Two games...22 runners left on base. Horrible situational

[Thick]

hitting. Really need to win tomorrow

 

[KurtRambis4]

*

 

[maroonmania]

no reason to have expected anything different today. We have to be the worst hitting team in the nation with the bases loaded.

 

[bruiser.sixpack]

"Once we get by South Carolina it will get easier."

As I said for the past 2 weeks....Bama....and Tennessee....and Mississippi......Louisiana State.....were all frothing at the mouth at the thought that they would still have 3 games left with Mississippi State to make up ground in a tight race.

And Bama just made up a ton of ground at our expense....

These pansies wearing Maroon and White hats couldn't hit a line drive with a boat paddle.</p>

 

[Todd4State]

many of those same people that said that the schedule is easier also said that "the team has to take care of business." I don't think anybody- at least I know that I wasn't- saying that these games were going to be given to us. It's a fact that we were playing three top five teams in our first three weeks of SEC play, and we simply do not have that the last few weeks.

And like I said today- we cut out the stupid mistakes, we win both games. That's on us.

I've also said that we controlled our destiney- and we did, and we just didn't do what we needed to do.

I think part of the problem right now is that our players- all of them- are not used to being in "big games". It's just totally different when there's more on the line. They have to learn how to win games that are "big". Experience is the best teacher for that.

I also think that the exam layoff may have hurt us today- I don't think we practiced much this week, and I don't know what other schools do during their exam week, but that could certainly explain why we weren't very crisp today. And no, that doesn't excuse anything at all- my point is we might need to look at how we handle exam week and see if we can do something different to try to stay sharp.

And yes, I know that Alabama has certainly had some unusual and very difficult circumstances surrounding this weekend as well- moreso than us, but they also got to play a midweek game and I know that they practiced yesterday. Baseball is a game where playing and repitition really help out a lot and long layoffs hurt. And I think goes for everyone from the coaches on down to the janitors.

 

[jcdawgman18]

If it wasn't the same stupid mistakes and decisions that have been made all year, I might, MIGHT, buy the exam week excuse. But there's no way that works this weekend. No way. I know you tried to hedge with the Bama thing, but if anyone should have been off their game it should have been them. I don't care that they played Tuesday, that doesn't really matter when they're dealing with lost friends, homes, etc. All we had to "deal with" was possibly a little less regular practice schedule. If that's a problem, then we're doing something terribly wrong.

 

[weblow]

I also think that the exam layoff may have hurt us today- I don't think we practiced much this week, and I don't know what other schools do during their exam week, but that could certainly explain why we weren't very crisp today. And no, that doesn't excuse anything at all- my point is we might need to look at how we handle exam week and see if we can do something different to try to stay sharp.

And yes, I know that Alabama has certainly had some unusual and very difficult circumstances surrounding this weekend as well- moreso than us, but they also got to play a midweek game and I know that they practiced yesterday. Baseball is a game where playing and repitition really help out a lot and long layoffs hurt. And I think goes for everyone from the coaches on down to the janitors.

Players on the Bama team lost their homes and have been crashing on buddies couches.

This team of pussies we have would have just given up and run home to mommy and daddy if they had been through what this bama team went through this week. This team of our is full of suck and that is the bottom line. With the exception of a select few, we cannot hit the ball. To still be sliding past bases is inexcusable. This is year 3 for Cohen and I got to tell you, all of his screaming and cussing and throwing his temper tantrums has produced absolutely nothing, ****, zero, nada.......the guy is a bust.

Todd, you know I have defended him time and time again but the mistakes you are talking about. The screw ups that are happening every game. The head scratching pitching moves. The playing of certain players when it is obvious to everyone they will never be worth a ****. It is too much and 3 years in is not acceptable.

Cohen's JUCO crap did not work here at State and he has paid the price but I am at the point now that I think he could have put together 3 top ten recruiting classes and he would still find a way to out coach himself.

 

[Todd4State]

If it wasn't the same stupid mistakes and decisions that have been made all year, I might, MIGHT, buy the exam week excuse. But there's no way that works this weekend. No way. I know you tried to hedge with the Bama thing, but if anyone should have been off their game it should have been them. I don't care that they played Tuesday, that doesn't really matter when they're dealing with lost friends, homes, etc. All we had to "deal with" was possibly a little less regular practice schedule. If that's a problem, then we're doing something terribly wrong.

And I agree- because that was my point- if the exam schedule is a problem, we need to figure out how to correct it.

 

[Todd4State]

I don't think these players are pussies- I mean, Ogden had his nose broken today when he took a ball off of his face, Parks has been playing hurt, and CT has had a bad hamstring. There's no telling who else is banged up. I do think you can question their talent, though. There is a difference between being a ***** and being good. But the three guys I mentioned, one is leading the SEC in hitting, one is hitting over .300 and one is leading our team in home runs and has some hits today even though he was questionable for the weekend.

