waltgreenberg
Legend
Posts: 33,248
Joined: Feb 2006
Reputation: 141
I Root For: Rice Owls
Location: Chicago
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RE: Come on FAU, surely you can do better than this....weak.
(04-24-2018 08:02 PM)FAUAEPi Wrote: (04-24-2018 09:59 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote: (04-24-2018 08:38 AM)eagle04 Wrote: (04-23-2018 09:24 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote: (04-23-2018 04:31 PM)FAUAEPi Wrote: The thing that I just don't understand, is why USM fans are so enraged when this tie gives the Golden Eagles first place. And some of y'all are acting like FAU checked the runner at second over 10 times. We checked him twice. Notice how there's no discussion about Rice arguing the fair ball call -which gave FAU the lead in the top of the ninth- for over 10 minutes, or about Rice refusing to move the game even just 15-30 minutes ahead of the scheduled start time, to avoid any conflictions with the "dead-stop" time that Rice agreed to.
The umpires called the game. But y'all are acting like FAU Head Coach John McCormack stabbed a child.
Anyways, happy finals week. I'm happy to have our student-athletes back home at a reasonable time during this time.
1. The 1:00pm scheduled start time has been on the schedule since January, yet FAU suggested moving up the start time only mid-week last week. By that point, it was too late to change the locked in schedule for the planned, pre-game Military Appreciation events. Had you notified Rice even several days earlier, we probably could have certainly accomodated the earlier start time. Note-- this coming Sunday we have another home game against Charlotte. That game, too, was originally scheduled for 1:00pm, but was moved to 11:00am when Charlotte advised Rice about their early flight schedule over a month ago. You knew the 1:00pm scheduled start time back in January, but you don't request a change to an earlier time until several days before series? PLEASE!
2. The umpires didn't call the game; rather, McCormick ushered the balance of the team in the dugout onto the field. I was there, and had a perfect view into the FAU dugout.
3. The mega-stall tactics began immediately following FAU's at bat in the top of the 9th inning. McCormick came back onto the field to continue arguing the foul ball call-- this after arguing it for at least 10 minutes when the call was made. The ump should have tossed him on the spot. Second, after the leadoff double, McCormick slowly came out to the mound and called his entire infield in for a chat...then took his time walking back to the dugout. Of course there was no pitching change since your closer was already on the mound. You pitcher than took his time issuing he intentional walk, walking off the mound after each pitch. For McCormick to claim he "was coaching and not delaying" is laughable.
I'll preface this by saying I don't have a dog in this hunt. Everyone is telling a different side to the story. Either way it is a bad look on the teams and on the conference. It made national news and is a bit embarrassing.
That being said, programs make game time changes all the time. Having "several days before" is ample time to make the necessary adjustments. Southern Miss had to go to a DH on Saturday and didn't find out about about it until just before first pitch on Friday. They worked with the game sponsors, etc. and got it done. Getting the actual game finished is top priority.
Several days before is indeed ample time in most cases, but not when elaborate pre-game festivities have been planned and scheduled with military personnel in attendance, a special singer for the anthem, a fly over, etc. I find it hard to believe FAU didn't make their travel arrangements, and knew they had to catch an early flight, until the week before the series was scheduled to begin....yet they didn't notify Rice until several days before they arrived.
There was ~5 minutes before the "dead stop" time when the top of the ninth ended. Take ~3 minutes for the fielding team to get ready and the catcher (who was a base runner in the top of the ninth) to get his gear back on. Rice now Rice has ~2 minutes to work with. Sarchet got his double with ~1 left. Then GRAHAM spends ~45 seconds chatting with Cruz.
So there were 5 minutes remaining at the moment the top of the ninth ended, before any of these "mega-stall tactics" occurred. I would love to see a game where players get off the field, get ready, have a pitching change, go back on the field, go through a pitch count to hit a double, a walk, have BOTH managers come out to talk to their team, and then play out more at bats, ALL IN A SPAN OF 5 MINUTES.
Use your head, if FAU wanted to do some stall tactics, we would've changed pitchers again after the double.
I understand you're all pissed because Rice baseball no longer is what it used to be. Now Rice as a whole brings down the entire conference athletically, and that your bush league coach has always been, and always will be stubborn to even move a game up a whole 15 minutes earlier, to avoid this.
I hope that cute little flyby for all 100 fans in attendance was worth not making the conference tournament. If not, you only have yourselves, and your pathetic crybaby antics to blame.
The top half of the 9th inning ended at 4:04pm; a full 11 minutes before the "supposed" deadline, which Coach Graham insists he never agreed to. There was just over 5 minutes left after Sarchet's leadoff double. Mccormick stalled repeatedly; plain and simple.
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