Baseball vs (#2) Arkansas series

[steeleagle 2,945]

12 minutes ago, boomstick said:

The problem with confidence is it is typically coupled with experience and success. Several of the bullpen arms are lacking experience and almost all of them are low on the success meter. I think the coaching staff has to do a better job of protecting these guys and knowing their best utilization and putting them in the best spots possible. Like with Fitts, his numbers are atrocious when he inherits runners, but in his career, he's been a more successful pitcher as a long reliever starting clean innings. So, bringing him in with 1 out and runners on doesn't seem like the best use of him.

Joseph Gonzalez has pitched past the 5th inning in two starts. In both games, he gave up a leadoff base runner after being in complete control of both games. It was his third time through the lineup in both games. Maybe make that change to start the 6th inning knowing he's probably at the end of his rope, and let him end his outing on a super high note and turn the game over to someone else with a clean inning to start. Instead, we let him walk the first two hitters and created a massive pressure situation for our entire bullpen the day after blowing a big lead.

I hope Butch sees it too. But man, I feel like, as poorly as the guys are pitching at times, we're making equally poor decisions that make things worse. And I'll be honest, I haven't been a fan of Huddy's pitching change decisions for most of the year. There seems to be a lack of urgency about making changes, like there are 162 games in the season. We sometimes don't seem to act like the season or the series are hanging in the balance and want to stick with a guy for way too long. Or we stick with him just long enough to create a big mess and then put it on someone else's shoulders to fix ( like the BC game where we needed to either pull Hill two batters before we did or let him ride it out and give up all the runs). I just don't like the way we've handled the staff to this point.

JMO, but I think bc many of these relievers are inexperienced, the coaching staff has to balance b/t just pulling guys when they get into trouble or letting them gain confidence by giving them extra batters to hopefully have success with. That is the problem, when you weigh youth over success.  I'm not saying they couldn't have minimized the damage by pulling guys sooner. We all, even as fans watch baseball and arm chair coach when we see pitchers given too much rope, and bam...then they give up a HR, and we lose or lose the lead.

Butch seems to think they are coming in, and if they get into trouble don't rely on their stuff, and don't relax, therefore start to walk or hit batters making it worse.

I can see that, but I haven't watched them every series, so can't verify it. And come on we actually have a rookie coach in Hudson, so he is learning how to manage his pitchers especially in the later innings, which is when we tend to lose it...It's a lot different coaching, than just being a pitcher like he was. 

[boomstick 1,315]

12 minutes ago, steeleagle said:

JMO, but I think bc many of these relievers are inexperienced, the coaching staff has to balance b/t just pulling guys when they get into trouble or letting them gain confidence by giving them extra batters to hopefully have success with. That is the problem, when you weigh youth over success.  I'm not saying they couldn't have minimized the damage by pulling guys sooner. We all, even as fans watch baseball and arm chair coach when we see pitchers given too much rope, and bam...then they give up a HR, and we lose or lose the lead.

Butch seems to think they are coming in, and if they get into trouble don't rely on their stuff, and don't relax, therefore start to walk or hit batters making it worse.

I can see that, but I haven't watched them every series, so can't verify it. And come on we actually have a rookie coach in Hudson, so he is learning how to manage his pitchers especially in the later innings, which is when we tend to lose it...It's a lot different coaching, than just being a pitcher like he was. 

I agree with what you're saying, but I can't get on board with using the rookie coach excuse for Hudson. In no other program on campus would that be an acceptable reasoning for making poor decisions. And on top of that, Butch is one of the most seasoned pitching coaches in the country. I know he doesn't like to micromanage, and I applaud that. I just think he needs to step in a little more and help Huddy with those decisions.

You'll find no bigger fan of Butch Thompson than me, but IMO that doesn't mean he isn't above criticism. And the performance of this pitching staff, even with all the extenuating circumstances, deserves some criticism, players and coaches included.

Having said all that, we have a chance over the next 4-5 series to make up some serious ground in conference play if the starting pitching continues to be effective and we find a couple more reliable arms to perform with Skipper and Barnett. We just went toe-to-toe with the #1/2 team in the country on their home field and could've walked away with a sweep or a series win pretty easily with a few more pitches made. So, no team left on our schedule is more than 1 game over .500 right now, and the two toughest series left IMO (Miss St and Florida) are both at home. Every other team we play currently has a losing record in conference. So, it's there for us to get back into SECT and Regional contention. It's just going to require us to pitch more effectively down the stretch. 

[steeleagle 2,945]

10 minutes ago, boomstick said:

I agree with what you're saying, but I can't get on board with using the rookie coach excuse for Hudson. In no other program on campus would that be an acceptable reasoning for making poor decisions. And on top of that, Butch is one of the most seasoned pitching coaches in the country. I know he doesn't like to micromanage, and I applaud that. I just think he needs to step in a little more and help Huddy with those decisions.

