Gator Baseball 2021 Gators Baseball Season

cover2

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A win is always good, especially against the Nole$, but as has been spoken, our hitting was terrible up to the walkoff. The Nole$’ errors, 5 I think, provided opportunities. We were fortunate, but sometimes when you’re not good, you have to be lucky.
 

FireFoley

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Good to beat the criminoles but we struck out 13 times and left 8 on base. 5 players struck out twice and everybody else struck out at least once except Hickey and Halter. Noles had 5 errors and we only managed 2 unearned runs. Gators made 2 errors and gave up 1 unearned. So many opportunities and so many failures. On the plus side Milchin and Leftwich only gave up 3 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned run, 2 walks, 1 hit by pitch and got 12 k's.

Good recap. Thankfully the :nole: fielded the ball worse than we did. Had the once a game man on 3rd base with no outs and could not get him in. I know Thompson is a frosh and has been hitting but he is awful in right field. He looks uncomfortable catching a routine fly. On the positive I can't remember the last time Calilao played but good for him. And as Sully goes, Calilao will probably play all weekend now after not playing for a month. And let's hope Leftwich found something.
 

Bullag8r

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Good recap. Thankfully the :nole: fielded the ball worse than we did. Had the once a game man on 3rd base with no outs and could not get him in. I know Thompson is a frosh and has been hitting but he is awful in right field. He looks uncomfortable catching a routine fly. On the positive I can't remember the last time Calilao played but good for him. And as Sully goes, Calilao will probably play all weekend now after not playing for a month. And let's hope Leftwich found something.

I didn't go to the game last night and am watching a few early innings now. That may be the worst nole team I have ever seen and the win still took an extra inning. Bases loaded in the 2nd with no outs and again with one out and still couldn't score but 2 runs ~ both unearned because of nole errors. The only Gator offense was the nole defense. It's just too painful to watch.
 

g8tr76

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Leftwich was a beast; sure beats his outing against the vols. The best things about this game are two fold. First we returned the favor against the clowns and secondly, we won out first extra inning game. Although it is only 2 in a row, this could be a turning point for our team. We still need to get our bats on the balls to get our runners on base across. 4 hits for 33 at bats needs to change.
 

FireFoley

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Leftwich was a beast; sure beats his outing against the vols. The best things about this game are two fold. First we returned the favor against the clowns and secondly, we won out first extra inning game. Although it is only 2 in a row, this could be a turning point for our team. We still need to get our bats on the balls to get our runners on base across. 4 hits for 33 at bats needs to change.

Perhaps you are right but I can't put much stock into the result given how fundamentally poor this team is. As @Bullag8r said, our best offense was the :nole::nole: defense. With a below average Mizzou team coming in this weekend, anything less than a sweep will be a wasted weekend, even tho it is baseball.
 

ShelbyGator

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I'm not a huge baseball fan but I have some questions for the experts here. My friend is a season ticket holder to baseball and his is the only voice I hear related to baseball. I like multiple viewpoints so thought I'd ask similar questions here. I've watched several games and followed most via app (not the best but it's the easiest) so I've got some conceptual issues of this Gator team.

1. Is it typical in college baseball too have 50% of outs be strikeouts? We strike out A LOT!!!
2. It seems to me we take a lot of strikes. Is this Sully strategy to wear pitchers out? Bad eye for strike zone? Limited confidence? All of the above?
3. We don't seem to have much power. So if we aren't swinging for the fences, why all the strikeouts?
4. Given #3, why don't we try to manufacture runs? No stealing, no hit and run, no bunting. Just step in, watch a strike, whiff at one, watch a third, walk back to bench.
5. Are we supposed to have elite pitching? Because this Muschumpian offense can only work with elite pitching. Are we playing for 3-2 wins or are we just so bad with the bat that's all we got?
6. Why isn't Fabian hitting 8th or 9th? Don't you put your worst batter down the order so he doesn't get out as much. I like Young and Hickey but nobody else can hit. What gives?
7. Can this team "turn it on" thru the end of season and still win it all? Do managers/coaches save their team for late season and sacrifice first third of it?

Thanks for responses. Go Gators!!
 

rogdochar

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Maybe that was a pitcher's duel? I hope Leftwich will step forward forever?
 

