Last 5 Years In One Inning

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

Somebody help me figure out what Pawlowski was attempting to do in the top of the first inning yesterday. Runners on first and third with one out and Savage (4 hole) at the plate. With a 2-2 count the runner from first takes off (you can clearly hear the bama defense yell "runner"). Savage swings and misses badly on a breaking ball in the dirt (out #2) and the catcher throws out the runner who actually stopped short of the second base bag (out #3). There is absolutely no way Pawloski was aware of what the count was in that situation. No way you put on a hit & run/intentional run down play with two strikes on the batter. That play right there tells you everything you need to know about him as a game manager.

[Gibson SG 88]

Not only was it a bonehead call, it wasn't even executed correctly. You essentially took the bat out of the hand of your 4 hole hitter and the runner is supposed to stay in the rundown long enough for the runner on third to score. Bammer would probably have conceded that runner that early in the game and we still couldn't execute. Goes back to fundamentals. We had a play that we called similiar to that when I was 12. It worked every time. The problem is, this is college baseball, not 12 year old. It is an out 98% of the time. I didn't watch the game, but it sounded like errors and lack of timely hitting and silly coaching moves spelled Auburn's doom. Oh well.

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

The attempt was to stay out of the double play ball, thus a ground ball assures a run and the runner is safe at second. It's actually pretty common practice at all levels of baseball. The problem occurs when the play is not executed well and the batter fails to make contact. However you do expect the #4 hitter to make contact, so the fault has to fall there.

That play really doesn't bother me as much as fundamental mistakes defensively and questionable stolen base attempts with 1 slow runner on. In the play yesterday, the intent was to secure the run on a ground ball. In other situations under JP without an imminent scoring opportunity, we've often run ourselves out of innings.

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

Not with two strikes. Pawlowski had absolutely no idea what the count was.

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

Even with two strikes, you still take off there. In a 2-2 count, a hitter has to be defensive, which often leads to ground balls. It's not a dumb play in that situation. And this is coming from a guy who wanted JP gone last year.

And as much as I don't want to be "that guy", I have some baseball credentials when it comes to knowing situations. Used to travel as a play-by-play guy with college and minor league teams and have talked situations and strategies with coaches, players, scouts, roving instructors, General Managers, and Hall of Famers.

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

It was clearly not a straight steal.

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

That's the point I'm making. It wasn't intended to be a straight steal. It was intended to be a hit-and-run.

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

So he's coached to pull up if the batter swings and misses. That's even worse coaching.

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

No where did I say that and the above statement is a classic straw man argument. My original intention was to give you an answer to your question at the top of the thread. I've done that. You can construe a baseball strategy based answer into your own conclusions however you like. WDE

[80Tiger 899]

To me the biggest question in the strategy is doing this in the first inning with men on first and third with one out and the 4th batter up. At this point in the game you should not be playing for one run. Your thought should be a big inninig. Mulitple hits and multiple runs. JP at least was conceding an out for the single run and he ended up getting 2 outs and no runs. Just my opinion, but it was the wrong time of the game and the wrong batter(s).

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

To me the biggest question in the strategy is doing this in the first inning with men on first and third with one out and the 4th batter up. At this point in the game you should not be playing for one run. Your thought should be a big inninig. Mulitple hits and multiple runs. JP at least was conceding an out for the single run and he ended up getting 2 outs and no runs. Just my opinion, but it was the wrong time of the game and the wrong batter(s).

Fair point and valid argument. I'm usually of the "take it when you can get it" school and getting a run early can be great for momentum. But that doesn't mean I'm right.

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

If Savage makes contact with that ball and sends it into the gap, and two runs score, we're not having this conversation right now... Just saying

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

I still don't believe it was a hit and run. In that case the runner treats it as a straight steal. He was tagged out mid-way between the bags.

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

I still don't believe it was a hit and run. In that case the runner treats it as a straight steal. He was tagged out mid-way between the bags.

Then what would you call it? You learn when you're ten years old what stealing a base means. What else could it have been?

[AU64 10,122]

I still don't believe it was a hit and run. In that case the runner treats it as a straight steal. He was tagged out mid-way between the bags.

Then what would you call it? You learn when you're ten years old what stealing a base means. What else could it have been?

Sorry brotha...your answer does not fit the agenda. Some folks already have a conclusion in their minds and are eagerly identifying every managerial decision that is not successful....and use them to support their preconceived position. This is not the "scientific method" that I learned at AU back in the day.....but seems to be the analytical method widely used now.

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

I have gone back and watched the video on ESPN3 a couple of times. On the replay you can see Wacker look in to the plate and slow down. I'm pretty certain it was a steal and stop, base runner gets hung up and the runner from third breaks home. It was also a 1-2 count which makes a hit and run call even more ridiculous. No way Kamplain is throwing a fastball there. http://espn.go.com/watchespn/player/_/id/886332/size/condensed/

[Bro Johnny Mac 1,399]

Anyone think the player could have possibly missed a sign?

[WarEagle10 77]

I have gone back and watched the video on ESPN3 a couple of times. On the replay you can see Wacker look in to the plate and slow down. I'm pretty certain it was a steal and stop, base runner gets hung up and the runner from third breaks home. It was also a 1-2 count which makes a hit and run call even more ridiculous. No way Kamplain is throwing a fastball there. http://espn.go.com/w...size/condensed/

It was a hit and run. The reason he stopped is because he knew he was a dead duck, IMO. I'm not sure if he got a bad jump or what, but the ball had to be put in play for that one right there to work. You are right about 1-2 being a horrible hit and run count.

