Vanderbilt-Texas A&M Tuesday

[sidewalkdore]

Bullpen is killing us.

[Levon]

We need Harrison Ray back at third. He can at least field. Hits on occasion. Gonzalez can't hit a lick and can't field a lick. When a guy bunts on a wet field and half way down it is still 3 feet fair, grab it ant throw to first. Don't stand there hoping it goes foul. Good grief.
At this point, this one looks like an L.

Brooks Robinson in his prime couldn't have made that play. If you wanna place blame then why did the coaches have him playing so deep? I think more correctly, however, give the A&M coach credit for calling the play and moreso the hitter for an absolutely perfect bunt. Gonzales has had his struggles, but that play wasn't on him.

[geeznotagain]

We need Harrison Ray back at third. He can at least field. Hits on occasion. Gonzalez can't hit a lick and can't field a lick. When a guy bunts on a wet field and half way down it is still 3 feet fair, grab it ant throw to first. Don't stand there hoping it goes foul. Good grief.
At this point, this one looks like an L.

It's not a runaway, but I think on the season as a whole Gonzalez has been a better fielder than Ray. Just my opinion. Neither has hit a lick, for sure.

[sidewalkdore]

Down to last three chances

[geeznotagain]

At the outset, if you'd said our vaunted 2nd line pitching staff would give up 3 runs (1 unearned), I'd have said "hell, yes; I'll take it"). I did not envision a loss in which we scored only 1 run.

[Levon]

Bullpen is killing us.

The bullpen has pitched the entire game (Brown not a normal starter). Through 9 innings A&M has 3 runs, only 2 earned, 8 singles and a double, just 2 walks and 1 hit batter. At least 3 of the hits were bloops. VU pitchers threw 4 double play balls (unfortunately an error on one led to the unearned run). If you ask me, the bullpen today has been terrific. Four pitchers, three runs...pretty damn good! You could blame the offense, but they've hit into some bad luck. Sometimes baseball just happens that way.

[geeznotagain]

Crap. That was weak.

[ANCHORDOWN1]

We are now 3-8 on Tuesdays since March 1st.

[EllistonVU]

Even though our pitching was not a disaster, were we really trying to advance or was Corbs actually trying to save our pitching for the next tournament?

Brown's ERA was over 6 and Gillis almost as high.

I don't think advancing was a priority. Am I taking crazy pills?

[KudzuLeague]

Is there a next tournament? Is it conceivable we don't get any bid at all?

[EllistonVU]

Is there a next tournament? Is it conceivable we don't get any bid at all?

The announcers today felt we were in win or lose. With our strength of schedule and above .500 in the SEC, we should be in.

A couple of wins in Hoover maybe could have improved our NCAA seed though.

Anybody feel otherwise?

[ANCHORDOWN1]

Is there a next tournament? Is it conceivable we don't get any bid at all?

The announcers today felt we were in win or lose. With our strength of schedule and above .500 in the SEC, we should be in.

A couple of wins in Hoover maybe could have improved our NCAA seed though.

Anybody feel otherwise?

No, our resume, particularly the quality wins category, is too good to be left out. We're probably right on the border of a 2 vs. 3 seed. Also, the selection committee has had an unwritten rule in recent years that no SEC team with 16+ conference wins gets left out.

[commadore]

We need Harrison Ray back at third. He can at least field. Hits on occasion. Gonzalez can't hit a lick and can't field a lick. When a guy bunts on a wet field and half way down it is still 3 feet fair, grab it ant throw to first. Don't stand there hoping it goes foul. Good grief.
At this point, this one looks like an L.

Brooks Robinson in his prime couldn't have made that play. If you wanna place blame then why did the coaches have him playing so deep? I think more correctly, however, give the A&M coach credit for calling the play and moreso the hitter for an absolutely perfect bunt. Gonzales has had his struggles, but that play wasn't on him.

I saw Brooks Robinson play on several occasions and I can assure you he COULD have made that play. Not many others, maybe, but he could.

