Damnit Monday come on...
- Thread starter hatfieldms
- Start date
I agree
I was kind f hoping we would have taken our chances with Pollo on Friday and save a Graveman for Saturday. That way he would be ready to go for game one if we won on Friday
I was kind f hoping we would have taken our chances with Pollo on Friday and save a Graveman for Saturday. That way he would be ready to go for game one if we won on Friday
Not even an option at this point. He threw 74 pitches Friday afternoon, 76 last Saturday. You're talking about a guy who threw 117 vs. Virginia. He can go 100 pitches easily. He won't be tired on 3 days rest. We're going to the bullpen early anyway. He's our ace. He's a senior. He's amped. It's the CWS Finals. You have to step on their throats.
It's like some of you don't get it. You absolutely cannot lose ANY Game 2, in ANY tournament, with your ace on the bench. He damn well better have pitched in one of the first two games.
If it goes to Game 3 you go with Pollorena or Bracewell based on matchups obviously.
vs Indiana Fitts lasted 2 1/3 giving up 2 runs and only threw 42 pitches. Of those 42 about 30 of them were curveballs. Orel Hershiser kept pointing it out because it was so onesided towards the curve. Nobody can throw 70% curveballs and expect the hitters to not adjust. That's a recipe for disaster. I like Fitts just fine and I appreciate his PowerPoint but if you can't throw a fastball it's best to let someone else start in such a pressure packed environment.
Nope the father was calling all types of pitches....
... And Fitts just said screw it, I'm throwing curveballs
... And Fitts just said screw it, I'm throwing curveballs
He could go on Tuesday. And I don't have a big problem with it if he does. But he'd most likely be more effective with a 4th day of rest, so that's what I'd prefer. Win or lose Monday, there's really no urgency to bring him in until the last game. If we win Monday, obviously Tuesday isn't a must-win game. And if we lose Monday, we're going to have to get a win from someone else anyway so what difference does it make if that win comes on Tuesday or Wednesday?
No one expected Fitts to go much more than twice through the lineup, anyway... so "only going 2.1" is not that far off base. I thought going 3 full would be a good start for him.
I much imagine he was instructed to throw so many curveballs so he could set up Girado, who LIVES off his slider. Also, there is a difference between hitting a curveball and hitting a hanging curveball. I only remember one curveball he really hung bad... other than that, he was throwing pretty good curveballs.
Also, no one on here has said they want him to pitch because his powerpoint presentation. That is completely irrelevant. People want him to pitch because he's solid and has pretty good pitches. He's given us good starts and set up our relievers... which is what we want.
I much imagine he was instructed to throw so many curveballs so he could set up Girado, who LIVES off his slider. Also, there is a difference between hitting a curveball and hitting a hanging curveball. I only remember one curveball he really hung bad... other than that, he was throwing pretty good curveballs.
Also, no one on here has said they want him to pitch because his powerpoint presentation. That is completely irrelevant. People want him to pitch because he's solid and has pretty good pitches. He's given us good starts and set up our relievers... which is what we want.
Once a hitter knows he's getting a curve and it's thrown for a strike it's now a hanging curveball. It's a slower pitch that if seen too often has a predictable movement. Hitters drool over curves left in the strike zone. Last one Renfroe saw landed for a 3 run bomb. I want to see Bracewell and Gentry one more time this year. They both looked great the last time we saw them which I believe was way back in the SEC tournament. UCLA won't know **** about either of them but I guarantee they know about Fitts and more importantly they KNOW he's going to throw mostly curves. All we need is for Bracewell and/or Gentry to get through 3-4 innings Mon/Tues.
What you say is true
but it was obviously the plan for Fitts to throw that curve ball until they figured it out, and then bring in the complete opposite look from Girodo. They knew 2 times through the order would be probably be the max for Fitts. Worked out pretty well.
but it was obviously the plan for Fitts to throw that curve ball until they figured it out, and then bring in the complete opposite look from Girodo. They knew 2 times through the order would be probably be the max for Fitts. Worked out pretty well.
You've lost your mind. Fitts threw all curves because Indiana struggles with curves so the coaches told him to feed them curves. Plus, it set up Girodo. Fitts did his job and we won the game. Gentry has the highest postseason ERA on the team....there is a reason we aren't throwing a Freshmen out there, ask Virginia and Oregon State why that's a bad choice. And their freshmen were actually dominant freshmen.
At this point in the year you go with what's working. We will throw Fitts and then Girodo in Game 1 I would think. If we lose, we will start Graveman no doubt on Tuesday...we may even start him if we win Monday. Gentry will probably not see the field again until next season, and Bracewell probably won't either. Take that as a good sign though....if Gentry and Bracewell don't pitch this week, that probably means we won it in two games and are National MF Champs!
At this point in the year you go with what's working. We will throw Fitts and then Girodo in Game 1 I would think. If we lose, we will start Graveman no doubt on Tuesday...we may even start him if we win Monday. Gentry will probably not see the field again until next season, and Bracewell probably won't either. Take that as a good sign though....if Gentry and Bracewell don't pitch this week, that probably means we won it in two games and are National MF Champs!
Last edited:
Yea, he has a decent fastball. We will see it more tomorrow night. You gotta remember, OSU and especially Indiana were really good hitting teams, so we couldn't risk digging a big hole against either. UCLA is not nearly as good of a hitting club, so I expect to see Fitts go out there and try to pitch tomorrow instead of just trying to matchup and give a few innings. Don't be surprised if Fitts gives us 5-6 innings tomorrow night...especially if we can go out and grab an early lead.
5-6 from Fitts would be HUGE, I really would like to see Bracewell one more time though. He's got a 1.48 ERA thru 30 innings this year with 28 K's and a .170 oppBAVG. I'll give you that Gentry is risky (I forgot he pitched vs UCA). Gentry had a very strong outing in the SEC tournament that stands out for me.
Oh I agree that Bracewell is a stud, but I think Cohen and Butch are saving him for elimination starts. I think had we gone to a second game with OSU Bracewell would have started. I feel the same way about the Championship. Cohen seems to like how Bracewell is a veteran and he is a fighter...therefore he makes the perfect guy to trot out in a game 3.
Last edited: