Ongoing UF Baseball Commentary

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Interesting to see who is hitting when facing power sec arms.

 

Only Texas A&M has more home losses than our Gators. We now have 5. Gotta do better in our own park.

 

Those stats must be heavily skewed by the Alabama series because this weekend the offense was practically non-existent from everyone not named Sterlin Thompson

 

Our pitching is woeful. Was last year too. I'm not sure it can be fixed if it hasn't been fixed already. Either this staff is bad at evaluating prospective pitchers or bad at developing them.

 

I don't know what is bad about our pitching. I don't necessarily think we are bad at evaluating . Every school in America wanted our pitchers, so everyone must be off. But, in the last 3 years, we have hit more batters than I can remember. Our lack of control is apparent. Even when we pitch well , we seem to hit a batter or two, and not intentionally. It seems the harder our guys throw, the wilder they become.

 

Normally I would buy it but 8 hit batters with no walks?

 

I circled the Seton Hall loss and Bama loss- both on Sundays as key events. In the Seton Hall loss (their first win in 14 games) we came out flat and never really battled; in the Bama loss we let a win slip through our fingers. In the mid-week win vs Bethune we out hit them 11-1 but won only 3-2- after issuing 7 walks and one HPB. This weekend, with exception of Barco's brilliance was depressing. Something is off with the team- and my take is there is lack of leadership among the vets... They may be solid ballplayers but with the exception of Halter seem to lack fire in the belly. (Barco of course in his own class.) Yesterday, the LSU bench was alive and fired up from the start - even when the game was tied, while Gators seemed moribund. Not sure you can change those more subdued traits of the players. Desperately need a Mike Rivera-type.

That said-- I understand it all starts with consistent quality pitching which is sorely lacking. Looking for a magic bullet that may be elusive this year.

 

Is it possible that the players take on the coaches demeanor? When I watch Sully he is as stoic as they come.

 

I kept waiting for Sully to let the home plate ump have it on Saturday b/c of the strike zone issues, but never did (that I saw). I felt like that was unlike what I’ve seen from him in the past.

 

You may have a point- Sully seems to run a no-nonsense program with a professional attitude- that I prefer too- as opposed to some of the over-the top theatrics of the Vols HC but perhaps with this generation of players a little more swag and fire is necessary. The Vols certainly have risen under Vitello.
That said- guys like Mike Rivera, Singer and India- played with fire in the belly and it's contagious- don't see that level of intensity in the current vets.

PS-- the whipped cream and bun on Friday night didn't cut it, in my view.

 

@wingtee-I've noticed in this thread and some others the criticism of Sully creeping in. Since we have replaced our FB and basketball coach, I guess Sully is next.

 

Don’t forget Walton.

 

I mentioned it in another thread. But the results the last 3 years with the talent we have just aren’t acceptable. Something needs to change.
It feels like Sully lost his grip a few years ago when he was going through his personal stuff and never got it back. It might be that this group is gone from that perspective, short of a purge.

 

That , my friend has crossed my mind ! Not from lack of success . Sully has more than bought all the time he wants. I think Sully will leave on his on accord. I was shocked he came back to Florida this season. But falls right in line with other great coaches here . They leave . But it’s a new culture where coaches will leave and start something new .. I.e pro baseball

 

Ol’school coaches coaching current era ball players is very much a different animal in today’s sports.

 

Last year was worse . The non attention to detail is alarming! I have expressed my concerns. There is no need to say anything else . It’s not going to change because the coaches don’t deem it important! They take BP and ground balls for an hour and a half then race to the golf course . You ask how I know this . I know

 

Some comments suggest that Sully may have partially checked out in last few years and it certainly reflects with the guys on the field. Since 2018-- the team has not performed to expectation or talent level. It's a little like Billy D in his last few years- where he had lost the edge for the job or college game. Sully has been courted by Texas and more recently LSU and may or may not have passed on the change, but there is something amiss in his intensity- no doubt. Chewing out his own guys isn't what I am talking about it- it may not help the team with cohesion and leadership. More engagement ande energy during the game is essential. Hope I am wrong as I look forward to Gators Baseball every off-season, counting the days. This weekend a huge disappointment with folks coming from afar in perfect weather and seeing the product on the field not up to the Gator Standard.

 

Billy went undefeated in conference play and took his team to the final four the year before he left and the elite 8 all three years prior to that so saying he’d checked out and didn’t field competitive teams for “his last few years” really doesn’t make any sense. The year he left was not good, but the four years prior were all pretty great.

Sometimes I wonder what people are smokin.

 

And those teams towards the end of his time at UF were super efficient, especially the FF team. He may not have enjoyed some aspects of the sport but that program was rolling prior to his last year.