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Post by AustinHoya03 on Jun 26, 2006 22:25:27 GMT -5
Wow!!! What cajones to get out of that jam in the 8th by OSU!!! Two men on, no outs, two huge K's, with the last coming on an attempted steal of home?! YOWZA!!! This is a case of the potential play of the game being eclipsed by the actual play of the game. Great final game and congratulations to Oregon State.
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RDF
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 8,835
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Post by RDF on Jun 26, 2006 22:48:00 GMT -5
You are in a Championship Game in the 8th inning and your 1B takes the throw with his foot ON TOP of the bag??? What has happened to coaching? What has happened to teaching people HOW to play baseball? The throw from second base was fine, the clown at 1B for UNC not only deserved to cost his team the title but he should've been spiked for standing on the bag like a 5 year old who needs to be taught HOW TO PLAY--which is normal, not a 1B in a championship game at this stage of his baseball career. It was painful to see that awful of a fundamental gaffe at this level in this type of game. Inexcusable to be honest. The main reason ALL 1B are/should be taught to NEVER Stand on top of the bag is so you can move in case of a bad throw and not have poor balance. What a clown move and disgrace.
As for fundamentals--what do you expect though? I grew up watching big league guys actually develop their talents on both ends of the game and not just hit--today these guys don't take infield, they are one dimensional and considered "Stars" when fact is majority can either hit or field and not do both, and using the poorly coached/awful defense of the Yankees as an example you see such great things as:
1. A catcher leaving his mask on when ball is in play and a play at the plate is going to happen--which not only limits his vision for throw coming to the plate, but shows what a punk he is, get the mask off and block the damn plate!
2. A catcher who doesn't move his body and tries to backhand balls in dirt--inexcusable and lazy
3. The "Defensive replacement" at 1B turn his head on balls in dirt--and NEVER stretch for a ball--what happened to First Baseman stretching for a ball? Derek Lee is about the only player in the league that does this and it's no wonder he's considered one of the best if not best defensive 1B in baseball.
4. 3B off balance and not having his rear down as ball is thrown to plate--you can always come up with a ball on a bad hop--you can't go down to get a ball and it throws off the balance and it's not any surprise Rodriguez has more errors at this point then all of last year.
5. Players not adjusting to pitches that are thrown--if a guy is going to throw an offspeed pitch--it's a pretty good idea that ball could be pulled--but you'll see infielders and outfielders standing in same place as if they were cattle.
Coaching/defensive work is a DISGRACE in baseball and I can honestly say kids today would learn more watching the Baseball Bunch on YouTube then a Major League game and that used to not be the case when I was little and learned a lot watching the "Game of the Week" with announcers and players talking baseball and showing you HOW to play correctly on both ends. Then again, HR hitters weren't worshipped as if they were god and it was more important to win a game, then go 3-5 in a 10-8 loss.
Awful baseball is what is taking over at all levels and for a Title Game to be decided by a 1B standing on a base like my 2 year old nephew would is just more proof. Take some pride and make the game better--force these guys to LEARN HOW TO PLAY!
Sorry for the rant, but it's just inconceivable how a title could be lost on a ground out to 2B when all you have to do is know how to take a throw as a 1B. Then again the teams they always show on tv--and that is why I used the poorly executing/coached Yankees as an example don't help kids learn a thing.
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Post by AustinHoya03 on Jun 27, 2006 0:32:47 GMT -5
Yeah, back in baseball's golden years of fundamentals and five-tool players something like this never could have happened... ...or could it?If you look at the kids coming up from the minors now I don't think this is much of a problem. Young players getting national pub these days are dudes like Joe Mauer, Grady Sizemore, Jose Reyes and David Wright, guys that can run and field in addition to hit. There are exceptions to this rule (Jeff Francoeur), but I think within a few years the sport will look more like it did in 1986 than it did in 1996.
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hoyarooter
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 10,198
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Post by hoyarooter on Jun 27, 2006 12:21:31 GMT -5
Rant of the year! Way to go, RDF. ;D ;D ;D
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