and I realized that we got 10 hits today- that's not too bad, but we only got three runs. That's what happens when a small ball team does not- or in this case is not allowed to because of the weather- create runs.
Now, to be clear, I'm not blaming this loss on the weather at all. What I am blaming it on is the fact that our team isn't built to have that good power/speed balance that I have been talking about. When you have that balance, you don't have to worry about the weather as much because you know that you have the ability to score runs by other means. And it goes beyond weather- a good power pitcher can also shut down a small ball lineup because they know that they can just pound the strike zone without fear of someone hitting the ball out. And the more confident a really good pitcher is, the worse it is for you.
Having power basically makes a fast aggressive team that much more dangerous. A great example- the 1985 MSU baseball team. We had Dan Van Cleve and Gator Theisen at the top of the order, and they would wreak havoc on the basepaths. Then we followed that up with Thunder and Lightning- and I include Bobby Thigpen in that group, and then followed him up John Mitchell. By Van Cleve and Theisen getting on, it made Clark, Palmeiro, Thigpen all that much more dangerous and put pressure on the pitcher and defense. But perhaps more importantly, if you are a balanced team, you don't have to worry about the fact that a team might have someone like Ed Easley behind the plate to shut you down, and also you don't have to necessarily worry about and have to depend on your power guys to have a huge game because you still have the ability to create runs if you need to. And that's what you want because there are going to be times where we get into a slugfest and there are going to be times where we need to try to create like a pitcher's duel.
I've seen some people complain about the baserunning today, and I think those are legit complaints because it's not like the coaches didn't know that the field was wet. But, I think that they may have forced the issue some simply because that's really the only way that we can play right now with the players that we have. That's not excusing them, but it's understanding where they may have been coming from. Three plays that stand out to me that were baserunning plays- one where we did a double steal and Parks got thrown out at second- he has to make sure that he runs just as hard as the lead runner in that situation, Cody Freeman getting throw out at third trying to stretch a double into a triple really hurt- even though that was the second out of the inning, and then Ogden getting called out at home on a play where the umpire was out of position and guessed wrong.
Finally, a thought I had was about how happy I am that Devin Jones is pitching so well, and how I feel bad for him because we've had two tough losses in games that he has pitched pretty well in. I also think the coaching staff should not have used CC Watson and Busby in those situation with the game on the line. I think Caleb Reed would have been a much better choice. Yes, I understand that those pitchers need to get some work in, but they should have gotten that agianst Alcorn St. instead of having Kendall Graveman go seven. One personal rule that I have is do not get someone an appearance or work at the expense of a win. It doesn't do anybody any good. A famous example of that is the 1986 World Series when the Red Sox left Bill Buckner out there on the field instead of Dave Stapleton- a much better defensive first baseman- because the Red Sox manager wanted Buckner on the field for the World Championship win because of all that he had done for their team. Well, Buckner made a critical error, and cost the Red Sox the game and eventually they lost the World Series, and he was forever a goat. If someone needs some work, well, we have a huge IPF where they could go throw as well as the bullpen.
We will be OK, but I think people are seeing why I thought we would win 30 games this year. It was a bad day, but it's over, and we have to move on and beat Georgia State, and we get another chance at Iowa to take care of business.
Now, to be clear, I'm not blaming this loss on the weather at all. What I am blaming it on is the fact that our team isn't built to have that good power/speed balance that I have been talking about. When you have that balance, you don't have to worry about the weather as much because you know that you have the ability to score runs by other means. And it goes beyond weather- a good power pitcher can also shut down a small ball lineup because they know that they can just pound the strike zone without fear of someone hitting the ball out. And the more confident a really good pitcher is, the worse it is for you.
Having power basically makes a fast aggressive team that much more dangerous. A great example- the 1985 MSU baseball team. We had Dan Van Cleve and Gator Theisen at the top of the order, and they would wreak havoc on the basepaths. Then we followed that up with Thunder and Lightning- and I include Bobby Thigpen in that group, and then followed him up John Mitchell. By Van Cleve and Theisen getting on, it made Clark, Palmeiro, Thigpen all that much more dangerous and put pressure on the pitcher and defense. But perhaps more importantly, if you are a balanced team, you don't have to worry about the fact that a team might have someone like Ed Easley behind the plate to shut you down, and also you don't have to necessarily worry about and have to depend on your power guys to have a huge game because you still have the ability to create runs if you need to. And that's what you want because there are going to be times where we get into a slugfest and there are going to be times where we need to try to create like a pitcher's duel.
I've seen some people complain about the baserunning today, and I think those are legit complaints because it's not like the coaches didn't know that the field was wet. But, I think that they may have forced the issue some simply because that's really the only way that we can play right now with the players that we have. That's not excusing them, but it's understanding where they may have been coming from. Three plays that stand out to me that were baserunning plays- one where we did a double steal and Parks got thrown out at second- he has to make sure that he runs just as hard as the lead runner in that situation, Cody Freeman getting throw out at third trying to stretch a double into a triple really hurt- even though that was the second out of the inning, and then Ogden getting called out at home on a play where the umpire was out of position and guessed wrong.
Finally, a thought I had was about how happy I am that Devin Jones is pitching so well, and how I feel bad for him because we've had two tough losses in games that he has pitched pretty well in. I also think the coaching staff should not have used CC Watson and Busby in those situation with the game on the line. I think Caleb Reed would have been a much better choice. Yes, I understand that those pitchers need to get some work in, but they should have gotten that agianst Alcorn St. instead of having Kendall Graveman go seven. One personal rule that I have is do not get someone an appearance or work at the expense of a win. It doesn't do anybody any good. A famous example of that is the 1986 World Series when the Red Sox left Bill Buckner out there on the field instead of Dave Stapleton- a much better defensive first baseman- because the Red Sox manager wanted Buckner on the field for the World Championship win because of all that he had done for their team. Well, Buckner made a critical error, and cost the Red Sox the game and eventually they lost the World Series, and he was forever a goat. If someone needs some work, well, we have a huge IPF where they could go throw as well as the bullpen.
We will be OK, but I think people are seeing why I thought we would win 30 games this year. It was a bad day, but it's over, and we have to move on and beat Georgia State, and we get another chance at Iowa to take care of business.