[Levon]

We need Harrison Ray back at third. He can at least field. Hits on occasion. Gonzalez can't hit a lick and can't field a lick. When a guy bunts on a wet field and half way down it is still 3 feet fair, grab it ant throw to first. Don't stand there hoping it goes foul. Good grief.
At this point, this one looks like an L.

Brooks Robinson in his prime couldn't have made that play. If you wanna place blame then why did the coaches have him playing so deep? I think more correctly, however, give the A&M coach credit for calling the play and moreso the hitter for an absolutely perfect bunt. Gonzales has had his struggles, but that play wasn't on him.

I saw Brooks Robinson play on several occasions and I can assure you he COULD have made that play. Not many others, maybe, but he could.

Ok, I can accept that. So then you agree that neither Gonzalez, Ray, nor likely any college and very few professional 3rd basemen could've had made the play?

[commadore]

Brooks Robinson in his prime couldn't have made that play. If you wanna place blame then why did the coaches have him playing so deep? I think more correctly, however, give the A&M coach credit for calling the play and moreso the hitter for an absolutely perfect bunt. Gonzales has had his struggles, but that play wasn't on him.

I saw Brooks Robinson play on several occasions and I can assure you he COULD have made that play. Not many others, maybe, but he could.

Ok, I can accept that. So then you agree that neither Gonzalez, Ray, nor likely any college and very few professional 3rd basemen could've had made the play?

What I didn't like was that he ran up to it, then jumped back as if it was hot. We will never know because he didn't try to pick it up until it went past third.

[Matt2309]

Brooks Robinson in his prime couldn't have made that play. If you wanna place blame then why did the coaches have him playing so deep? I think more correctly, however, give the A&M coach credit for calling the play and moreso the hitter for an absolutely perfect bunt. Gonzales has had his struggles, but that play wasn't on him.

I saw Brooks Robinson play on several occasions and I can assure you he COULD have made that play. Not many others, maybe, but he could.

Manny Machado comes to mind as one who could have made that play

Ok, I can accept that. So then you agree that neither Gonzalez, Ray, nor likely any college and very few professional 3rd basemen could've had made the play?

[Levon]

I saw Brooks Robinson play on several occasions and I can assure you he COULD have made that play. Not many others, maybe, but he could.

Ok, I can accept that. So then you agree that neither Gonzalez, Ray, nor likely any college and very few professional 3rd basemen could've had made the play?

What I didn't like was that he ran up to it, then jumped back as if it was hot. We will never know because he didn't try to pick it up until it went past third.

Yeah, I'll agree with you on the frustration of that moment.

[EllistonVU]

I saw Scott Rolen in his prime. 8 time Gold Glove.

He could have made the play in his sleep.

Rolen fun fact: he was Mr Basketball in Indiana and signed with Georgia for hoops before deciding on pro baseball instead.

[oakparkDore]

Since we’re discussing this, the Tigers had a third baseman named Brandon Inge a few years ago. Great athlete, baseball probably not his best sport, but played 14 years in the majors anyway despite being a strikeout maven. In general, a forgettable player unless you’re a Tiger fan. Inge was a very good third baseman with one truly world class skill—coming in on bunts and dribblers and making an acrobatic yet strong and accurate throw to first. I’m telling you, no one could bunt on this guy. I honestly believe that Ricky Henderson in his prime would not have bunted for a hit on this guy. He was money every time. It was really fun to watch.

[Levon]

Previous comments on Brooks Robinson and Scott Rolen and Brandon Inge are all very good arguments. I'm sure the same case could be made for many other top 3rd basemen in MLB history. My original comment was exaggerated on purpose, to make a point. But these arguments validate my point. Gonzalez was playing very deep and toward the hole if memory serves (I deleted the game as the final out was made). That's on the coaches who position the defense. A&M caught the entire VU team sleeping on that play and the hitter executed about as well as possible. Would Brooksie or Rolen or Inge seen it coming and been cheating in? Very possible...hell, very likely. But they were exceptional, professional 3rd basemen; would the average MLB 3rd baseman have made that play? I don't know. However, Gonzalez is a struggling freshman who (I suspect) has been getting so much playing time for his hitting potential (another very frustrating subject, I'm sure even moreso for him and Corbin), not his defense.