I think Cohen does over manage at times- and I think it's because he wants to win here so badly. I do think he sometimes tries to do too much, and we get hurt by that at times. I heard Cohen's "rant"- which wouldn't hold a candle to one of mine- and he talks about how hard the team is working and all of that- and I believe him. But he might want to back it off a little bit and let the players relax because they might be trying too hard.

I'm a big believer that talent wins you games and makes you look good. The bottom line is these players for the most part- the upperclassmen in particular- are average at best. Therefore, they play average at best. Having average talent can also cause a coach to try to do too much as well- because they know that they have to try to overcome it somehow. I do think that goes back to recruiting so many JUCO guys in the first place, though. In hindsight, I think it would have been better to just take our lumps with a bunch of freshmen last year and then have them as sophomores this year- we took our lumps anyway.

That also leads to the "headscratching pitching moves"- that goes back to me, to not having the pitching depth that we need and also to our starters not going deep enough in games. We've got to get more than four innings out of Stratton and Routt because we can't pitch Pollorena and Reed every single game.

 

[Columbus Dawg]

hahahhaaha.

 

[Paper Dog]

Talked to two players after the game

They said the team practiced Tuesday through Friday - three hours at minimum each day

On Friday, they practiced three hours and lifted weights for two more

Basically, the same thing that happened at Kentucky is happening here .... Cohen has pretty much run the players into the ground

Look at Cohen's record everywhere he has been ... it is not good in May ... players get fatigued, fed up and totally tune him out

We were very poorly coached and poorly prepared in every phase of the game today

Most teams cut back late in the season, so players can stay fresh and ready to go .... the Cohen approach is the opposite

 

[Todd4State]

but that does go back to my point- whether we're practicing too much or too little, we still need to look at changing what we are doing. That may mean backing off a little bit.

 

[drt7891]

no reason to have expected anything different today. We have to be the worst hitting team in the nation with the bases loaded.

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 12px; ">Taken from:
</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 12px; ">
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 12px; ">Fourth and 1</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 12px; "></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 12px; ">- A coaching call so dubious, it forced receivers to drop passes, punters to shank punts, defense to stop tackling, and a kicker to miss a field goal two hours before the call</span><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#660000" face="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">
</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#660000" face="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">and add something like:
</span></font><div> <div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 12px; ">
</span></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#660000" face="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Bases Loaded- A situation so dubious, it forces batters to strike out, fly out in foul territory, hit into double plays, hit it right at a fielder, or otherwise cause any "massive tightening of the sphincter (quoting The Cream Theory)" so great, that even with no outs, we cannot possibly score a single run.</span></font></div> </div> </div></div>

 

[Thick]

My concern is the lack of run production that we have with RISP with 2 outs and less. How many times this year, have we had bases loaded with one out and scored just one or even none? How many times have we watched call strike 3 with RISP? It's inexcusable, and it also seems like we are guessing what the next pitch is, instead of shortening up and driving whatever pitch is thrown.

By Cohen's post game rant, I think he realizes that the fanbase is becoming very restless with how the pitchers are being handled, "unfortunate" base running issues, and the lack of run production. Our program is just as bad from a run production standpoint (RISP) as it was during the Polk years. The aggressiveness that Cohen brings has hurt us more than it has helped...always during the critical times of a game. Tre Johnson not getting the bunt down twice, then taking a call third strike, and then Vick getting thrown out stealing third in game one, and then bringing in Statz instead of Pollerena. Damn, just damn!!

 

[KurtRambis4]

I was just pointing out the fact that we weren't the only team leaving guys on base yesterday.

 

[Thick]

Marcello says we actually left 23 RISP, but again, Bama swept 2, we lost 2. Hell, I would even try a safety squeeze everytime we have RISP with less then 2 outs. Anything is better then what we are doing.

 

[bruiser.sixpack]

Marcello says we actually left 23 RISP, but again, Bama swept 2, we lost 2. Hell, I would even try a safety squeeze everytime we have RISP with less then 2 outs. Anything is better then what we are doing.

The 2 bunts in the 9th yesterday would havescored runs in both the bases loaded frame and therunners at 2nd and 3rd opportunity in game one.But why would we be trying to bunt for hits with Shepherd andBradford in the 9th with no men on? How did they think they would get around to score the tying and/or winning runs? by osmosis?

 

[bruiser.sixpack]

Saying the schedule got easier for MSU when they finished playing Vandy, Florida and South Carolina is like saying the Mississippi River will be fullerat Vicksburg than it will be at St. Louis.

It is a relative term to the talent level of the team who's schedule is perceived to get easier.

Lanier's baseball schedule gets easier every year once they finish playing Ridgeland.....but their chances of winning do not.
They just get beat by fewer runs.