You'll find no bigger fan of Butch Thompson than me, but IMO that doesn't mean he isn't above criticism. And the performance of this pitching staff, even with all the extenuating circumstances, deserves some criticism, players and coaches included.

Having said all that, we have a chance over the next 4-5 series to make up some serious ground in conference play if the starting pitching continues to be effective and we find a couple more reliable arms to perform with Skipper and Barnett. We just went toe-to-toe with the #1/2 team in the country on their home field and could've walked away with a sweep or a series win pretty easily with a few more pitches made. So, no team left on our schedule is more than 1 game over .500 right now, and the two toughest series left IMO (Miss St and Florida) are both at home. Every other team we play currently has a losing record in conference. So, it's there for us to get back into SECT and Regional contention. It's just going to require us to pitch more effectively down the stretch. 

Interesting you say that about Butch bc it is telling what he said after they lost Friday and Saturday losing leads late.

He kinda of hinted that he was allowing Hudson and the pitchers to overcome their failures, and the pressure they are putting on themselves. 

But you could tell in his answer, he may have to get more involved in the pitching issues, but indicated since he gave Hudson pretty much free rein to manage the pitchers, he was hesitant to put his 2 cents in.

So you may be right...Butch has to tell an almost HOF pitcher, that what he is doing is not working.

,..and that would be a tough conversation to have between the both of them...

[Gowebb11 9,314]

4 hours ago, boomstick said:

I feel like, as poorly as the guys are pitching at times, we're making equally poor decisions that make things worse.

One that I noticed this weekend (the game announcers picked up on it too) : We seemed determined to live on the outside corner, pitching away from the Arky sluggers. That’s a good strategy. But Arky moved every hitter up on the plate. An outside corner pitch to someone on top of the plate is now equivalent to a pitch down the middle. When that happens you have to start jamming hitters. We never made the adjustment. That’s why Arky could sit and foul off enough pitches until they got meat or walked. Some of that is on the pitchers. All of these guys have played enough baseball to recognize something that fundamental. But the coaches have to see it too. We apparently didn’t. 

[boomstick 1,315]

Just now, Gowebb11 said:

On that I noticed this weekend (the game announcers picked up on it too) : We seemed determined to live on the outside corner, pitching away from the Arky sluggers. That’s a good strategy. But Arky moved every hitter up on the plate. An outside corner pitch to someone on top of the plate is now equivalent to a pitch down the middle. When that happens you have to start jamming hitters. We never made the adjustment. Some of that is on the pitchers. All of these guys have played enough baseball to recognize something that fundamental. But the coaches have to see it too. We apparently didn’t. 

And it's not the first time we've been stubborn to adjust our approach. Richard Fitts gave up 8 opposite field hits to Baylor out of his 9 total hits. That was in three innings. They didn't try to pull anything, and we kept throwing it to where they were looking for it. It's happened in multiple games this year where we find a portion of the plate we think will work and hammering, but we don't adjust when other teams adjust. It's been frustrating to watch. Some of that is on pitchers because they need to locate better, but some of that is coaching and going away from the tendencies you've shown all game. And part of that is on the catchers for not communicating more clearly between innings what the hitters are doing in the box and how they seem to be adjusting to pitch locations and tendencies. 

 

[AUGoo 2,659]

it hurts to watch

can't imagine how the players feel

[SumterAubie 3,031]

3 hours ago, AUGoo said:

it hurts to watch

can't imagine how the players feel

I hope they are embarrassed. AND pissed off about it.

[slyinsocal 831]

12 hours ago, SumterAubie said:

I hope they are embarrassed. AND pissed off about it.

They've experienced the worst you can imagine on a ball field. It's time to grow some intestinal fortitude and play with nothing to lose at this point.

[keesler 5,924]

23 hours ago, steeleagle said:

So you may be right...Butch has to tell an almost HOF pitcher, that what he is doing is not working.

,..and that would be a tough conversation to have between the both of them...

The BOSS has to have tough conversations when things aren't working.

 

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

On 4/4/2021 at 6:02 PM, PUB78 said:

Let’s hope and pray the 2/3 of the SE schedule is much better than the first 1/3 in baseball and softball.

I believe it will be. We've got some of the best starters in the league in Greenhiill, Owen, and now Gonzo if he stays consistent. I think that's pretty apparent. Must have our offense get a killer instinct even when they have a lead, and we must have the bullpen, simply put, be better. Doing those things, and we will be just fine. If we don't, however, we're in some serious danger of being left out of the tournament.