Welcome home, fellow Gator.

The Gator Nation's oldest and most active insider community
Join today!
  1. Hi there... Can you please quickly check to make sure your email address is up to date here? Just in case we need to reach out to you or you lose your password. Muchero thanks!

#191 in hitting and #180 in pitching

Discussion in 'GatorGrowl's Diamond Gators' started by uf1998, Apr 10, 2024.

  1. uf1998

    uf1998 Senior

    278
    166
    1,703
    Aug 19, 2023
    Defense? We're #8 in the country in fielding percentage.
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Informative Informative x 1
  2. paidinfull

    paidinfull GC Hall of Fame

    6,403
    1,581
    2,538
    Feb 22, 2017
    Was a bit tongue in cheek. We could stand to do everything better than we’re doing right now though.

    I am not one of the nitpicky guys throwing fits about everything, but I do think one of the reasons our fielding percentage is so high is because we fail to even attempt to make a lot of plays that we’ve had guys make over the years. Our range on the left side of the infield is almost nonexistent. Errors may be down, but so are big plays in the infield. Guys like colby, josh, dalton, india got to so many balls that dale and shelton don’t even get close enough to wave at.
     
    • Like Like x 3
    • Agree Agree x 3
  3. 74nole

    74nole GC Hall of Fame

    8,081
    3,954
    3,018
    Apr 9, 2007
    Marianna, Fl

    77—

    I agree that coaches have to coach and obviously coach better. But first hand experience lets me know that the repetition of instructions has to be put in the hands of the players and then the coaches push the players into duplicating success into their game plans.

    In other words coaches gotta coach but players have to perform. The right combination of lead and execution is essential for the success desired. It’s hard work on both ends. Bottom line is IMHO if the coaches are doing their jobs correctly performance of good intense work habits will show up in game performances.
     
    • Like Like x 3
    • Agree Agree x 2
  4. gator1977

    gator1977 GC Legend

    752
    403
    1,703
    Apr 15, 2019
    74, I agree with that but when one sees the same hitting approach again and again and nothing seems to change- a spotlight has to be on the professors- no? The thing that may have fooled us -- we continued to win SEC series-- for example in the LSU series- we struck out 16, 16, 13... 45 ABs where the ball was not put in play (that's more than half the outs recorded) and we won the series... False sense that all was fine. Then came the wake up call in CoMo and the beatdown in Tally that may have shaken the team. We can recover some with a series win with vs USCe but the schedule gets very tough from there on.
     
    • Agree Agree x 3
  5. 74nole

    74nole GC Hall of Fame

    8,081
    3,954
    3,018
    Apr 9, 2007
    Marianna, Fl
    77—

    No argument at all on lack of change in approach is a direct reflection on the lack of attention to specific issues and needs by the coaches. It takes effort from both coaches and players. In all honesty this continued show of lazy or lack of effort to make needed corrections back in my day resulted in the player(s) playing their way onto the pine…..
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Agree Agree x 1
  6. ocalaman

    ocalaman GC Hall of Fame

    7,838
    3,148
    2,498
    Jun 30, 2018
    Could it be lack of leadership on the team? Coaches can only do so much, as you said. Last year we had great leadership from Riopelle, Rivera, Halter, Sproat, Waldrep, Langford. It was a combination of vocal and by example, IMO. This year we seem to have a lack of both.
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Agree Agree x 1
    • Friendly Friendly x 1
  7. 74nole

    74nole GC Hall of Fame

    8,081
    3,954
    3,018
    Apr 9, 2007
    Marianna, Fl

    Absolutely @ocalaman this team IMHO is without team leadership on the player’s part. It sadly appears that everyone is just willing to ride Cag’s coattails and that doesn’t get it done.

    After the way his season wound up at it’s end last year I guess I really expected Ty Evans to emerge as a team leader driving players because he has tasted the limelight and thrills of spotlight success….but evidently he’s more of a silent inter-driven player, and that’s ok too. You can pick a team captain but team leaders are driven to step up and out themselves again IMHO. Our team surely needs someone to lead the charge and rally the team.
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
  8. MatsideObserver

    MatsideObserver GC Hall of Fame

    1,644
    360
    1,883
    Apr 24, 2008
    [
    Funny you say that: they asked Jac a question along those lines and his response was (not quoting) that he is more of a lead by example guy and that Ty Evans is the leadership guy on the team who kinda tries to get everyone going, help the younger players etc. I was surprised by that because we really don't see any evidence of it from the fan's perspective.
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
    • Funny Funny x 1
  9. wingtee

    wingtee GC Hall of Fame

    14,095
    23,733
    3,248
    Apr 11, 2007
    Daytona Beach
    Sufficiently talented? Does that mean average, ok etc … If so , then you are correct. The data shows otherwise my friend! We all love em but the boat , tv and golf ain’t bad.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  10. wingtee

    wingtee GC Hall of Fame

    14,095
    23,733
    3,248
    Apr 11, 2007
    Daytona Beach
    Beautiful post ! Don’t make it your last dude !!!
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
  11. Spurffel

    Spurffel All American

    476
    160
    1,823
    Apr 9, 2007
    I haven't been following the team much, but anyone using our performance in regionals/super regionals as a statement about the ability of our coaches (good or bad) is following the wrong sport. A 2 out of 3 game series isn't going to really separate teams close in talent/coaching, that's always been the issue with baseball at any level.
     
  12. volungator

    volungator All American

    It is better than one and done.
     
  13. volungator

    volungator All American

    With the exception of last year, we've been saying this every year since the NC. At some point, isn't it the responsibility of the coaches to develop players into leaders, or are we just waiting and hoping that someone steps up naturally?
     
  14. 74nole

    74nole GC Hall of Fame

    8,081
    3,954
    3,018
    Apr 9, 2007
    Marianna, Fl

    Just my opinion—you can appoint team captains but team leaders is a choice made by a driven player, that position can’t be appointed.
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
  15. TheBoss

    TheBoss Premium Member

    528
    277
    233
    Jun 22, 2010
    Gainesville
    FYI Don't forget this is baseball. Winning 2 of 3 in each SEC series generally wins the championship. For LSU, 2 of 3 against us in Omaha made them pretty happy.
     
  16. TheBoss

    TheBoss Premium Member

    528
    277
    233
    Jun 22, 2010
    Gainesville
    I strongly agree That, other than SS and C, position players that play passable defense have to hit or sit. Sadly, this year that means all but 4-6 should be sitting. There are enough guys who have hit in the past that I expected to get good offense, even if different guys moved in and ot out of the lineup. I continue to be amazed that only Evans has moved up so well. Others are hanging in, but there are so many gaps.

    I see no choice other than living with the guys we have and cheering success.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  17. Spurffel

    Spurffel All American

    476
    160
    1,823
    Apr 9, 2007
    Agreed. I'm just saying that a three-game series is hardly enough baseball to really separate teams. It's why they play a seven-game series in the World Series and that's still not enough. And as such, it's not a great measure for which team was better or which coaches were better.
     
  18. volungator

    volungator All American

    I'll yield to the guys like yourself you've played this game at a higher level than myself.