2021 College World Series Thread

[Hammerin Hank 1227]

Sometimes you have to take it out of the umpire’s hands

[VirginiaLonghorn 4777]

Just now, HenryJames said:

Yes, it’s our hitters fault that the umpire was shit.

Not the point.  Sooner rather than later our hitters should have recognized what the CWS umps were calling as a strike zone.  All the whining and handwringing hasn’t changed a thing from day 1.

[Augustus 3061]

Should've asked in the same post, but Rocker pitched last Sat (the 1st NC State game?)

[Surly Bevo 25056]

1 minute ago, Augustus said:

Should've asked in the same post, but Rocker pitched last Sat (the 1st NC State game?)

Friday

[Augustus 3061]

2 minutes ago, Surly Bevo said:

Friday

Doh, meant Fri.  Thank you, sir.

[Hammerin Hank 1227]

The home plate umpiring has been pretty bad in every game I’ve watched which seems odd for a championship tournament. I’ve also seen the pitch clock enforced more than I have all year. It’s like they all got the same memo 

[Augustus 3061]

1 minute ago, Hammerin Hank said:

The home plate umpiring has been pretty bad in every game I’ve watched which seems odd for a championship tournament. I’ve also seen the pitch clock enforced more than I have all year. It’s like they all got the same memo 

I hope they shitcan that clock this offseason.

[HenryJames 66128]

Honestly didn’t know the pitch clock was a thing until the CWS.

[Hammerin Hank 1227]

The pitch clock sucks and doesn’t even accomplish the goal which was to speed up the game 

[Augustus 3061]

And I agree, the umps have been inexcusably bad much of the time.  

Otoh, I've been repeatedly impressed with the 1st base umps.  They've made a ton of perfect calls on the some of the most bang-bang plays you'll see at first.

[Augustus 3061]

Just now, Hammerin Hank said:

The pitch clock sucks and doesn’t even accomplish the goal which was to speed up the game 

The umpire group conference prior to the review needs to go the way of the dodo, as well.

[HenryJames 66128]

Both pitchers just had their best inning.

[TwiceHorn 31498]

I suppose if Bednar's secret sauce really is spin, the light rest may take a toll on him.

[Hammerin Hank 1227]

Vandy sucks at defense. Unreal how bad they’ve been 

[OU Sucks 8872]

Vandy is horribad at fundamentals

[Augustus 3061]

Throughout this tourney, I've repeatedly thought that Vandy just doesn't have the bats to win it all.  They only scratched out 3 runs, I think, against the insanely depleted NC State. Mon night was the anomaly.

[TwiceHorn 31498]

That looked like a fucking huge 2B glove.

[Augustus 3061]

Although, Mon night did have 2 walks and 2 HBP's in one inning.

[HenryJames 66128]

1 minute ago, Hammerin Hank said:

Vandy sucks at defense. Unreal how bad they’ve been 

 

1 minute ago, OU Sucks said:

Vandy is horribad at fundamentals

They’re an average team with two first round starting pitchers.

Edited July 1, 2021 by HenryJames

[Augustus 3061]

Just now, TwiceHorn said:

That looked like a fucking huge 2B glove.

Did u see the ball get stuck in the shortstop's webbing last night?   That was hilarious.

[Dahobbs 17625]

Vandys defense is terribad. 

[Augustus 3061]

Anybody else think Leiter's clearly better than Rocker?  They're both great, but I think Leiter's got the edge.

[Valmy77 13246]

2 minutes ago, Augustus said:

Throughout this tourney, I've repeatedly thought that Vandy just doesn't have the bats to win it all.  They only scratched out 3 runs, I think, against the insanely depleted NC State. Mon night was the anomaly.

They got dominated by 8 ERA pitchers after getting shut out by a 4.5 ERA guy. Covid bailed them out.

[VirginiaLonghorn 4777]

1 minute ago, TwiceHorn said:

That looked like a fucking huge 2B glove.

… which I think contributes to some of Cam Williams’ fielding hiccups.  Big gloves make for adventure transferring from catch to throw.

[Augustus 3061]

Just now, Valmy77 said:

They got dominated by 8 ERA pitchers after getting shut out by a 4.5 ERA guy. Covid bailed them out.

Agreed

[Valmy77 13246]

12 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

Honestly didn’t know the pitch clock was a thing until the CWS.

It struck Trey out in the TCU series.

[HenryJames 66128]

1 minute ago, Augustus said:

Anybody else think Leiter's clearly better than Rocker?  They're both great, but I think Leiter's got the edge.

Kumar throws too many pitches.

[Underdog 28714]

Hello Legs on the ballgirl.  

[dcar00 14275]

24 minutes ago, VirginiaLonghorn said:

Not the point.  Sooner rather than later our hitters should have recognized what the CWS umps were calling as a strike zone.  All the whining and handwringing hasn’t changed a thing from day 1.

huh? the problem was no one knew what the zone was.

[Hammerin Hank 1227]

1 minute ago, Valmy77 said:

It struck Trey out in the TCU series.

