@Miami Baseball (Poll)

[DecaturJacket]

I also would like to see Kerce moved to 2nd base and Hernandez at 3rd. 7-9 in the lineup also needs a shakeup as that group can’t continue to go hitless

I just don't see the benefit to that first part? Kerce is a far superior defensive player. He's had a few errors on throws to second, but in general he's known as a defensive whiz. There's a reason he filled in a SS while Lodise was out. Hernandez has never been known for his defense and even with Kerce's uncharacteristic errors lately they both have almost exactly the same fld% (.944 vs. .945) and that's which Kerce playing the more difficult position(s).

Regarding 7/8/9, I mean yes, but also we're kind stuck right now. We need to get Schmidt back and that problem suddenly shrinks significantly. Goose had a nice stretch from Stanford to Cal, but is mired in a slump the past 5 games. I still don't think his bat speed is back and he definitely just doesn't look comfortable (to be fair, even when he's swinging it good his approach doesn't look comfortable to me). Parker is definitely struggling. In the past he's been able to draw walks to make up for a lower average, but he's not even really doing a lot of that right now. We already talked about Baker above, so I won't rehash that.

I really just want to see the lineup with Schmidt back. Hopefully he's able to get somewhere close to the production he was giving us sooner than later. I think that could lead to the holes closing themselves up.

 

[Bogey]

Just out of curiosity, what exactly would you point out as a coaching issue? Player/pitching management? Lineup construction? Or just going cold at the plate for an extended period?

I don't want to publicly get into the weeds too much about specific coaching issues because I don't have inside knowledge of the program and they are just my opinions as an avid baseball and GT fan. I have witnessed over the last several years that our results do not seem to match our talent level and we falter as the season progresses, which I see as coaching issues, not talent issues. Hopefully this will not be the case this season but I have my doubts. I hope we have a great week and are able to pull out of this slump beginning Tuesday evening. I plan to attend a couple games this weekend.
Enough said on my part, we shall see.

 

[DecaturJacket]

I don't want to publicly get into the weeds too much about specific coaching issues because I don't have inside knowledge of the program and they are just my opinions as an avid baseball and GT fan. I have witnessed over the last several years that our results do not seem to match our talent level and we falter as the season progresses, which I see as coaching issues, not talent issues. Hopefully this will not be the case this season but I have my doubts. I hope we have a great week and are able to pull out of this slump beginning Tuesday evening. I plan to attend a couple games this weekend.
Enough said on my part, we shall see.

Fair enough. It's all going to come down to the pitching (as it has for too long now). I do think there's improvement there, but I've said all along that past Tate, it's hard to trust anybody starting for us right now. It's a large part of why I prefer Patel starting, but that ship seems to have sailed. I think that Brady is just going to be an up and down starter and you kind of have to ride the wave. Spivey had his worst game of the season. I think you kind of just have to write that one off.

We're definitely in somewhat of a slump offensively, but I'd argue that's mostly just the bottom of the order. Getting Schmidt back (whenever that happens) will be huge for this team.

Miami is a better team than their record and they just had a better weekend than us. We're still 14-7 and I think this is the deepest we've been in a season before having one of these types of weekends in a LONG time. We're a better team than we showed this weekend. Hopefully being at home the next three weekends will help turn things back around.

 

[GT33]

This team has some serious coaching issues, but is not lacking the talent to have a high level of success, in my opinion.

You might be right, but if that is the case we’re going to be mighty unhappy the next 5 years or so.

 

[SOWEGA Jacket]

You might be right, but if that is the case we’re going to be mighty unhappy the next 5 years or so.

I don’t know. People seem to forget that Key was brought in by the previous guy and was part of that GT era. I wasn’t thrilled that he was named the head coach but everyone seems to love him now. Could be the same with Ramsey. I just think once you get the current coach out of the building the entire mood tone of that building will change. Hall doesn’t seem like a guy who really listens to anyone but himself.

 

[gtbeak]

I don’t know. People seem to forget that Key was brought in by the previous guy and was part of that GT era. I wasn’t thrilled that he was named the head coach but everyone seems to love him now. Could be the same with Ramsey. I just think once you get the current coach out of the building the entire mood tone of that building will change. Hall doesn’t seem like a guy who really listens to anyone but himself.

Interesting...my thoughts again would almost be the exact opposite of yours. It has been pretty clear that Hall has been delegating the offensive side of things to Ramsey, going back to the 2022 season when he allowed Ramsey to move Parada into the 2-hole (new school thinking that the 2-hole is where you put your best hitter) instead of having a traditional 2-hole hitter like Tres Gonzalez (high contact/average). I remember Hall commenting at the time about how foreign that idea was to him, but Ramsey felt very strongly about it and he allowed him to do so. Hall has also deferred a good bit to Borrell first and now Taylor/Rickman on the pitching staff and apparently also how to handle them.

 

[DecaturJacket]

I don’t know. People seem to forget that Key was brought in by the previous guy and was part of that GT era. I wasn’t thrilled that he was named the head coach but everyone seems to love him now. Could be the same with Ramsey. I just think once you get the current coach out of the building the entire mood tone of that building will change. Hall doesn’t seem like a guy who really listens to anyone but himself.

Pre-Ramsey, MAYBE I'd agree with you. I'd definitely be more likely to than now. However, Ramsey has 100% has his hand in this offense since he got here - from recruiting to approach to order.

Interesting...my thoughts again would almost be the exact opposite of yours. It has been pretty clear that Hall has been delegating the offensive side of things to Ramsey, going back to the 2022 season when he allowed Ramsey to move Parada into the 2-hole (new school thinking that the 2-hole is where you put your best hitter) instead of having a traditional 2-hole hitter like Tres Gonzalez (high contact/average). I remember Hall commenting at the time about how foreign that idea was to him, but Ramsey felt very strongly about it and he allowed him to do so. Hall has also deferred a good bit to Borrell first and now Taylor/Rickman on the pitching staff and apparently also how to handle them.

100% this.

Good point on Borrell. Hall definitely deferred to Ramsey/Borrell to on their respective sides of the ball. One clearly worked and the other clearly didn't.

 

[SOWEGA Jacket]

There has been one constant in our multi decade run of mediocrity. Once that is out of the day to day operations of the business I think you win see a rejuvenated program just like we saw in football.

 

[GT33]

There has been one constant in our multi decade run of mediocrity. Once that is out of the day to day operations of the business I think you win see a rejuvenated program just like we saw in football.

It has been my experience that GT sports are generally competitive but not great most years in most sports under most leadership. Occasionally we end up in the dumpster- 2019 football, 2015 football injuries, the idiot coach in ‘94, etc. basketball had it the worst with CTO, Gregory, Pastner scandals, etc.

On rare occasion we get JfT, Mark Price-Salley, etc, Lethal Weapon 3, JfH and Goose, JfN, etc and are a dangerous team to play.

I wouldn’t call middle of the road results on a consistent basis anything other than what it is. Let’s just hope we’re not near the high water mark and we’re closer to the low water mark like you’re suggesting.