Our pitching staff has issued 61 walks in 9 games. That's literally almost impossible to believe.

Could be time to acknowledge that the pitching staff is less than elite, at least until the up-and-coming freshmen get over being freshmen, and start pitching to contact.

"Pitching to contact" is such a dead bat/dead ball era phrase....

Bottom line is not pitching to contact but being able to simply put the ball in the general area of where its called. The balls are flying further now with the new seams on the baseballs. You can't just pitch to contact anymore. Its more of a compromise between the crazy home run era of the 90s and the zero power of the early 2000s.

We can't throw strikes (yet). Its pitching 101.

So let's just keep issuing leadoff walks.

Let me phrase it this way: better to throw hittable strikes to the leadoff batter then to simply walk him. And if it's actually true that the pitchers in the rotation simply cannot throw strikes even when aiming down the middle, then the rotation needs to be completely overhauled. I guess I'm having trouble believing these pitchers are so bad that they cannot hit the strike zone at all.

You forgot the 6 HBP as well.

Silver lining - 90 K's?

(03-01-2017 11:53 AM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  So let's just keep issuing leadoff walks.

Let me phrase it this way: better to throw hittable strikes to the leadoff batter then to simply walk him. And if it's actually true that the pitchers in the rotation simply cannot throw strikes even when aiming down the middle, then the rotation needs to be completely overhauled. I guess I'm having trouble believing these pitchers are so bad that they cannot hit the strike zone at all.

I hear you and I do agree with what you're saying. I guess we're not actually on different pages here. Our staff has had serious trouble finding that little white plate...

And getting behind 2-0, 3-1, etc is leading to some batting practice pipe job fastballs that good teams are going to hammer.

We do have a lot of strike outs. If the walks can be quelled at least SOMEWHAT, we might be able to turn this ship around.

Leadoff walks absolutely kill you.

(03-01-2017 11:59 AM)Owl1998 Wrote:  

(03-01-2017 11:53 AM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  So let's just keep issuing leadoff walks.

Let me phrase it this way: better to throw hittable strikes to the leadoff batter then to simply walk him. And if it's actually true that the pitchers in the rotation simply cannot throw strikes even when aiming down the middle, then the rotation needs to be completely overhauled. I guess I'm having trouble believing these pitchers are so bad that they cannot hit the strike zone at all.

I hear you and I do agree with what you're saying. I guess we're not actually on different pages here. Our staff has had serious trouble finding that little white plate...

And getting behind 2-0, 3-1, etc is leading to some batting practice pipe job fastballs that good teams are going to hammer.

We do have a lot of strike outs. If the walks can be quelled at least SOMEWHAT, we might be able to turn this ship around.

Leadoff walks absolutely kill you.

The frustrating part is that we've been throwing "batting practice pipe job fastballs" and hanging curveballs up in the zone on 0-2 and 1-2 pitchers counts. To me this is a cardinal sin, and I just don't understand how and why we keep doing it.

(03-01-2017 04:31 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-01-2017 11:59 AM)Owl1998 Wrote:  

(03-01-2017 11:53 AM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  So let's just keep issuing leadoff walks.

Let me phrase it this way: better to throw hittable strikes to the leadoff batter then to simply walk him. And if it's actually true that the pitchers in the rotation simply cannot throw strikes even when aiming down the middle, then the rotation needs to be completely overhauled. I guess I'm having trouble believing these pitchers are so bad that they cannot hit the strike zone at all.

I hear you and I do agree with what you're saying. I guess we're not actually on different pages here. Our staff has had serious trouble finding that little white plate...

And getting behind 2-0, 3-1, etc is leading to some batting practice pipe job fastballs that good teams are going to hammer.

We do have a lot of strike outs. If the walks can be quelled at least SOMEWHAT, we might be able to turn this ship around.

Leadoff walks absolutely kill you.

The frustrating part is that we've been throwing "batting practice pipe job fastballs" and hanging curveballs up in the zone on 0-2 and 1-2 pitchers counts. To me this is a cardinal sin, and I just don't understand how and why we keep doing it.

Because we aren't a very good baseball team this year?

didn't think it would happen, but kinda missing patrick hallmark right about now.

Rice's BB/9 and K/BB ratios last season were pretty ugly if one were to exclude Duplantier and Fox. Kravetz and Esquivel in particular were not exactly control artists in their opportunities. Others like Salinas and Otto weren't any better than average in terms of BB. Guys need to take a step forward developmentally or the pitching staff is going to be a struggle.

From descriptions, it sounds like there are guys with good stuff. So that's at least a start to a decent staff. Hopefully the rust is just being shaken off in a few bad games. However, the unofficial spring stats do not give much hope (as a team, 117 BB in 170 IP).

Throwing strikes is basically pitching 101. I'm not sure how much a change in assistant coaches (Hallmark to Pope) should have any effect. I would say it is far too early to judge whether any of the proven guys have gotten worse.

(03-01-2017 04:59 PM)mrbig Wrote:  Rice's BB/9 and K/BB ratios last season were pretty ugly if one were to exclude Duplantier and Fox. Kravetz and Esquivel in particular were not exactly control artists in their opportunities. Others like Salinas and Otto weren't any better than average in terms of BB. Guys need to take a step forward developmentally or the pitching staff is going to be a struggle.

