(03-20-2016 12:06 AM)skycatcher Wrote:  isn't it time you and pellet/eat more vole changed your avatar?

Tiki is a huge supporter of Rice athletics, and he is absolutely beyond reproach.

Without a doubt I prefer Rice student-athletes to TCU athletes and acknowledge that Rice kids work harder in the classroom than almost any other college athletes; ever Rice athlete is one to admire, for their success and drive.

I suspect that this was true 15 years ago, when we had a lot more success on the baseball field, so I do not think the 2 (classroom work and field success) are mutually exclusive.

Right you are Owlsfan. For a long time, I had the impression that the baseball team did better after finals than before. But several years ago, one of our intrepid crew did a quick analysis that demonstrated that we did about the same.


Tiki, Walt and many others are correct. This is not the brand of baseball that we have become used to seeing, at least before maybe 2011.

All the excuses for the dismal play make this seem to be a football thread.

(03-20-2016 10:17 AM)Ranger Wrote:  Right you are Owlsfan. For a long time, I had the impression that the baseball team did better after finals than before. But several years ago, one of our intrepid crew did a quick analysis that demonstrated that we did about the same.


Tiki, Walt and many others are correct. This is not the brand of baseball that we have become used to seeing, at least before maybe 2011.

All the excuses for the dismal play make this seem to be a football thread.

Ranger, I basically agree with you... but baseball, even on a national level is a funny game. It's a long season. And if you catch fire down the stretch, you can win it all. See Fresno State in 2008. They won it all with a record of 33-27. At this point in their National Championship season they were 8-10.
I'm not implying that the 2016 Owls are of that caliber. But they've got potential. Maybe they will catch fire.
For me, it's a lot more fun believing that our guys can straighten up and continue the post season streak than grumping around and believing that we're doomed this year.

(03-20-2016 10:17 AM)Ranger Wrote:  All the excuses for the dismal play make this seem to be a football thread.

I have noted that similarity, too. I wonder if those complainers have the same solutions as in the football thread.

(03-19-2016 04:30 PM)Swede Owl Wrote:  

(03-19-2016 04:23 PM)Ranger Wrote:  Myers muffs grounder. Runners on corner, one out. Need a DP.

Have to rely on JP's description (always dangerous), which said that he saved a run by knocking down a hard grounder down the line, so not a bad play by Myers

It looked like a makeable back-hand. He did not have to leave his feet.

(03-20-2016 11:31 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(03-20-2016 10:17 AM)Ranger Wrote:  All the excuses for the dismal play make this seem to be a football thread.

I have noted that similarity, too. I wonder if those complainers have the same solutions as in the football thread.

Actually, it was a comment on the excuse makers. The reason we are not playing well is -

The grass is too tall. The grass is not tall enough. The sky is too blue. The sky is not blue enough. There are too many clouds. There aren't enough clouds. The grass is too green. The grass is not green enough.
And so on.

(03-20-2016 12:07 PM)Ranger Wrote:  

(03-20-2016 11:31 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(03-20-2016 10:17 AM)Ranger Wrote:  All the excuses for the dismal play make this seem to be a football thread.

I have noted that similarity, too. I wonder if those complainers have the same solutions as in the football thread.

Actually, it was a comment on the excuse makers. The reason we are not playing well is -

The grass is too tall. The grass is not tall enough. The sky is too blue. The sky is not blue enough. There are too many clouds. There aren't enough clouds. The grass is too green. The grass is not green enough.
And so on.

Next time you are in town, let me buy you a beer.

(03-19-2016 05:03 PM)Wiessman Wrote:  

(03-19-2016 04:58 PM)owlsfan Wrote:  Not today, though. A 6-1 loss, and we need tomorrow to win the series. I feel badly for Blake Fox. The hitting was not there today, and the fielding cost us 2 runs that broke the tie.

I think we have the starting pitching to be a top-25 team. But we have almost no pop, a suspect bullpen, and serious issues with some fundamentals.

I'll put it this way: If UC-Irvine had our starting pitching, I think they'd be not only a top-25 team, but maybe even a top-10 one. I'll leave it at that for today.

I've started to realize that the bolded is the key. When Rice has had good offenses, we have hit extra base hits. Period. Trace it through the years. Cruz, Berkman, Thames. The 2003 team, while not LSU by any means, had plenty of pop (led by Sinisi). Guys like Josh Rodriguez, Henley, Savery, Luna and Dodson were all capable of putting one in a gap or over the fence. Rendon goes without saying. Brock Holt. Even our last super regional team in 2013 had Aquino, Stringer, Ratteree, Ewing, and Hoelscher. All capable, at times, of making a pitcher pay.

We can waill all we want to about our inability to bunt. It is what it is. We don't bunt well, and we don't steal bases. We haven't in 20 years either. It's just not what we do. It won't change with the current regime in place. When we are good, we have guys who hit extra base hits. Period.

That brings me to the current team. Dunlap has shown some pop. Gray had some pop when he was healthy. Myers and Dicaprio are big and have potential to hit for power (although they haven't shown it in games). That's about it. We need those 4 to get going, and to recruit some more players who can hit the ball out of the park (and I realize losing Wakamatsu and Garrett to the draft has probably hurt here). Having to string 3 or 4 singles together in an inning is not an effective way to score runs.

(03-20-2016 12:07 PM)Ranger Wrote:  

(03-20-2016 11:31 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(03-20-2016 10:17 AM)Ranger Wrote:  All the excuses for the dismal play make this seem to be a football thread.

I have noted that similarity, too. I wonder if those complainers have the same solutions as in the football thread.

Actually, it was a comment on the excuse makers. The reason we are not playing well is -

The grass is too tall. The grass is not tall enough. The sky is too blue. The sky is not blue enough. There are too many clouds. There aren't enough clouds. The grass is too green. The grass is not green enough.
And so on.

what's the excuse for why we can't bunt(hit, run bases), and what should be done about it?