FireFoley

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I'm not a huge baseball fan but I have some questions for the experts here. My friend is a season ticket holder to baseball and his is the only voice I hear related to baseball. I like multiple viewpoints so thought I'd ask similar questions here. I've watched several games and followed most via app (not the best but it's the easiest) so I've got some conceptual issues of this Gator team.

1. Is it typical in college baseball too have 50% of outs be strikeouts? We strike out A LOT!!!
2. It seems to me we take a lot of strikes. Is this Sully strategy to wear pitchers out? Bad eye for strike zone? Limited confidence? All of the above?
3. We don't seem to have much power. So if we aren't swinging for the fences, why all the strikeouts?
4. Given #3, why don't we try to manufacture runs? No stealing, no hit and run, no bunting. Just step in, watch a strike, whiff at one, watch a third, walk back to bench.
5. Are we supposed to have elite pitching? Because this Muschumpian offense can only work with elite pitching. Are we playing for 3-2 wins or are we just so bad with the bat that's all we got?
6. Why isn't Fabian hitting 8th or 9th? Don't you put your worst batter down the order so he doesn't get out as much. I like Young and Hickey but nobody else can hit. What gives?
7. Can this team "turn it on" thru the end of season and still win it all? Do managers/coaches save their team for late season and sacrifice first third of it?

Thanks for responses. Go Gators!!

1. No
2. Yes.
3. We ARE swinging for the fences, every damn one of them.
4. Not Sully's M O. Fundamentally sound not part of the Sully strategy. Have you ever seen a Gator bunt? It is an ugly sight.

5. Yes, supposed to but we don't. Each year we have one pitcher who is suppose to be a star and they flounder. AJ Puk, Tyler Dyson, Leftwich. Wash, rinse, repeat.
6. Fabian is an elite player who is only trying to hit HR's. If he swung to contact I think he would improve.
7. No. Not good enough.

Those are my short answers/views.
 

ShelbyGator

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1. No
2. Yes.
3. We ARE swinging for the fences, every damn one of them.
4. Not Sully's M O. Fundamentally sound not part of the Sully strategy. Have you ever seen a Gator bunt? It is an ugly sight.

5. Yes, supposed to but we don't. Each year we have one pitcher who is suppose to be a star and they flounder. AJ Puk, Tyler Dyson, Leftwich. Wash, rinse, repeat.
6. Fabian is an elite player who is only trying to hit HR's. If he swung to contact I think he would improve.
7. No. Not good enough.

Those are my short answers/views.
Thanks, I appreciate your responses. Mostly what I feel too. Since I'm often called "negative" I don't know what that says about you. Or me.

BTW, I completely agree with your namesake's premise.
 

Jbossgator8

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It doesn't appear this team is going to turn the corner towards championship like status. The pitching and hitting has been too erratic unlike last year when this team looked invincible so we lost a championship last year. Don't know how the rest of this season will play out but this team just simply doesn't have the it factor. Are they just not gelling? Did they come in too overconfident and now are scrambling and pressing too much like Fabian? Has Sully not recruiting the right type of players that he needs to be successful? Has he just not developed them due to limited practice and contact with the players due to Covid? We actually score more runs than last year but our pitching this year is much worse. Leftwich has a better ERA than last year and Mace has a worse ERA. Both are still missing something when they could be dominate. Could it be the coaching? Can coach em up all you want but the players HAVE to perform. Can't hold their hand out there on the mound.
 

Spurdog98

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1. No
2. Yes.
3. We ARE swinging for the fences, every damn one of them.
4. Not Sully's M O. Fundamentally sound not part of the Sully strategy. Have you ever seen a Gator bunt? It is an ugly sight.

5. Yes, supposed to but we don't. Each year we have one pitcher who is suppose to be a star and they flounder. AJ Puk, Tyler Dyson, Leftwich. Wash, rinse, repeat.
6. Fabian is an elite player who is only trying to hit HR's. If he swung to contact I think he would improve.
7. No. Not good enough.

