2021 College World Series Thread

[Valmy77 13086]

4 minutes ago, TornACL said:

You need to see a therapist. 

Dude I am still waiting for your insightful baseball commentary the real fans are supposed to provide.

[Helobious 9465]

5 minutes ago, troph said:

Learn me the crazy shifting now - saw it some this week, seeing in an MLB game now - what the hell is that all about? 

In the pros it’s scouting/analytics. Shifting is the norm now, has been for a few years. No one plays defense straight away anymore. It was only a matter of time before it made its way into college.

[ztejas 43190]

1 minute ago, Valmy77 said:

Dude I am still waiting for your insightful baseball commentary the real fans are supposed to provide.

You're supposed to sit there and take it while ESPN shoves the SEC down your throat until you choke on your own puke. 

[HtownHorn 14395]

Just awful game management by the Stanford coach. You bring this guy back on short rest and try to ruin his arm. Fuck you deserved to lose with that shit.

[Had Enough 2033]

Learn me the crazy shifting now - saw it some this week, seeing in an MLB game now - what the hell is that all about? 

MLB is all about the shift. Partly because analytics say screw small ball. Partly because the players won’t take the easy single. But also a ton of data.

College isn’t that way. But the shifts aren’t as extreme.

A SS has a better chance up the middle to either get the guy at 2nd or 1st than in the hole. Partly due to glove side but also gets more on the throw. The big lefty should have been a relatively easy groundout.

[Cairn Horn88 8135]

17 minutes ago, 4th and 5 said:

I am still trying to process what the heck just happened up a run, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. How do you fucking do that!!!

Tree fall down.

[Biff Tannen 45439]

22 minutes ago, VirginiaLonghorn said:

They have to beat NCSU twice and we have to beat UVA once and MSU twice … 

So, who’s on shorter rest?

Yeah I was looking at the schedule and why do they get a day of rest coming out of the loser’s bracket, but we have to play 3 in a row?

[NeverMarryAStripper 21780]

Because we got our extra day of rest before we played our first game

[Biff Tannen 45439]

1 minute ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

Because we got our extra day of rest before we played our first game

[4th&Five 41444]

College baseball is great because of endings like we saw the last 2 nights. I wish espn or someone else would invest more in having decent coverage of it. 

[VandyHorn 42]

The good news is that we won. The bad news is that aggy won.

[troph 24498]

16 minutes ago, Had Enough said:

MLB is all about the shift. Partly because analytics say screw small ball. Partly because the players won’t take the easy single. But also a ton of data.

College isn’t that way. But the shifts aren’t as extreme.

A SS has a better chance up the middle to either get the guy at 2nd or 1st than in the hole. Partly due to glove side but also gets more on the throw. The big lefty should have been a relatively easy groundout.

You’d think at some point you take what the defense gives you? 

[dcar00 14002]

22 minutes ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

Because we got our extra day of rest before we played our first game

yep..and which is completely worthless in this format.   when I saw the Sunday I knew we had to win that first game.  we are going to have to do it the hardest way possible.

[Droopy 2623]

11 hours ago, msudawg said:

Take care of UVA and bring on round 3 and 4 if needed. Cheers. 

 

6 hours ago, Born to Run said:

Man I was really with you you to the end

Roses really smell like poopoooo.
Cmon

MacGruber fans, anyone?

 

 

 

 

 

Classic MacGruber.

[ztejas 43190]

7 minutes ago, dcar00 said:

yep..and which is completely worthless in this format.   when I saw the Sunday I knew we had to win that first game.  we are going to have to do it the hardest way possible.

I'm more worried about Mississippi State than Vandy. If Vandy even makes it. They have a classic case of Defending Title Hangover Syndrome. 

Plus I think God created Texas in part to have us smite Vanderbilt in the 2021 CWS and reclaim baseball glory. But that's just me.

[Guest Lobo]

I won't worry about Vanderbilt until they beat N.C. State, twice.  

