eaglenjxn wrote:stinkfist wrote:Nugget's Ghostbuster wrote:Tired of hearing about injuries as the reason we are not able to challenge the best teams on our schedule. How about just calling it for what it is and not what it could be. Minus Sandlin and two other arms our active pitchers should be playing for UNO or Charlotte or North Texas(if they had a program). You can’t ride Nick like Courtney Blades to a World Series. This team defines a typical Scott Berry team. Last season was good, not great, and was the exception in his years as head ball coach. If you really look at what 50 wins accomplished last year, it got you a win against UIC and South Alabama. The regional did nothing for us beyond that. Unfortunately that anomaly bought him a minimum of 3 more years.
you have to believe he's not DH'g Wallner in an attempt protect his draft status as an outfielder.....
however, I would suggest he take a look at what Ohtani is doing over at the Angels....he could easily do something similar here....
I would say it's a given he gets drafted by an AL team for his stroke and not his fielding ability or pitching....
any way you cut it, we need another horse in the stable on the mound......there's no way we win the cusa tourney with this pitching situation....it's plausible we don't make a regional at this pace.....losing midweek games and 2/3 conference isn't going to cut it.....
you just gotta start tossing Wallner as your closer or as a starter.....all I currently see is his talent being wasted by not being on the mound....
put Franklin in CF and let his speedy arse lead off....his OBP (which is comparable to many in the current order and can only improve if you bunt him or get him looking at pitches to get to first).....his slugging percentage is shit so anywhere else in the order is just silly....you either put him in the 1 or don't play him....
get that guy to first and he would steal 8 of every 10....plus it also brings the hit and run for Monte into play more often than the Monte/Guidry scenario at 1/2......put Guidry at the 6 and do whatever with the 7/8.....
there are so many things you can do with the batting order......but until we get a solid closer, it won't mean dick in the close games
I've been lobbying for Wallner to become the closer for some time now.....if it hasn't happened by now, best guess is it's not going to......that pretty much means we're fucked long term....
I don't like a guy coming from the field to the mound.....never have, never will.....it's just too much to ask from someone to handle in the flow of the game....
/rant
I still don’t know what you’re getting at with Franklin. I’m not sure why his problems are not an issue at lead off or how he’s more beneficial there. Because he’s fast like a traditional leadoff? You’re ensuring that your worst hitter and OBP guy has the most at-bats and there’s less of a chance that Reynolds and Wallner come up with runners on.
I agree on Wallner. And honestly, I probably would have made him a pitcher—or at least given him more work developing there. As is, I don’t think he’s a reliable closer. He throws. He doesn’t pitch. If teams have seen that kind of velocity and adjust, it doesn’t have much movement. That’s why Rice tagged him. That said, he’s still better than most of our other options but the OF to pitcher shift doesn’t work. The big thing is that Berry has no interest in using him in anything outside of exclusively traditional save situations, which doesn’t happen a ton.
the thing with Franklin is his slugging percentage is junk but his OBP is NOT the worst on the team.....I only see it improving in the 1 spot by bunting and getting him to look at more pitches for walks.....anywhere else in the order just doesn't make sense....it also opens up the hit and run opportunity when he gets on base to minimize the DP....his OBP isn't much different than Monte's to view from that perspective....we're talking the difference between 35% and 40%....
here's the BA/OBP/SP for the handful in that range....
Casey Maack Southern Miss 2B .222 .327 .333
LeeMarcus Boyd Southern Miss SS .270 .344 .426
Fred Franklin Southern Miss CF .244 .347 .244
Daniel Keating Southern Miss DH .269 .356 .410
Cole Donaldson Southern Miss C .275 .358 .350
Mason Irby Southern Miss RF .210 .368 .272
Jaylon Keys Southern Miss CF .265 .375 .353
Bryant Bowen Southern Miss C .250 .375 .365
Gabe Montenegro Southern Miss LF .308 .397 .394
I put Monte at the 2 all day long.....that's where I wanted him weeks ago....again, at least he moved him out of the 8 which was a gimme....also, Monte has all of 1 stolen base.....that's ridiculous from the 1 spot....
I simply think you go with that, the current 3/4/5 with Guidry in the 6, whomever in the 7/8, and Lebo in the 9.....
you can DH whoever, but it should be Wallner and him on the mound as our Tues starter or closer......and you're right, our close opportunities may be few, but our blown saves by not having a solid 8/9 inning guy has contributed to that as well....
hell, if we can take the starter thru the 5th, you can pitch match ups to get to Wallner....or you make him the Tuesday pitcher.....I personally would develop him as a closer, but that's just me....
the bottom line is we need him on the mound and Franklin's speed on the bases....I know he made an error the other day, but his speed in CF is what you want....
Last edited by stinkfist (2018-04-13 00:21:40)