From descriptions, it sounds like there are guys with good stuff. So that's at least a start to a decent staff. Hopefully the rust is just being shaken off in a few bad games. However, the unofficial spring stats do not give much hope (as a team, 117 BB in 170 IP).

Throwing strikes is basically pitching 101. I'm not sure how much a change in assistant coaches (Hallmark to Pope) should have any effect. I would say it is far too early to judge whether any of the proven guys have gotten worse.

Unfortunately, this year's start is mirroring last year's, and the pattern is VERY disturbing and troubling. Our pitchers-- even Dup and Fox-- couldn't throw strikes the first month of the season...our defense was porous (both with an abundance of errors and poor fundamentals)...and teams were running on us at will.

(03-01-2017 04:59 PM)mrbig Wrote:  Rice's BB/9 and K/BB ratios last season were pretty ugly if one were to exclude Duplantier and Fox. Kravetz and Esquivel in particular were not exactly control artists in their opportunities. Others like Salinas and Otto weren't any better than average in terms of BB. Guys need to take a step forward developmentally or the pitching staff is going to be a struggle.

From descriptions, it sounds like there are guys with good stuff. So that's at least a start to a decent staff. Hopefully the rust is just being shaken off in a few bad games. However, the unofficial spring stats do not give much hope (as a team, 117 BB in 170 IP).

Throwing strikes is basically pitching 101. I'm not sure how much a change in assistant coaches (Hallmark to Pope) should have any effect. I would say it is far too early to judge whether any of the proven guys have gotten worse.

rust?

How did TCU, DBU, ,and SELA avoid the rust problem?

(03-01-2017 05:19 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(03-01-2017 04:59 PM)mrbig Wrote:  Rice's BB/9 and K/BB ratios last season were pretty ugly if one were to exclude Duplantier and Fox. Kravetz and Esquivel in particular were not exactly control artists in their opportunities. Others like Salinas and Otto weren't any better than average in terms of BB. Guys need to take a step forward developmentally or the pitching staff is going to be a struggle.

From descriptions, it sounds like there are guys with good stuff. So that's at least a start to a decent staff. Hopefully the rust is just being shaken off in a few bad games. ...

rust?

How did TCU, DBU, ,and SELA avoid the rust problem?

Less humid climate? :-)

(03-01-2017 07:14 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  

(03-01-2017 05:19 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(03-01-2017 04:59 PM)mrbig Wrote:  Rice's BB/9 and K/BB ratios last season were pretty ugly if one were to exclude Duplantier and Fox. Kravetz and Esquivel in particular were not exactly control artists in their opportunities. Others like Salinas and Otto weren't any better than average in terms of BB. Guys need to take a step forward developmentally or the pitching staff is going to be a struggle.

From descriptions, it sounds like there are guys with good stuff. So that's at least a start to a decent staff. Hopefully the rust is just being shaken off in a few bad games. ...

rust?

How did TCU, DBU, ,and SELA avoid the rust problem?

Less humid climate? :-)

Lol....probably not. SELA is in a swamp.

(03-01-2017 08:22 PM)Owl1998 Wrote:  

(03-01-2017 07:14 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  

(03-01-2017 05:19 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(03-01-2017 04:59 PM)mrbig Wrote:  Rice's BB/9 and K/BB ratios last season were pretty ugly if one were to exclude Duplantier and Fox. Kravetz and Esquivel in particular were not exactly control artists in their opportunities. Others like Salinas and Otto weren't any better than average in terms of BB. Guys need to take a step forward developmentally or the pitching staff is going to be a struggle.

From descriptions, it sounds like there are guys with good stuff. So that's at least a start to a decent staff. Hopefully the rust is just being shaken off in a few bad games. ...

rust?

How did TCU, DBU, ,and SELA avoid the rust problem?

Less humid climate? :-)

Lol....probably not. SELA is in a swamp.

Actually, the school is in Hammond, which is high and dry. No geography points for you.

(03-01-2017 08:59 PM)gmath Wrote:  

(03-01-2017 08:22 PM)Owl1998 Wrote:  

(03-01-2017 07:14 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  

(03-01-2017 05:19 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(03-01-2017 04:59 PM)mrbig Wrote:  Rice's BB/9 and K/BB ratios last season were pretty ugly if one were to exclude Duplantier and Fox. Kravetz and Esquivel in particular were not exactly control artists in their opportunities. Others like Salinas and Otto weren't any better than average in terms of BB. Guys need to take a step forward developmentally or the pitching staff is going to be a struggle.

From descriptions, it sounds like there are guys with good stuff. So that's at least a start to a decent staff. Hopefully the rust is just being shaken off in a few bad games. ...

rust?

How did TCU, DBU, ,and SELA avoid the rust problem?

Less humid climate? :-)

Lol....probably not. SELA is in a swamp.

Actually, the school is in Hammond, which is high and dry. No geography points for you.

Hammond is featured on Swamp People. And I've lived in Hammond. Trust me, there's plenty of swamps around.