This is on the coaches

But it's just as likely that the coaches did an even better job in the season keeping an under-performing team focused on improvement towards a future goal. You do not have enough information to determine how effective the coaches were during this regular season. Too much we do not know to make such a broad statement. The team is a distinct element that either responds to or is unresponsive to the efforts of coaching staff. Look at the understated manner of this year's UT team as opposed to the horse's-ass mannerisms they displayed last year. Same coaches. What changed? The TEAM changes.

I had more confidence in Sully/coaches because they have a LONG record of overall effectiveness while the TEAM this year is a whole new entity. I perceived missing team senior leadership as the most likely factor in explaining the regular season under-performance. My eyes haven't shown me a BT Riopelle's fire or Wyatt's dugout leadership so I might be right. But I have no idea if that is true or not.

We could use some old school journalism of beat writers that did into a team to write stories after the season ends with what was REALLY going on outside of our ken.

 

Not so easy. You gave an F to:
- An objectively PROVEN coaching staff at Florida. Criticizing Billy Napier is one thing, broadly criticizing a historically verified coach is overly critical at best.

- Your criticism ignored that this team played the hardest schedule in the country, in the hardest league, with a young pitching staff. Did Sully fail to accelerate their development or were our struggles a function of that schedule and our youth needing time? We do not know but you assumed we did (and still do apparently).

Everyone is entitled to an opinion but most change their opinion as evidence changes. You appear to continue stating that the coaches did a bad job in the regular season and, what, just decided to wake up now to do a good job? Does that not sound irrational for a seasoned coach like Sully? Or maybe being barely 500 was Sully’s genius master plan to storm Omaha (just as silly as saying he just “woke up” to coach)? No, it is highly improbable that “both are true” and the reality is that you swung and missed with your OP.

 

This is a discussion board. People will state things that are proven right, wrong or indifferent.

 

This aged well

 

This will change gears from the current discussion of how the coaches have or have not performed but I feel sure that how they address the issue I’m about to bring up is of concern to us all.

Cags fastball velocities were obviously down yesterday (90-92). In his last inning of work the fastball was down to 86…..

Anyone have any solid information as to what’s going on with Cags arm/drop in velocity? @wingtee and myself were discussing this yesterday. It could be a “dead arm” as I didn’t see pain in his face while he was pitching or it could be something else. It’s not a good feeling though.

 

The regular season prepared this team for the post season.

Sully and the coaches did their job very well during the regular season and that has allowed this team to flourish in the post season. He tried things, put guys in situations, and knows what buttons to push to make things work.

So yes, this is on the coaches!

 

I applaud those that had the courage to come back and face the music, but sometimes you need to just let it go. Chris Rainey couldn't spin his way out of this.

 

Can't give a failing grade to a team that makes the postseason vs the nations toughest schedule....that's crazy talk.
"A team with this talent" seems to be the discrepancy. Is there that much talent, epecially after injuries?
Pitching staff has potential but after Cags and Neely there really wasn't much proven talent....maybe Cade and Slater. No third baseman, questions in the OF, a guy at SS that probably isn't really a SS. Very little depth anywhere. People got hung up on the preseason ranking, but that was nonsense and not on the coaches

 

“For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.” H.L. Mencken. How you say that the ”most proven staff in America” with an A+ post season somehow were F level coaches this season, utterly ignoring players, experience, and schedule, is impressive.

Perhaps the right question would be for you to explain exactly what sully and the staff should have done in season, or at least tell us what made sully an F coach for 4 months of his career?

 

UF underachieved during the regular season but Sully and the staff “deserving a failing grade for the regular season” is BS. Being UF only had one proven starting pitcher returning from last year (and that was an inconsistent and still developing Jac Caglianone), preseason expectations were much too high. The starting pitching never really developed and that is fair game for criticism. Heck, I too have been critical of the development of our pitchers and despite the great run we are currently on, still think it is something Sully needs to address in the offseason. But we battled through it and deservedly made into the tournament. That in itself makes our regular season far from a failure.

 

What an interesting idea. I just might have to take you up on that. Thanks

 

Really, I was grilling our dinner at the time but I thought I saw him come out earlier than the 6th. My bad, it was such a long game I got confused and then the broadcast stopped even on the Gatorzone feed! Luckily they still audio.

 

Yea, he went 5.2. It’s weird, it never feels like he’s going to get past the third, but then somehow he’s still out there. He got us into the 6th more often than not this year. He can definitely be erratic, but he battles.

 

I think the puzzling part 3 weeks ago, when this was originally posted, was the various struggles. If there was a frustration it was that part of the game.
Neely, Slater, Fisher all last year guys with success were struggling. Fisher and Slater still seem to be somewhat in that boat but for whatever reason Neely is now the hottest pitcher in America. Frankly, Neely is a man amongst boys so far in the regionals and supers.
Another big turn around is the production in the middle and back half of the lineup. Robertson has been on fire. Dale is playing his best ball of the year, offensively. I hope Shelnut can produce better in the CWS because he is a senior and this is his last rodeo. Both he and Donay are capable of big hits. The turnaround has been amazing and there is seems to be something special about to happen.
Go Gators
Edit. I forgot to bring up some guy named Wilson.

 

If you exclude the early season 5 game winning streak against North Florida and Columbia, the Gators hadn't won three games in a row until the post season. This team was always seemingly very capable of beating any team on the schedule but consistency was extremely lacking. I say this only because, I'm not surprised that they won games against the teams that they've beaten but am (pleasantly) surprised by the number of wins in a row (5 so far) they've strung together in doing so.

 

And we are discussing a post that appears to this (and other) observers to be wrong. His opinion is he remains correct. My opinion is he is wrong (our proven staff were not F level (ie idiots) for 4 months). We are discussing both his past and current opinion that sully/staff were lousy this season until the tourney. Think that is fair.

 

I think we all see who wouldn’t eat their greens as a child…

 

Me too.