Runner on 1st 2 out Gibbs up Strike 0-1 Swing and a miss 0-2 Outside 1-2 High 2-2 Dean steals 2nd Fly ball to LF and it is caught Kansas wins the series.
This may be a rough season. IMO a team needs two ace starters and we only have one in Rinaldo. For the life of me I don't understand why we don't use Ott as a starter. It is entirely possible that I don't understand baseball that well, but I do not understand using someone with Ott's ability as a cleanup pitcher, limiting him to one or two late innings a game. We need another ace starter and Ott could fill the bill. If I am wrong someone please tell me where I am wrong.
We don't know what Ott can do as a starter. It is a different position. As a closer he can throw everything he has every pitch, because he should only pitch an inning or two. As a starter you have to hold back sometimes.
im gonna be a bit pissy here.... its ranaudo. ott is a closer and a damned good one. we dont have any other true closers (that i see). what we need is the starters and middle relievers to step up.
13-2, #2 and #1 in different polls. Rough??? If you want rough - see basketball results. They have their ace out and that kind of messes up everything when that happens (especially early in the year). They're having some pitching issues right now, but it's not like they got killed in either game they lost. It's still early in the season. If pitching problems are still around once they get a little bit into the SEC, then maybe they'd look at changing roles of certain pitchers, etc. The team has been pretty good though so far (although Friday night wasn't a shining moment for them).
Closer is an overrated position. You don't need a closer if you don't have the lead. Ott is our second best pitcher and I wouldn't mind seeing him in a position to get more time on the mound, especially earlier in the season when we can see what he can do in the role. The position of closer was invented with the increased specialization of pitching roles over the last few decades. It's not as essential as solid starting and not knowing whether anyone else could perform the role is a poor reason not to get more production out of the second best pitcher. The majority of solid relievers will get the job done. However, we aren't going to have a poor season just because we lost the first real series of the year with no better than our third best pitcher starting any of the games. That's just ridiculous.
You are wrong in calling Renaudo Rinaldo and for throwing in the towel because we lost an early series. It happens just about every year. Between Ranaudo, Ross, Bourgeois, Rittiner, and Matulis, Manieri will come up with a staff that can win every series in the SEC. Bertuccini and Bradshaw have proven themselves to be effective middle relievers and Ott is nails. Relax.
I don't want to sound rude, but I don't think I've ever disagreed more with any other statement ever typed on this board. for the most part, all the best teams in college and pro baseball have 1 thing in common. A guy who comes in in the 9th, and shuts the door.