Those are my short answers/views.
1. NO and it's because they take sooo many pitches early and get behind quite often. Hitters count 2-0,3-0, 3-1
Pitchers counts 0-2, 1-2, and yes...3-2 which we are in ALOT.
2. Seems to be a trademark of a Sully team. He's a pitching guy and he wants to get into their dugout. Unfortunately by the time we do we are down 3-4 runs and we still can't hit the dugout. He ain't changing BTW.
3. Yes, we swing for fences. Blame the cumfest of launch angles, exit velo, PBR and just ****ty hitting. No body can hit a breaking ball oppo for shyt anymore and this team can't take the outer 3rd fast ball oppo if a 10 y.o was pitching.
4. Small ball? With Sully? He's a pitching guy and pitchers HATE to get small balled so..no, and not sure this team is capable..if you can't hit you probably suck at bunting and kids don't want to bunt anymore. ME, ME, ME...not interested in team.

Nothing to add to the rest, it's been covered well IMO.
 
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gatordad3

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1. No
2. Yes.
3. We ARE swinging for the fences, every damn one of them.
4. Not Sully's M O. Fundamentally sound not part of the Sully strategy. Have you ever seen a Gator bunt? It is an ugly sight.

5. Yes, supposed to but we don't. Each year we have one pitcher who is suppose to be a star and they flounder. AJ Puk, Tyler Dyson, Leftwich. Wash, rinse, repeat.
6. Fabian is an elite player who is only trying to hit HR's. If he swung to contact I think he would improve.
7. No. Not good enough.

Those are my short answers/views.
Jordan Butler is the worst. My son starts throwing sH!t around the house when he sees Butler up to bat because he already knows he's going for the right field wall.
 

Jbossgator8

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Good win last night, 8-5, vs a garbage team. Scott with 5.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He only allowed 1 hit and had 3 strikeouts. Great outing by him to get the win. Hickey 4/4 hitting and 1 RBI. McMullen 2/5 with 3 RBIs and HR. Fabian 2/4 with 1 RBI and a big time HR. Gators 13 hits overall which is good to see.
 

Double Gator Dad

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Is it me or does it seem that once the UAA invests millions in a sports program the performance goes to he!!.

First basketball and now baseball. If we’re being honest the softball program is not the dominant program it once was either.

The Foley curse continues
 

Spurdog98

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I've been following Gator baseball since 96 and I'm am unable to remember a team that was as inept with a bat as this one. Absolutely abysmal. If I were Sully everytime my leadoff batter made it to first I would bunt and then hit and run every single time just to drive home a point. If you can't figure out how to go to the plate and put a ball in play to get runners around then i will micro-manage EVERY at bat with runners on the bag.
 

Bullag8r

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I've been following Gator baseball since 96 and I'm am unable to remember a team that was as inept with a bat as this one. Absolutely abysmal. If I were Sully everytime my leadoff batter made it to first I would bunt and then hit and run every single time just to drive home a point. If you can't figure out how to go to the plate and put a ball in play to get runners around then i will micro-manage EVERY at bat with runners on the bag.

Carrion had some great at-bats fouling off a half dozen or more pitches till he got his pitch or walked. But you are dead right about most of the team. All they care about is launch angle and exit velocity and I just cant watch it anymore.
 

Jbossgator8

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Gators Take Doubleheader to Sweep Missouri - Florida Gators

Gators take the DH today vs dismal Mizzou but don't even hit a HR doing it while scoring 14 runs utilizing small ball which the above posters were asking for! Sully heard you and the players delivered. Gators with 10 hits in each game and just playing basic fundamental hitting offense with great coaching by Sully. Tommy Mace had a rough 2nd inning but then settled in with 6 strikeouts and Leftwich steller yet again in relief in 4 innings with no hits, no runs, no walks, and 2 SO. In Sully we trust!
 

Bullag8r

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Gators Take Doubleheader to Sweep Missouri - Florida Gators

Gators take the DH today vs dismal Mizzou but don't even hit a HR doing it while scoring 14 runs utilizing small ball which the above posters were asking for! Sully heard you and the players delivered. Gators with 10 hits in each game and just playing basic fundamental hitting offense with great coaching by Sully. Tommy Mace had a rough 2nd inning but then settled in with 6 strikeouts and Leftwich steller yet again in relief in 4 innings with no hits, no runs, no walks, and 2 SO. In Sully we trust!

One series does not prove a change in direction but I am hoping for the best. I do like the defensive changes. Halter at 3rd, Carrion at SS, Rivera at 2nd and Calilao at 1st is the best defensive line up of the season.
 

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