I know we have to play Virginia tomorrow.  But the war of arms attrition we have coming with Miss. State is what worries me.  I've been talking about it for over a week like a typical long-winded Lobo.  But they have a deeper staff than anybody gives them credit for.  It's the next deepest after ours.  What mowed us down on Sunday is just a glimpse of it.  It has barely been tested and we gotta get our shit together to battle them for 18 innings in 27 hours.  Half our lineup is still asleep.  The baseball gods must be appeased.  And we've miles to go before we sleep.  This Omaha is lovely, dark, and deep.  But we've miles to go before we sleep. 

Miles to go...

Edited June 24, 2021 by Lobo

[Helobious 9465]

28 minutes ago, troph said:

You’d think at some point you take what the defense gives you? 

If I’m on defense and I’ve reduced Barry Bonds into bunting for an easy single every time, that’s a gigantic win for me. So the prudent offensive strategy is to just try and hit the ball over everyone’s head everytime.

Also, when the shift is on pitchers are going to pitch you in so that it’d be almost impossible to lay down a bunt towards 3rd even if you wanted to.

Edited June 24, 2021 by Helobious

[orangecat92 306]

I don't give Vandy much of a chance against N.C. State.  We could easily have an all-ACC final.  It would make heads explode all over Bristol.  

[Tailgate 3010]

I wouldn’t count Vandy out with Rocker and Leiter ready to go again 1-2. I think their offense came back tonight too.

[troph 24498]

7 minutes ago, Helobious said:

If I’m on defense and I’ve reduced Barry Bonds into bunting for an easy single every time, that’s a gigantic win for me. So the prudent offensive strategy is to just try and hit the ball over everyone’s head everytime.

Also, when the shift is on pitchers are going to pitch you in so that it’d be almost impossible to lay down a bunt towards 3rd even if you wanted to.

Well I was talking more about college but I can see pitching to where it’s impossible -  it seems opposite field is often what’s left open with the shift is that true ? Padres and dodgers the shift was in the outfield to right field on a lefty batting.  Thinking college ball man just get that to left field. I guess you just pitch high and inside or something like that and it’s just super hard to take advantage?

[Had Enough 2033]

If I’m on defense and I’ve reduced Barry Bonds into bunting for an easy single every time, that’s a gigantic win for me. So the prudent offensive strategy is to just try and hit the ball over everyone’s head everytime.
Also, when the shift is on pitchers are going to pitch you in so that it’d be almost impossible to lay down a bunt towards 3rd even if you wanted to.

But Joey Gallo is no Barry Bonds. He needs to learn to hit and maybe take a little off the swing with two strikes. I’m pretty sure you could put every defender on the right side ad he’d still pull it. But with Gallo on 1st after burning himself on, the next guy gets to hit without the shift due to the runner.

I do think in the past hitters were more intellectual about it and could drive it to the opposite gap better. Hard to imagine a Tony Gwynn saying to hell with it and just saying I just want to hit it as hard as I can no matter what.

[Fletch 5798]

36 minutes ago, ztejas said:

I'm more worried about Mississippi State than Vandy. If Vandy even makes it. They have a classic case of Defending Title Hangover Syndrome. 

Plus I think God created Texas in part to have us smite Vanderbilt in the 2021 CWS and reclaim baseball glory. But that's just me.

Wrong. God made Vanderbilt cause everyone was tired of us, including god. 

[ztejas 43190]

Just now, Fletch said:

Wrong. God made Vanderbilt cause everyone was tired of us, including god. 

They were tired before, they can be tired again. 

[Fletch 5798]

That would be fine with me. Not my fault god fucked up and created us

[Helobious 9465]

56 minutes ago, troph said:

Well I was talking more about college but I can see pitching to where it’s impossible -  it seems opposite field is often what’s left open with the shift is that true ? Padres and dodgers the shift was in the outfield to right field on a lefty batting.  Thinking college ball man just get that to left field. I guess you just pitch high and inside or something like that and it’s just super hard to take advantage?

Yes, the pitcher will usually pitch to his shift, which is almost always pull side. But when he misses his spot a hitter with a balanced approach can really do damage the other way. It’s just a difficult thing to do though, especially when youre swinging for power.

[Horndog 2167]

2 hours ago, Horn80 said:

That would make aggy’s dick fall off.

They'd have to have one first. 

[bluto 4861]

Quick shoutout to the ESPN color guys calling the CWS, Kyle Peterson/Perez team especially. Perez voice is annoying but both guys are like a non over the top romo in calling out what’s coming and being pretty damn right. They actually add something to the broadcast.