I’m still mad about that call 

[Valmy77 13246]

2 minutes ago, Augustus said:

Anybody else think Leiter's clearly better than Rocker?  They're both great, but I think Leiter's got the edge.

Based on what I have seen in the CWS I agree. But maybe Rocker just hasn't had his best stuff lately.

[Hammerin Hank 1227]

1 minute ago, dcar00 said:

huh? the problem was no one knew what the zone was.

In that case you swing at anything close with 2 strikes. Be aggressive 

[Augustus 3061]

2 minutes ago, dcar00 said:

huh? the problem was no one knew what the zone was.

Thus the need to protect when anything's close.

[TwiceHorn 31498]

1 minute ago, VirginiaLonghorn said:

… which I think contributes to some of Cam Williams’ fielding hiccups.  Big gloves make for adventure transferring from catch to throw.

Cam's looks reasonable sized, but he's a pretty good-sized dude.

That 2B looked like a CF or softball player dropping the landing ramp for that thing.

But, yeah, all the good infielders I knew used as small a glove as they could stand.  And broke it in more like a basket than the flytrap thing us OF and 1B used.  I actually found the basket breakin helpful in OF, after making the initial crease.

[Valmy77 13246]

29 minutes ago, VirginiaLonghorn said:

Not the point.  Sooner rather than later our hitters should have recognized what the CWS umps were calling as a strike zone.  All the whining and handwringing hasn’t changed a thing from day 1.

I mean we have been playing to drive up pitch counts all year.

Anyway the 2021 team will never play baseball again. Hopefully they do better next season making those kinds of adjustments in the future. Tulo is on it...maybe.

[TwiceHorn 31498]

3 minutes ago, Augustus said:

Thus the need to protect when anything's close.

As I recall, Bednar got a zone where he could throw just high enough that it was a complete bitch to hit and really, really makes you think it's a ball.  There's not many legit or semi-legit strikes that can't be hit pretty well, but that high cheese is close to it.  He got a lot of leeway on the sides too, and that you just gotta protect the plate.

Half the time, we were bitching about high strikes, the other half we were bitching about swinging at the high cheese.

Edited July 1, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[Hammerin Hank 1227]

ESPN trying to put the jinx on him

[VirginiaLonghorn 4777]

2 minutes ago, dcar00 said:

huh? the problem was no one knew what the zone was.

The umps have been calling everything wide .. everything.  At some point, recognize the 17” plate is being treated as 21”and stop taking the stuff just off the plate.  Hitters have to adjust to pitchers, pitches, and the strike zone the umpire is calling.

[Levi 2586]

6 minutes ago, VirginiaLonghorn said:

… which I think contributes to some of Cam Williams’ fielding hiccups.  Big gloves make for adventure transferring from catch to throw.

Meh, tons of guys that play 3rd have bigger gloves. 

[dcar00 14275]

4 minutes ago, Hammerin Hank said:

In that case you swing at anything close with 2 strikes. Be aggressive 

yes I know that.  someone was saying that we should have figured out what the zone was that the umpires were calling.  I'm saying there never was a zone to figure out.

[Dahobbs 17625]

Jesus Vandy. 

[TwiceHorn 31498]

Just now, DoneWithit said:

Meh, tons of guys that play 3rd have bigger gloves. 

It is a position that uses bigger gloves more often, but you can still go too big.  Or even break it in wrong.  A bigger glove has a "stickier" pocket, usually by design, but kind of inherently.

Cam certainly seems to have transfer problems.

[OU Sucks 8872]

I wish we got to play these clowns.

[VirginiaLonghorn 4777]

1 minute ago, DoneWithit said:

Meh, tons of guys that play 3rd have bigger gloves. 

It was Cam’s .910 fielding percentage that was Meh.

[Dahobbs 17625]

Their fielding percentage is probably higher than it should be because they don't do a good enough job getting into a position to make a play. 

[HenryJames 66128]

5 minutes ago, dcar00 said:

yes I know that.  someone was saying that we should have figured out what the zone was that the umpires were calling.  I'm saying there never was a zone to figure out.

Exactly. 

[HenryJames 66128]

Stupid fucking glove talk not going away.

[Hammerin Hank 1227]

6 minutes ago, dcar00 said:

 I'm saying there never was a zone to figure out.

That’s the fuckin truth

[Augustus 3061]

9 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

As I recall, Bednar got a zone where he could throw just high enough that it was a complete bitch to hit and really, really makes you think it's a ball.  There's not many legit or semi-legit strikes that can't be hit pretty well, but that high cheese is close to it.  He got a lot of leeway on the sides too, and that you just gotta protect the plate.

Half the time, we were bitching about high strikes, the other half we were bitching about swinging at the high cheese.

Couldn't agree with you more there.  Calling the elevated fastball, out of the zone, a strike is about as shitty a thing an umpire can do.

This is looking like it could be out of reach soon.

[kingkoopa6 8369]

rocker gettin rocked...

someone said that already right? im late to the game