Ok, enough jubilation. Settle down and get ready for the next one. TV: SEC Network + (on-line) Radio: WRUF 850 AM / 98.1 FM Listen Live - ESPN 98.1 FM - 850 AM WRUF Stats: StatBroadcast Live Stat Feed Game Notes: 3 15 Texas A (PDF) - Florida Gators Weather: 81 Deg at the start and 71 at finish. 10% chance of precip decreasing to 5%. SW wind @ 6-9 = blowing out to center field. Starting Gator: #12 Fr RHP Peterson (5.06, 1-1, 16.0 IP) Starting Earl: #23 Jr RHP Jones (1.00, 1-0, 9.0 IP) Go Gators!
Gal you always do a great service. Thank you. Maybe some of the pressure is off the Gators. UF bats absolutely ignited to the tune of 12 hits and 8 runs. They also left 8 on base. A&M came into the game taunted as one of the best pitching teams in the country. Tops in the SEC. Now the uncertainty is on their shoulders and UF has to feel good about whatever arms they face. Hopefully they stay on fire and we get great pitching. Go Gators….
That would be funny if Google explained the Earl tradition. All opposing pitchers are named "Earl". There's a story, but I'll let others explain. As far as I know, it goes back to the 1990's.
I am excited for my and my family’s first game at Condron today. And since I’ll be there, maybe I can provide some insider notes like, “Kurland took a shortened BP today and then seemed to drink some Gatorade over by the dugout.”
Let us know if you see the ghost of Mikey Robertson, or that really tall pitcher we keep hearing about.
There are many denizens of this forum who know and can explain better than I but I will add the gist of the origin. I am sure one of the folks who know more details can add them and/or correct any facts I have wrong. As Gal said, this goes back to a game in the 1990s, late 90s as I recall. The visiting team pitcher had the given name of Earl. He was relieved and the next pitcher also had Earl as his surname. The second Earl didn’t last too long and when the visiting manager went out to the mound the Section E Hecklers started chanting “Send in the next Earl.” Earl is a Gator insider way to refer to the opposing pitcher and certainly adds charm.
Gator Line Up: #4 Kurland 2B #14 Caglianone 1B #28 Heyman DH #10 Shelton SS #2 Evans RF #6 Shelnut LF #1 Thomas 3B #26 Garrison C #11 Robertson CF #12 Peterson SP
Tamu lineup #9 Grahovac 3B #17 LaViolette CF #6 Montgomery RF #5 Schott LF #27 Burton 1B #20 Appel C #48 Bard DH #2 Camarillo SS #3 Kent 2B #23 Jones SP
It certainly was used.loudly and often in the early days of the Mac, but I vaguely remember it from pre-Mac days. Maybe even one of the many great insults generated from the original rowdies parked next to the LF fence and it's wonderful hill. They offered words of encouragement to opposing left fielders lying prone on that hill.
I’m pretty sure the reason it stuck so well is because the first time Gator fans used it the opposing pitcher’s real first name was Earl (unknown to the fans) and the hecklers got off with him so bad it became tradition. WES does know specifics though….