[Wulaw Horn 18936]

In the bigs they don’t even bother pitching in with the shift- they throw whatever is in the scouting report as most likely to get them out. At least- that’s what the Astros do. As an early adapter of the shift that was one of the things that most messed with the pitchers mind. Make your pitch- even if it’s outside- when you are shifting. 
not everyone gets shifted, but it’s probably over 50% for most teams in the bigs. 

[Wulaw Horn 18936]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/03/18/baseball-shift-rule-changes/%3foutputType=amp
 

Dodgers shifted 55% last year. That’s less than some of the more analytical teams. Lefties get shifted more than righties.  
mlb average is 38% and climbing. 
probably robs about 2% if batted balls into hits. The difference between a 280 and 300 hitter isn’t insignificant. 

[chase25 2048]

3 hours ago, Lobo said:

I won't worry about Vanderbilt until they beat N.C. State, twice.  

I know we have to play Virginia tomorrow.  But the war of arms attrition we have coming with Miss. State is what worries me.  I've been talking about it for over a week like a typical long-winded Lobo.  But they have a deeper staff than anybody gives them credit for.  It's the next deepest after ours.  What mowed us down on Sunday is just a glimpse of it.  It has barely been tested and we gotta get our shit together to battle them for 18 innings in 27 hours.  Half our lineup is still asleep.  The baseball gods must be appeased.  And we've miles to go before we sleep.  This Omaha is lovely, dark, and deep.  But we've miles to go before we sleep. 

Miles to go...

We'll be fine pitching wise, the biggest worry if we do get to face them again is whether we can find enough offense to help the pitching out. Ty will 100% be going Friday and I would imagine Tristan would start Saturday. Against Tennessee there were 2 runs that we pretty much manufactured on the base paths: 1) Mike Antico stealing 2nd and advancing to 3rd on an error before being driven in on a ground ball out and 2) Eric Kennedy stealing 3rd by baiting the throw to 2nd and scoring on a wild pitch. Those are the things it will take to beat Mississippi State, oh, and not striking out 21 times.

Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. If Mississippi State puts up a bunch of runs early or say Virginia gets to Hansen and forces us to go to the pen early then yeah we could be stretched thin but if we get another lights out start from Pete tomorrow which most expect, we'll be fine for 2 games against Mississippi State. 

[troph 24498]

7 hours ago, Helobious said:

Yes, the pitcher will usually pitch to his shift, which is almost always pull side. But when he misses his spot a hitter with a balanced approach can really do damage the other way. It’s just a difficult thing to do though, especially when youre swinging for power.

 

6 hours ago, Wulaw Horn said:

In the bigs they don’t even bother pitching in with the shift- they throw whatever is in the scouting report as most likely to get them out. At least- that’s what the Astros do. As an early adapter of the shift that was one of the things that most messed with the pitchers mind. Make your pitch- even if it’s outside- when you are shifting. 
not everyone gets shifted, but it’s probably over 50% for most teams in the bigs. 

 

5 hours ago, Wulaw Horn said:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/03/18/baseball-shift-rule-changes/%3foutputType=amp
 

Dodgers shifted 55% last year. That’s less than some of the more analytical teams. Lefties get shifted more than righties.  
mlb average is 38% and climbing. 
probably robs about 2% if batted balls into hits. The difference between a 280 and 300 hitter isn’t insignificant. 

Last night the ESPN channel carrying the CWS rolled over to the Padres dodgers - I watched one at bat. That’s the most MLB I’ve watched in probably the last 7-8 years, maybe longer. I’m almost exclusively college baseball. It’s not as bad for football but it’s certainly close to that for basketball too.  Pro sports don’t hold my interest at all.

[jw4381 3046]

8 hours ago, Had Enough said:

But Joey Gallo is no Barry Bonds. He needs to learn to hit and maybe take a little off the swing with two strikes. I’m pretty sure you could put every defender on the right side ad he’d still pull it. But with Gallo on 1st after burning himself on, the next guy gets to hit without the shift due to the runner.

