Ongoing UF Baseball Commentary

Here is my thinking. In a 3 game series, allowing an opposing team to get comfortable at plate with 3 lefties in your starting rotation is probably a mistake. Even if the best in your rotation, I think you have to keep off balance and mix it up.

Another thought. Does Sully need to change his approach due to the dimensions and new ball park? Does the new ball park play the same way in terms of power hitting? Is it a pitchers park or a hitters park? Speed versus power? Can’t do anything regarding the walks and hit batters, as that is simply bad baseball

 

Several good questions/points here @INGATORSWETRUST- From an old pitcher's standpoint-The "Mac" was a cracker box with a little forgiveness in dead center field. well struck down the LF and RF lines was "Well chit, give me another ball". IMHO the new ballpark plays true to size-you can hit it out, and you will surely have earned it.

Again, just my opinion, but it's the pitchers approaches that need changing and I feel sure that they are hearing it from Sully--For any pitcher this game is a helluva lot easier with 0-1, 0-2, and 1-2 counts than 1-0, 2-0, 2-1, 3-0, and 3-1 counts. I know I'm not telling you anything that you're not already aware of. Sully can coach'em but he can't throw it for them.

Now there are a number of ways to leverage their attention to the command/control issues to significantly change our base on balls and HBP given up-but how Sully chooses to do that is his business in my opinion-not ours. I'm sure everyone wants the same thing here.

 

So which RHP do you nominate to be a weekend starter as it stands now? I don't disagree with the concern about starting 3 LHP but you have to weigh the balance of another LHP that has been producing in practice verses a RHP that has not and compare that to the possible likelihood of giving up more runs. Its early so all opinions matter going forward.

 

So true.

Actually balls hit to dead center at the Mac went there to die. Saw two go yard on Friday night at the new place IIRC.

 

87 asked which RHP should start on the weekend... I vote for Hartman- intense and vocal and damn if this team doesn't need some serious fire in the belly, Hartman may provide it. That seems one of the elements missing in this Gators team, fire- intensity. The veteran guys seem pretty low key- kind of like a day in the office... Not gonna cut it.

 

The only thing I heard about Hunter a few years back is his problems weren't as much about his arm. I'm glad he got introduced Friday night so that's a good sign we hope. He if can pitch, what a great opportunity he has to contribute this year. I'm waiting until Sully or anyone close gives us more encouraging words that Pogue or Nesbitt are progressing quickly and close to full go.

 

I just replied in the Stetson game thread about Hartman. I agree he deserves the chance to start a midweek but I think he is more important to what he can contribute on the weekends for Sully. Right now we have so few options that someone as good as Hartman needs to support our key starters. JMHO

 

Yeah the Mac was an absolute graveyard to CF for no real reason as far as I could tell. But boy did it seem to play big to straightaway CF. I recall a few blasts there but not many.

 

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That's awesome. If we can get back to our winning ways, I can't wait to see how big of a number we can get to for the LSU weekend.

 

If this continues, UF will be 5th in the country in attendance. Terrific stuff by the fans!!! Keep it up!

 

Love the games when align at home with another event like Gator gymnastics or basketball. Nice to have a weekend with multiple games you can attend.

 

As far as the pitching goes from last night vs UNF I was much more pleased with our guys approach—they attacked the zone without pitching in the heart of the plate—they pretty much stayed in pitchers counts—they did a better job of changing speeds and challenging hitters.

Command, Control, and Confidence—see how this works!

 

Through 5 games:

(2021)
----------
3-2
.312 BA
.465 SLG
.381 OBP
2 3B
39 R
22 BB
42 K
--------
4.78 ERA
42 K
30 BB
5 HBP
.245 BAA
.958 FLD (9 E)
2 3B allowed

(2022)
----------
3-2
.232 BA
.409 SLG
.311 OBP
0 3B
25 R
14 BB
41 K
--------
3.00 ERA
58 K
20 BB
10 HBP
.200 BAA
.994 (1 E)
0 3B allowed

Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS

 

Worth pointing out that Rivera got going late last year. He was a sub-.200 hitter going into conference play, but he finished 3rd on the team for regular starters by hitting .294 in SEC play. Although critics of the "getting going late" theory would surely point out that his triple came before conference play began.

Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS