A Few Thoughts 1/2 Thru Season...

Speaking of things that this Gator team is not good at is scoring runners at 2B with no outs.

Even without playing small ball we should score more runs in that situation.

I get that playing small ball early in the game is stupid because it can take you out of big innings but late in the game a single run can be HUGE. We don't seem to know how to do it. Our bunting is terrible.

<joke>We need a bunting coach.</joke>

 

Who is this mythical guy on our team that we are talking about. Wyatt has been the second batter most of the season - is that how you describe Wyatt as a player?

 

He would be the guy I would want to bat second. He has a good eye at the plate and doesn't swing at bad pitches often. I like him in the two hole better than the three hole.

Wasn't he three hole most of the season?

 

what are you talking about? He has batted in the two hole all year until yesterday and hasn’t been in the three hole lol. Wth is going on here. So bottom line is we need a two hole hitter just like the guy we have had in the two hole most of the season lol. Oh well tell Nellie Fox and Joe Morgan we don’t need them - we already have a guy.

 

You are right. My bad.

 

Sounds like Rivera to me but he's batting fourth. I think he would be a great 2 hitter for this team. Plus he's got one of the lowest strikeout rates on the team.

 

With this weekend's lineup, Rivera is hitting 3rd, Riopelle 4th. It'll be interesting to see the starting lineup tomorrow. Prevesk had a monster game at DH tonight. With Jac pitching and hitting at DH, Riopelle at 1st and Heyman catching, do you sit Prevesk again or put him in RF over a struggling Ty Evans? Evans has made some great defensive plays of late, so is that worth keeping him in the lineup? Just asking.

 

Not sure how Prevesk compares defensively to Evan’s but if Ty is better in the field then substitute him in RF later in the game…… assuming we have a lead.

 

It can be frustrating. Lean back in your rocker, close your eyes and just imagine if while doing that, on occasion, WE LEAD THE FRICKIN COUNTRY IN RUNS SCORED.
Too bad…..wake up!!! We are only 3rd

 

If I am Sully I still start Evans for his defense early. Evans has a big problem though hitting RHP. So I'd sub him out after the 5th when his next AB comes around if they as long as they still are using a RHP. Prevesk hits either pitcher the same BTW. As for Riopelle, if Heyman is starting I put Heyman batting 4th.

 

Start him for his defense and take him out in the late innings when his defense becomes more valuable? Hmmmmm

 

Steve, I’ve been thinking the same thing. You’ve got to get Heyman’s bat in the lineup and after tonight’s Tennessee game we need to give Prevesk a look in RF. I like BT at first over Jac as BT is a vacuum cleaner at first defensively while Jac has begun to boot at least one grounder per game. As a catcher, BT is comfortable throwing from first to second when necessary while Jac has looked a little shaky. Not sure if this change would help Jac on the mound but Sully stated that Jac needed to be able to devote more time to his pitching craft.

 

Shelby, we’re you really a one tool ball player or more accurately just a “tool”? JK! I enjoyed your post. Let me offer my responses.
1 Kurland has been a phenom. One of the best freshmen I have ever witnessed in a UF uniform. But you may have a point. He might be hitting a bit of a wall. He’s been in a short slump but came up big in UT game one. I think resting him in midweek games makes sense.
2 Let’s see what Jac does against UT in game three tomorrow. No doubt he has struggled of late while both Slater and Nesbitt have looked strong. I like Abner coming out of the pen against lefties.
3 would love to see Robertson lead off. We need someone on base when murderers row hit their homeruns.
4 Halter has been hot of late. Have no problem moving him up in lineup but I would like to see Heyman and Prevesk getting more AB’s as well.
5 See number 4. Heyman is a stud.
6 Evans swing doesn’t look good to me. Seems to have a hitch in his swing. After tonight’s UT game I say let’s give Prevesk a chance in RF.
7 Sproat and Waldrep came through with big time efforts in UT games. We all know how brutal SEC is and they will get roughed up from time to time but they are about as good a one two punch as anyone in the country has on the mound.

 

If there was anything that was causing concern that Sully said about Jac playing 1st base and it affecting his pitching IMHO it was that he throws out of a different arm slot working his defensive drills at first base vs his arm slot he pitches out of….Duh……