches to combat righties. I don't seemto recall Mariano Rivera having problems with righties LOL. He may not be overpowering but will have success getting Southern Miss to chase.

Mariano Rivera was right-handed. He actually didn't have much trouble with anybody, as a rule.

(03-28-2015 11:41 AM)interwebowl Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 10:50 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 10:20 PM)temchugh Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 08:51 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Again, we really need the offense to return to form, and break out of it's 2+ week funk.

In the last two plus weeks (i.e., La Tech series to present), the offense has batted >0.300 and averaged 5+ runs/game. No game with fewer than three runs scored. Not counting tonight, our team batting average is #11 in the country.

We need our starting pitching to improve. Our offense seems fine.

I'm well aware what our seasonal AVG is. I also have followed closely the games from the TCU series onward...and with only one or two exceptions, our offense has really sputtered the past 2 - 3 weeks. Sure, we're getting 7 - 10 hits per game, but not in the clutch, and many of our runs-- particularly against both LaTech and ODU-- were gifted. Also, many of those hits were erased with mental errors on the base paths. Our offense the past 2 - 3 weeks has not been as potent or anywhere near as efficient as it was the first 6 weeks of the season, despite playing weaker opponents. The OG has all but abandoned the bunt, rather than practice proper technique.

Walt- I think you may want to delete this post. Not hitting with people in scoring position every time is not unique to Rice. LOB is a big stat for most teams in the top 20. I understand your point about efficiency, but that rarely happens anywhere. As to your comment about bunting, over the past two weeks I have seen three bp sessions and a full on practice and I can assure you that bunting practice has been a part of every one of them with bp even stopping to correct mistakes and the player being forced to bunt again. "The OG has all but abandoned the bunt, rather than practice proper technique." This is particular is simply not true.

We may be practicing it, but The OG isn't yet confident enough to deploy the bunt as we did earlier this year and all of the past couple years. How many bunts have we even attempted the past 2 weeks? Not many by my count, even in very obvious bunting situations.

(03-28-2015 05:51 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-28-2015 11:41 AM)interwebowl Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 10:50 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 10:20 PM)temchugh Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 08:51 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Again, we really need the offense to return to form, and break out of it's 2+ week funk.

In the last two plus weeks (i.e., La Tech series to present), the offense has batted >0.300 and averaged 5+ runs/game. No game with fewer than three runs scored. Not counting tonight, our team batting average is #11 in the country.

We need our starting pitching to improve. Our offense seems fine.

I'm well aware what our seasonal AVG is. I also have followed closely the games from the TCU series onward...and with only one or two exceptions, our offense has really sputtered the past 2 - 3 weeks. Sure, we're getting 7 - 10 hits per game, but not in the clutch, and many of our runs-- particularly against both LaTech and ODU-- were gifted. Also, many of those hits were erased with mental errors on the base paths. Our offense the past 2 - 3 weeks has not been as potent or anywhere near as efficient as it was the first 6 weeks of the season, despite playing weaker opponents. The OG has all but abandoned the bunt, rather than practice proper technique.

Walt- I think you may want to delete this post. Not hitting with people in scoring position every time is not unique to Rice. LOB is a big stat for most teams in the top 20. I understand your point about efficiency, but that rarely happens anywhere. As to your comment about bunting, over the past two weeks I have seen three bp sessions and a full on practice and I can assure you that bunting practice has been a part of every one of them with bp even stopping to correct mistakes and the player being forced to bunt again. "The OG has all but abandoned the bunt, rather than practice proper technique." This is particular is simply not true.

In my opinion, We may be practicing it, but The OG isn't yet confident enough to deploy the bunt as we did earlier this year and all of the past couple years. How many bunts have we even attempted the past 2 weeks? Not many by my count, even in very obvious bunting situations.

fixed it for you.

(03-28-2015 07:40 PM)13thOwl Wrote:  

(03-28-2015 05:51 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-28-2015 11:41 AM)interwebowl Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 10:50 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 10:20 PM)temchugh Wrote:  In the last two plus weeks (i.e., La Tech series to present), the offense has batted >0.300 and averaged 5+ runs/game. No game with fewer than three runs scored. Not counting tonight, our team batting average is #11 in the country.

We need our starting pitching to improve. Our offense seems fine.

I'm well aware what our seasonal AVG is. I also have followed closely the games from the TCU series onward...and with only one or two exceptions, our offense has really sputtered the past 2 - 3 weeks. Sure, we're getting 7 - 10 hits per game, but not in the clutch, and many of our runs-- particularly against both LaTech and ODU-- were gifted. Also, many of those hits were erased with mental errors on the base paths. Our offense the past 2 - 3 weeks has not been as potent or anywhere near as efficient as it was the first 6 weeks of the season, despite playing weaker opponents. The OG has all but abandoned the bunt, rather than practice proper technique.

Walt- I think you may want to delete this post. Not hitting with people in scoring position every time is not unique to Rice. LOB is a big stat for most teams in the top 20. I understand your point about efficiency, but that rarely happens anywhere. As to your comment about bunting, over the past two weeks I have seen three bp sessions and a full on practice and I can assure you that bunting practice has been a part of every one of them with bp even stopping to correct mistakes and the player being forced to bunt again. "The OG has all but abandoned the bunt, rather than practice proper technique." This is particular is simply not true.

In my opinion, We may be practicing it, but The OG isn't yet confident enough to deploy the bunt as we did earlier this year and all of the past couple years. How many bunts have we even attempted the past 2 weeks? Not many by my count, even in very obvious bunting situations.

fixed it for you.

Thank the lord we have stopped bunting so much. Why give free outs.

Correction on my earlier assertion that the third run in the fourth for the Eagles was actually an out as the runner missed the plate. Having seen the replay on TV it is clear that he did touch the plate and the ump called it correctly. My very bad. Once again I blame society.