Rothrock will have a sore leg for a little while I think. Glad she was able to fight through those last 2 innings. You could sense the frustration.
That benefited us... but completley agree. She was out by a mile. Not good for the game. Hate obstruction.
2 good signs I saw after the top of the 6th inning. 1. The team answered back with runs to extend their lead 2. Keagan coming back out and only giving up a walk to a team who had all the momentum on their side.
Rule clarification please. Let's say I have complete possession of the ball and you have just rounded third and are coming home stupidly because I already have the ball. Do I have to give you a lane to the plate? I thought once I had complete possession of the ball, I could obstruct the heck out of you.
Could someone who heard the explanation on TV please explain the call. Was it that the runner went to 1B, claiming that she had been HBP, without any ump saying HBP?
I think this was deliberate by CTW. I hope that Ava Brown gets coached up and improves, but imho, she's not anywhere near Rothrock right now. I think CTW was looking for a data point. Rothrock pitched a complete game yesterday -- her 10th of the year -- and we need to know how deep is the well. We almost got the run-rule after five today, which would have been a no-hitter for Rothrock. Frankly, I'd like to see her start tomorrow. How much can she carry? We've enjoyed puff opponents for most of the Spring, but things are about to get serious with SEC play.
She doesn’t deserve to be in the lineup anymore. She is a defensive replacement and pinch runner, IMO.
I’ve been thinking to myself for awhile now about how often does a player start out their career this poorly and rebound to have a good to great career? And with the expectations of being top ranked recruit that’s been talked about for years now, I can’t think it’s happened too often. I pulled up stats from random past seasons and one of those was 2008 and I see that the Hall of Famer herself, Kelsey Bruder, in 45 AB, hit .133 with a .200 OBP with 1 HR and 2 doubles in her freshmen season. So it is certainly possible and here I am already putting too high of expectations on her again. So I still think her future can be bright but being in the lineup everyday is not how she best helps this 2024 squad.
That's when the subjectiveness of an umpire comes in as we see often. Every common sense tells you no the runner does not have to have a lane when it's a situation like that. Some will call it some will not. But since the rule is in place we see instances like walton yesterday where a runner is sent when they shouldn't be but yet it goes in their favor. I honestly can't remember the new wording of the rule exactly.
I think CTW is a master at this. Jamie Hoover is an excellent case study. Came in setting the world on fire, then the wheels dropped off and she batted her way onto the bench. It was fascinating to watch CTW strategically work her back into the lineup, little by little, picking the spots to use her with great care. She ended up being an everyday player again.
