BearsTruth Board

I'm still pissed. And not about the 9th inning on Sunday.

We are better than Arkansas, but we weren't this weekend.
I'll never understand sending Orf with no outs on Sunday.
We got a CG 3 hit shutout from our "Sunday" starter and lost last night.

We used a pitcher with 6 AB's to pinch hit. If Smitty wanted a lefty that bad, Howard or Mercurio were better choices. But in a tie game, you cannot afford to pull your SS. I would have understood if we were down, but the game was not going to end if we didn't score. Miller was too important in the field to be pulled and it cost us in the 10th. I have no doubt Miller at least knocks that ball down and saves a run.

To me, this was worse than OSU. Definitely worse than LSU.

I'll be curious if Hambone will come along and comment on this too (likely not as he's too busy with the WSOP), but I learned a long time ago while playing an awful lot of poker that playing results will get you beat, but making the right play consistently will win out in the long run. Just because a make a low-percentage or statistically-poor play one time and it pays off does not mean that the same play will be successful every time. If you continually put yourself in statistically-positive situations, the numbers will even themselves out over time.

This is the problem with Steve Smith, and my opinion on why that "quirkiness" doesn't even out. It's not because we don't have the talent to make the "right" plays, it's not because our guys "choke" in certain situations, it's because Smith continually puts us in statistically-negative situations. In baseball, just as in poker and just as in basically every aspect of life, there are exceptions---sometimes you make a decision based on gut feel. However, disregarding statistics altogether when making that gut decision--or worse yet, disregarding most statistics at virtually all times--will ultimately lead to failure and losing when it shouldn't happen.

All of this is a long-winded way of saying that I am pleased as punch about football, moderately excited about MBB, and satisfied with WBB simply because I don't care about it.....but I'm disgusted with baseball and seriously do hope a change is made, whether that be by force or by choice. Our approach is poor and our kids and fans deserve better.

Football will include some tough rebuilding this year, will surprise us on offense but not enough to make up for defensive problems. All in all, goal is to win JUST ENOUGH to keep this building 2013 class that I am jazzed about.

MBB will be a little iffy for the first half of the season and then, hopefully, something interesting in the back half if the freshmen can contribute as hoped.

WBB (and I actually think this is the way to play the season) will have some surprising losses just because Kim is wise enough to not ride them to a point where they burnout ahead of time. If they play it right, a little bit like Bulls year with MJ, a few distractions and then turn on the afterburners. UCONN will be much tougher this year, however.

Baseball is going to be in some serious rebuild mode with so many key seniors. After thinking about the series where I watched almost every pitch, it comes down to this. I don't think you can fire the guy after long winning streaks and another Super Region, HOWEVER, the move pulling Miller instead of giving him a shot at redemption versus who he put in makes me just not like the guy. I think it lacked leadership, suggested panic and was literally a lousy move on a kid who played well all year. Choking is something you can eventually get over, bailing on a kid, not so much.

This.

In any sport it is important to make the statistically proper decision most of the time. Baseball is one of the only sports where the coach and the players have time to think about that decision. Most successful coaches make the statistically correct decision most of the time. On many of the plays that seem unorthodox, careful analysis reveals that the coach was betting with loaded dice.

I don't get the feeling that is the norm with BU baseball in big games.

if Howard was not playing because he was being punished, then I applaud Smitty for sticking to his guns there. Howard's gotta know that he could've been a help to the team throughout the post season, and if he made himself unavailable b/c of his own actions, then that's on him, not the coaching staff. if you're going to punish a player, then you've got to stick to it, even when it may put your team at a disadvantage.

of course, i have no idea what the situation was with Howard. all signs point to disciplinary actions as to why he wasn't playing. he was academically elligible. He wasn't hurt (Smitty would've just come out and said that), and then you have the "story for another time" comment by Coach Smith.