Ongoing UF Baseball Commentary

(Posted the following on the game thread but would like to post here as well)

Well- Sully and the Gators found a new way to refuse to win a game that was there for the taking and in so doing wasted a gem by Neely. Even with the blown save by Purnell- which was god awful- the Gators had a chance to win - with a very speedy runner at 3rd in the bottom of the ninth with only one out and Sully- in his wisdom- let's Halter swing away. What? Corey Robinson has 6.32 speed in the 60-- by comparison Jacob Young's time was 6.56. There was no force out at the plate- a safety squeeze was the call in that situation- Halter hasn't driven in a run forever and you let the guy who is struggling mightily swing away? Well that is just plain stupid-- Vitello had to be smiling at that one. Another blown save, another blown opportunity to win a pivotal game- and this season in my view is - in essence- over. Sully and Stricklin need to do some serious soul searching and analysis about where this program is heading- because it does not look promising - anyway you look at it. It is a shell of a program- far from the Gator Standard.

 

FRESH, never anything but….

 

I remember as a kid we would gig mullet or use a treble hook.

 

Yeah, we used to snatch hook’em at the rock jetties.

 

I use them to try to catch red fish or black drum. Nothing else. Ever!!!!

 

Situational hitting has killed us all year!!

 

Good eating!!!

 

How many years of ‘slack’ does winning a natty afford a Coach ?? Recruiting top shelf players then only producing middle shelf product can only be accepted for so long. This off-season there needs to be some SERIOUS examination of how things are being managed/developed and the present trajectory.

 

I know this is in the past, but 2020 we were 16-0 and then we were shut down for the year because of Covid. Who knows what could have been for the year but we in a great position to possibly win another National title!!!

 

We were not defeated (lost last game of year to FSU) and never played a single SEC game.

 

The 2020 season highlight was the sweep over Miami in Coral Gables- there were no major tests as the schedule was halted on the eve of SEC play-- we'll never know how good or not that team would have been. We do know that 2019 was an average year and we were among the last teams to make the post-season and were were bumped in the Lubbock Regional (1-2) and we all remember how the 2021 season ended at home with ignominious losses in the Gainesville Regional to USF and South Alabama- the latter by a score of 19-1. 2019, 2021 and this year provides a trend line of where the program is heading. Flat at best as a middle of the pack team- not the Gator Standard.

 

There have been 3 complete seasons played since the title and the Gators were a #1 seed and regional host in 2 of them.

 

Understood. And it’s understood that you ‘can’t win the prize’ if you aren’t ‘in the contest’. But while we have ‘participated’, the overall results haven’t been nearly as successful. I don’t post a lot in the Diamond threads. You are free to your opinion/view on where we are ‘at’ and where we are going. But from here, anyway you slice it, those last three seasons may have started out with a bang, but they ended, especially this past one with a whimper.

 

Redfish and black drum are just a little bit up the "want to eat scale" with fish compared to mullet.

Fish that I could often catch on shore at at bridges I would put snook, sheepshead and flounder well above redfish and black drum. And if I had the patience to catch a lot of them mangrove snapper. The are like the blue gills of salt water.

 

Time to heat the peanut oil!

 

Agree on black drum but not red drum. Redfish is a terrific fish.

 

Hey folks, talking fishing less emotionally charged than Gator baseball. I remember when Mullet and many other fish were considered bait or junk fish but as we overfished our waters- we've discovered hidden treasures. When an undergrad at UF, Mullet was mostly smoked or used smoked in a dip- not bad. But better fish to be had in the mid/late 1970s. But many other fish have made it onto our tables as we appreciate- the value of preparation. Still not a fan of mullet other than smoked but know many who enjoy - as long as you deal with the bones. Not everyone's cup of tea.

 

Yeah we really hijacked the thread but a commentary on a 6-12 SEC baseball team is unlikely to be flattering. Saying what is on nearly anyone’s mind that isn’t a mother of a player is likely to be quite negative. So fishing it is!