If it was a steal and stop, the runner would have broken from third immediately on the throw. He may have, but nobody said a word about it on air.

[Mikey 16,717]

Whatever was supposed to be going on in that first inning base-running fiasco, they weren't on the same page and that's typical of a Pawloski coached team. Did the runner on third even know what was going on? He didn't act like it. Normally he scores during a strikeout/rundown situation.

The thread title is close to right. If you watched that game, you saw what's been wrong with AU baseball for five years and why we fans that love this team and want it to be successful are so certain that the only solution is a new coach.

Snafu on the bases, check.

Outfielder misses cutoff man with throw, check.

Infielder fails to have foot on bag for a force out, check.

Infield errors and near-errors that allow runs, check.

Pitcher that is going great guns gets taken out because an infielder makes a bad throw, check.

About the only thing this one lacked was a failed bunt attempt.

BTW, how'd you like the SS/2B/CF defense that UAT put out there? All freshmen! Their starting pitcher was a freshman and their closer was a freshman from Russell County. One of those teams is heading up and one is continuing to slowly sink. Sadly, our Tigers are the sinking team.

[bitterclinger79 0]

I have gone back and watched the video on ESPN3 a couple of times. On the replay you can see Wacker look in to the plate and slow down. I'm pretty certain it was a steal and stop, base runner gets hung up and the runner from third breaks home. It was also a 1-2 count which makes a hit and run call even more ridiculous. No way Kamplain is throwing a fastball there. http://espn.go.com/w...size/condensed/

It was a hit and run. The reason he stopped is because he knew he was a dead duck, IMO. I'm not sure if he got a bad jump or what, but the ball had to be put in play for that one right there to work. You are right about 1-2 being a horrible hit and run count.

If it was a steal and stop, the runner would have broken from third immediately on the throw. He may have, but nobody said a word about it on air.

I can say with certainty that it was in fact a steal and stop, poorly executed, but it was definitely not a hit and run.

[bitterclinger79 0]

Whatever was supposed to be going on in that first inning base-running fiasco, they weren't on the same page and that's typical of a Pawloski coached team. Did the runner on third even know what was going on? He didn't act like it. Normally he scores during a strikeout/rundown situation.

The thread title is close to right. If you watched that game, you saw what's been wrong with AU baseball for five years and why we fans that love this team and want it to be successful are so certain that the only solution is a new coach.

Snafu on the bases, check.

Outfielder misses cutoff man with throw, check.

Infielder fails to have foot on bag for a force out, check.

Infield errors and near-errors that allow runs, check.

Pitcher that is going great guns gets taken out because an infielder makes a bad throw, check.

About the only thing this one lacked was a failed bunt attempt.

BTW, how'd you like the SS/2B/CF defense that UAT put out there? All freshmen! Their starting pitcher was a freshman and their closer was a freshman from Russell County. One of those teams is heading up and one is continuing to slowly sink. Sadly, our Tigers are the sinking team.

I disagree with Mikey on almost everything he posts, but with the exception of Pawlowski being the all inclusive problem, he is dead on in his analysis of the game. Have to give credit where credit is due.

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

I can say with certainty that it was in fact a steal and stop, poorly executed, but it was definitely not a hit and run.

I would really like to know your source. I don't Twitter but wondered if we could find out from Savage. Assuming that certainty means you got it from someone who was on the field or in the dugout, that might just be the worst play call I have seen at a level higher than travel ball.

[WarEagle10 77]

I can say with certainty that it was in fact a steal and stop, poorly executed, but it was definitely not a hit and run.

I would really like to know your source. I don't Twitter but wondered if we could find out from Savage. Assuming that certainty means you got it from someone who was on the field or in the dugout, that might just be the worst play call I have seen at a level higher than travel ball.

I agree. Just went back and watched it again. The batter swung at a questionable pitch. (something you do on a hit-and-run) If it was a steal and stop, the batter would not need to be swinging at a two strike pitch at that location, because you don't need to distract the catcher. The first thing the SS did was check the runner at third. He didn't flinch which tells me the runner from third wasn't going home. If it was a hit-and run, it was a horible count, in the first inning, and poorly executed by the runner. If it was a steal and stop, It was poorly executed by all three involved, not counting coaches decision to run it, on a horrible count in the first inning.

[bitterclinger79 0]

I can say with certainty that it was in fact a steal and stop, poorly executed, but it was definitely not a hit and run.

I would really like to know your source. I don't Twitter but wondered if we could find out from Savage. Assuming that certainty means you got it from someone who was on the field or in the dugout, that might just be the worst play call I have seen at a level higher than travel ball.

I agree. Just went back and watched it again. The batter swung at a questionable pitch. (something you do on a hit-and-run) If it was a steal and stop, the batter would not need to be swinging at a two strike pitch at that location, because you don't need to distract the catcher. The first thing the SS did was check the runner at third. He didn't flinch which tells me the runner from third wasn't going home. If it was a hit-and run, it was a horible count, in the first inning, and poorly executed by the runner. If it was a steal and stop, It was poorly executed by all three involved, not counting coaches decision to run it, on a horrible count in the first inning.

I'm certain and it was poorly executed.

[SumterAubie 3,031]

This is certainly an entertaining, good baseball talk thread.

Thanks to all contributors and thanks for keeping it amicable.