I do think in the past hitters were more intellectual about it and could drive it to the opposite gap better. Hard to imagine a Tony Gwynn saying to hell with it and just saying I just want to hit it as hard as I can no matter what.

I thought is was Joey Callo?

6 hours ago, Wulaw Horn said:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/03/18/baseball-shift-rule-changes/%3foutputType=amp
 

Dodgers shifted 55% last year. That’s less than some of the more analytical teams. Lefties get shifted more than righties.  
mlb average is 38% and climbing. 
probably robs about 2% if batted balls into hits. The difference between a 280 and 300 hitter isn’t insignificant. 

 

5 minutes ago, troph said:

 

 

Last night the ESPN channel carrying the CWS rolled over to the Padres dodgers - I watched one at bat. That’s the most MLB I’ve watched in probably the last 7-8 years, maybe longer. I’m almost exclusively college baseball. It’s not as bad for football but it’s certainly close to that for basketball too.  Pro sports don’t hold my interest at all.

I did too. And the Padres put their 3rd baseman out into shallow right field. The dude batting struck out.

[troph 24498]

3 minutes ago, jw4381 said:

I thought is was Joey Callo?

 

I did too. And the Padres put their 3rd baseman out into shallow right field. The dude batting struck out.

The AB I watched they shifted right to shallow right and center to deep right on a lefty. Batter struck out. 

[jw4381 3046]

7 minutes ago, troph said:

The AB I watched they shifted right to shallow right and center to deep right on a lefty. Batter struck out. 

Probably the same at bat. 3rd baseman took his time getting out there, too.

[Guest Lobo]

It's Gameday Bitches! (hopefully saying that more times in the days to come) 

Somebody start the Virginia v. Texas thread.  I am extremely antsy about who they are going to start against us (do they announce that stuff on twitter like Texas does?).  And seeing how they stack their lineup against a lefty in Hansen. They have a little bit of lefty/righty wiggle room on their roster, but not much.  

[Don Johnson 4744]

38 minutes ago, troph said:

The AB I watched they shifted right to shallow right and center to deep right on a lefty. Batter struck out. 

What you should do

 

[troph 24498]

10 minutes ago, Don Johnson said:

What you should do

 

that's exactly right. that ridiculous amount of shifting is insane.  take the double with a teeball base hit every fucking time.  swinging for the HR in that situation is just dumber than shit.  I lost track of MLB but the fact that there is that much shifting and that teams aren't tapping a bunt or a anemic basehit (at least) to the gaping hole is idiotic.  Then when they shift back with a runner on base, then swing for the HR if you must.  but that's a 2 run shot, not a solo.  MLB is dumb.

Edited June 24, 2021 by troph

[Cajun 11671]

1 hour ago, troph said:

 

 

Last night the ESPN channel carrying the CWS rolled over to the Padres dodgers - I watched one at bat. That’s the most MLB I’ve watched in probably the last 7-8 years, maybe longer. I’m almost exclusively college baseball. It’s not as bad for football but it’s certainly close to that for basketball too.  Pro sports don’t hold my interest at all.

That's because MLB is homogenized, pre-packaged, shit.  It's unwatchable.  Cracks me up that people are so into it.

[troph 24498]

3 minutes ago, Cajun said:

That's because MLB is homogenized, pre-packaged, shit.  It's unwatchable.  Cracks me up that people are so into it.

watch that video and you'll see the product of some serious tape on the bridge of the glasses, pocket protector nerd ass bullshit.  the meathead brigade needs to come in there and out smart those nerd boys with the bunt to a blank left side of the field all day long.  the shifting shit is funny as can be.  but you can't blame the defense, the offenses are dumb enough to keep swinging to the out field.  shift on me, I'll take the free double - you can't tell me a MLB caliber hitter can't bunt just about any strike to the 3B side.  let the guy behind me grab the 2-shot when you play more straight up. 

Edited June 24, 2021 by troph

[utee94 15733]

Agree, all the pro sports leagues are pretty tough to take.  I'll still watch the NFL some, because football is King, but MLB and the NBA have been completely unwatchable for decades.

[Cajun 11671]

I'll never know even if they do Troph b/c I have zero interest in watching a bunch of money mercenaries who have less interest in the game go out and give half-assed effort  for a season of boredom.

