Funny how both CWS finalist are struggling big time this year. I suspect it's a combination of many things, departing big time players, new players, and maybe not as hungry. Both teams look dreadful. How does one really explain what's going on with UF? There's not one single area in which we are doing well. Not one. It seems everyone is swinging for the fence but striking out. Still, the season is young and lots of time to right the ship. I know Sully will do what's needed.
Langford BT Rivera Halter Sproat Waldrep Abner Nesbitt That's the guys I can think of off the top of my head that we had to replace. Langford, was as good as it gets, so it goes without saying how big of an impact he had. We have replaced him with a platoon of guys who can't hit 200 and seem to let runners take extra bases constantly when making routine plays. Rivera was a hell of a hitter last year and played SS as well as we have ever had. Replaced him with a comparable bat, kind of, but nowhere close to his glove. BT didn't have his greatest year last year, but always seemed to come up with hits when it was needed. His leadership though left a void that couldn't be replaced. The intangibles he had were immeasurable. Halter was never great, but he was so much more dependable on offense and defense than anyone we have put at 3rd this season. The pitching has been bad up until the last few weeks and it seemed to be on the up swing, or we have just played bad teams (mizz). It's hard for any team to replace the production we lost. I'm not saying it can't be done, but I didn't really have high hopes going into the season. I wouldn't have thought the midweek would have given us this much trouble, but 6-6 in the conference wouldn't have shocked me preseaon, overall record would have made me scratch my head. I am not a UF baseball history expert by any means, but the series sweep against Mizzou has to be one or the worst in the Sully era. I can't remember a more uninspired performance from a Gator team in a SEC weekend series.
Saw someone mention it on TOS and made me remember the 2019 series vs Vandy in Nashville. We got swept and outscored 33-5. We seemed to be just going through the motions in both.
The series I like to remember is the 2005 UF vs Vandy, there for the regular season title. Alan and the Gators beat David Price and the‘dores to take the series and the regular season title with an SEC record of 20-10. Good memories!
