I was at the game and it was marvelous. I am not an enlightened baseball fan; my appreciation goes up largely proportional to whether we win. So I'm very appreciative this morning.
We won. Convincingly. Finateri threw lots of strikes (73 of 99!). Many of the UVa hits were soft and fortunate.
But we were lucky. Does anyone else ever remember one team out hitting (12-13) the other AND getting run ruled? We got hits in bunches and it was a desert in between. I've always believed that RISP is mean reverting and last night didn't change that view. (Last night we were 600 RISP and 343 BA.)
A few miscellaneous notes:
- Both teams players were mostly physical specimens. I can see the difference every couple of years when I go to games. Players today are just much more agile and stronger than they used to be. It comes through more to me in person than on TV.
- Lackey is the real deal as catcher. His throws to second were always spot on when warming up. That throw out in the second to pick off the lead off hitter was massive. There were two more singles in the inning and UVa would have taken the lead and momentum.
- Burress throw from CF in B6 was a highlight reel throw. Burress put absolutely everything into the throw and was a perfect strike. Watching him warm up he can throw the ball a mile (some hyperbole but further than others). That play is the one I'll remember for them game the most. All 30 of the GT fans in the stadium were going crazy (or at least I was).
- There was great poetic justice in the 6th when Yunger stole second. That was after at least 20 pickoff attempts; even the UVa fans were complaining since most of the pickoff attempts were silly with Yunger only a few feet off the bag. Why the hell have a pitch clock when the pitcher can do that ****? We are now 55 of 59 in SBA for the year. Deadly.
Don't get too liquored up Charlie Brown. Last @UVa series I went to, we won Friday and then lost Saturday and Sunday. But this is a different team and we'll go as far as our pitching takes us; our team never gives up. I won't be going today or tomorrow but last night was worth it. (Great day in the mountains too clearing trees with hand saws, ropes and rollers. Doesn't get much better.)
We are back to 500 ACC with a 61 RPI. Bad news is we would not make NCAAs today IMHO. Good news is we control our destiny and play a lot of good teams that can improve the RPI. Here's the RPI of the ACC teams we play (UVa first - 17, 87, 4, 22, 5). I still think we need to finish over 500 ACC and RPI<=45. But given the RPI of the ACC teams left, I think if we end up over 500 ACC the RPI will be less than 45. So just win.