NFL, NBA, and MLB are all for suckers.

Won't watch a lick and I can't stand commentators in college sports who instist on waxing poetic about what's going on in the pro game from the booth.  I could not care less.

[troph 24498]

11 minutes ago, Cajun said:

I'll never know even if they do Troph b/c I have zero interest in watching a bunch of money mercenaries who have less interest in the game go out and give half-assed effort  for a season of boredom.

NFL, NBA, and MLB are all for suckers.

Won't watch a lick and I can't stand commentators in college sports who instist on waxing poetic about what's going on in the pro game from the booth.  I could not care less.

I won't either, but this whole convo started because the college baseball broadcast rolled over to MLB and I saw that insane shifting crap and started the convo.  I don't watch it, I still won't watch it and now for more good reason, sheer stupidity.  MLB is broken.  it's not baseball. it's homerun derby and that's about it.  someone else can like it, I'm even less interested which I thought was impossible.  I mean seriously gaping holes in the infield and they won't take advantage like that video.  just absurdity.

[Guest Lobo]

The narrator in that video was pretty annoying until the end, "And the pitcher just figures somebody'll be over there to field Carpenter's bunt because there has been somebody over there in baseball...for you know...the last 200 years."   I laughed and then wept for the game.  

I can't watch regular season MLB anymore.  It's excruciating.  Just as well WGN doesn't have the Cubs on anymore anyway.  

But I could still watch an MLB spring training game before I could manage to sit through an NBA or NFL game.  I don't know how y'all do it.  Or where you find the time.  

[Cajun 11671]

Watching that pitcher in the video barely even jog after the ball in that video sums up MLB quite nicely for me.

[David Dennison 18485]

29 minutes ago, Cajun said:

That's because MLB is homogenized, pre-packaged, shit.  It's unwatchable.  Cracks me up that people are so into it.

I find it much better than college baseball, mainly because the talent in MLB is other worldly.

[Cajun 11671]

Of course you do.

[Guest Lobo]

7 minutes ago, David Dennison said:

I find it much better than college baseball, mainly because the talent in MLB is other worldly.

Really, fully matured grown men scouted from around the world and paid tens of millions of dollars a year with nothing else to do but train year around are more talented than a 19 year Division II player who has to earn his engineering degree in 4 years or less while working summers to pay for books?  Yeah, I didn't see that coming.  

We are spoiled at Texas though because we get to watch high quality college baseball several months a year, every single season.  Much of college baseball is pretty rough to watch if you don't have a dog in the fight.  It's like watching a Rookie League/Low A minors game, at best.  Maybe regionals, certainly super regionals and of course Omaha, I can watch that all day long because the quality is there, the passion for the game is there, the atmosphere is great, and there is a lot on the line for the players.  By the time you get to Supers, you're watching teams that'll have 50% of the starters drafted.  But fucking MLB, i can't even make it through a DS or LCS game anymore unless it's a team I follow (CHC, BOS, HOU).  I can still watch the World Series no matter who is playing but I'm sure that'll be over soon too.

[NeverMarryAStripper 21780]

I gave up on MLB before it was cool

[Js1 84994]

47 minutes ago, troph said:

that's exactly right. that ridiculous amount of shifting is insane.  take the double with a teeball base hit every fucking time.  swinging for the HR in that situation is just dumber than shit.  I lost track of MLB but the fact that there is that much shifting and that teams aren't tapping a bunt or a anemic basehit (at least) to the gaping hole is idiotic.  Then when they shift back with a runner on base, then swing for the HR if you must.  but that's a 2 run shot, not a solo.  MLB is dumb.

MLB is now a game of home runs and strikeouts.   The fundamentals have disappeared. 

For instance, the new runner on 2nd rule for extras - feels like no team in the home half of the extra inning needing 1 to win or 1 to tie will just bunt the runner over and then try for a sac fly or sac bunt.  It's either hit a HR or walk, double play, strikeout. 

[Wulaw Horn 18936]

1 hour ago, Don Johnson said:

What you should do

 

If you read the article I posted you see that’s a terrible strategy by the numbers. Something like a 710 OPS or 680 or something like that. Batters numbers are better trying to hit it over the shift.