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Augie changing his small-ball style?

  • He said this after Texas' 6-1 win over Pan Am, a game in which the Longhorns did not go to the bunt:

    "We've got to show from a coaching staff that we have confidence in the fact that they can hit. So we're going to play a little Major League Baseball here and say we're not going to bunt before the seventh inning or eighth inning, and only bunt to get the run that wins the game rather than try to win the inning every time. Somewhere we've got to cross over that bridge and make it as simple from our side as we can."

    Dave Behr

  • banana progress!

    This post was edited by Canadianhorn on 3/5/2013 at 7:59 PM

    signature image signature image signature image

    Canadianhorn

  • Actually, more like the players getting pissed off. He had no choice.

    - God Bless Texas

    Frisco Horn

  • I agree with this, but only for the heart of the lineup. The bottoms half should bunt whenever possible to create run situations because they have not hit at all and you would want the hits that they do get to get you the runs home...

    LonghornMando25

  • Let's see if the team can actually hit vs good pitching before getting all worked up over this potential long term change in philosophy.

    Hope its true though.

    This post was edited by PDX Horn on 3/5/2013 at 8:05 PM

    PDX Horn

  • PDX Horn said...

    Let's see if the team can actually hit vs good pitching before getting all worked up over this potential long term change in philosophy.

    Hope its true though.

    That matters not. We have to play this way

    Beast 512

  • Sounds like Mack with his power run game BS. We need three new coaches.

    whereiend

  • Beast 512 said...

    That matters not. We have to play this way

    Only because Augie recruited players that could play one way. No power whatsoever through the 1st 12 games, bunting with the 3-4-5 hitters in multiple games before the 0-4 week.

    I would have to say that Augie and his staff are as bad at evaluating offensive players as MB and RB are. So I agree with the other poster, it's time for all 3 to retire.

    NLeininger

  • Smart move, Augie. This is very different from Mack going to the power run. I predict the team will respond well. I'd like to see us also utilize our speed, mixing in some straight steals and hit and run. The team is well suited for this.

    JerseyBornHorn

  • It makes perfect sense until we break out of this hitting slump. The kids have to get their confidence back before they can execute the small ball perfectly.

    I take it as a short-term solution until the bats wake up.

    Which they didn't tonight.

    chupita

  • whereiend said...

    Sounds like Mack with his power run game BS. We need three new coaches.

    Apples to oranges. Augie is showing flexibility here adjusting to the situation. Small ball isn't bad
    per se. But not every game situation dictates you bunt every time you have a runner on 1st with no outs. I remember the problem with Gus ball was giving away strikes to quality pitching. Gus would take a schollie away if you so much took your bat off your shoulders before taking a strike and Gus didnt adjust. So I give Augie credit for his flexibility.
    Mack's change was an overreaction to a freak injury to Colt.

    horn4jc

  • horn4jc said...

    Apples to oranges. Augie is showing flexibility here adjusting to the situation. Small ball isn't bad per se. But not every game situation dictates you bunt every time you have a runner on 1st with no outs. I remember the problem with Gus ball was giving away strikes to quality pitching. Gus would take a schollie away if you so much took your bat off your shoulders before taking a strike and Gus didnt adjust. So I give Augie credit for his flexibility. Mack's change was an overreaction to a freak injury to Colt.

    Not "a" injury, more than once. The odds are against a team contending for a NC when your engine throws a rod.

    signature image
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    "Don't know. Never had one" -- D. Royal-Mack Brown how to coach a team after a losing season

    Bruce7

  • According to basic math, small ball is bad in almost every situation, so Augie is probably making the "right" move. That said, desparately moving away from what was to this date one of his core philosophies seems pretty Mack-like to me.

    whereiend

  • NLeininger said...

    Only because Augie recruited players that could play one way. No power whatsoever through the 1st 12 games, bunting with the 3-4-5 hitters in multiple games before the 0-4 week.

    I would have to say that Augie and his staff are as bad at evaluating offensive players as MB and RB are. So I agree with the other poster, it's time for all 3 to retire.

    In baseball, you give out very few full scholarships. You really have to decide where to focus your efforts. Our home field is huge and plays even bigger because of the turf, orientation, and prevailing winds so it makes sense to focus recruiting on defense and pitching. That's why we're recruited that way, and why we've played so much small ball.

    This year, we have some young promising hitters, and Augie wants to develop some confidence. I think the approach will work. We're still going to be a singles hitting team, outside of the middle of the lineup, until later in the season.

    Some are pissed because we took a young team up to Palo Alto and played a more experienced team with more weapons, and we lost three competitive games. I think we should give this season some time to develop.

    bat

  • bat said...

    In baseball, you give out very few full scholarships. You really have to decide where to focus your efforts. Our home field is huge and plays even bigger because of the turf, orientation, and prevailing winds so it makes sense to focus recruiting on defense and pitching. That's why we're recruited that way, and why we've played so much small ball.

    This year, we have some young promising hitters, and Augie wants to develop some confidence. I think the approach will work. We're still going to be a singles hitting team, outside of the middle of the lineup, until later in the season.

    Some are pissed because we took a young team up to Palo Alto and played a more experienced team with more weapons, and we lost three competitive games. I think we should give this season some time to develop.

    +1

    We will never have a team like LSU where all 9 hitters are home run threats as long as we play in the Disch. Alex Box field dimensions are conducive to power hitters.

    horn4jc

  • bat said...

    Some are pissed because we took a young team up to Palo Alto and played a more experienced team with more weapons, and we lost three competitive games. I think we should give this season some time to develop.

    I agree with this. The process on this team seems to be a formula for success. Looking solely at the outcomes isn't the way to go early in the season. Yes, we'd prefer wins, but if we're doing it right, wins will come.

    Signatures are stupid. You should block them.

    JKates

  • JKates said...

    I agree with this. The process on this team seems to be a formula for success. Looking solely at the outcomes isn't the way to go early in the season. Yes, we'd prefer wins, but if we're doing it right, wins will come.

    Yup. Last night Augie fielded a lot of questions about the Stanford series and responded to one of them by saying Stanford is going to be the same team at the end of the year that they were last weekend (a compliment to how good they're already playing) while he believes his squad will be much better in a few months.

    Going to Stanford and learning how to deal with that kind of adversity will only help this team in the long run IMO.

    Dave Behr

  • JKates said...

    I agree with this. The process on this team seems to be a formula for success. Looking solely at the outcomes isn't the way to go early in the season. Yes, we'd prefer wins, but if we're doing it right, wins will come.

    I cant agree that this is a "young" team. Every single player other than CJH is a returner or JUCO guy.

    Hall - Jr
    Knebel - Jr
    McElroy - Juco So (maybe not sure)
    Moynihand - Jr
    Payton - Jr
    Silver - Jr
    Stell - So
    Thornhill - Jr.
    Weiss - Jr.
    Walla - Jr
    Marlow - Jr.
    Felts - Jr.

    Ok so maybe they arent young in terms of Seniors, but this is a relatively older teams in college baseball standards. We only lost one player to the draft last year, Walsh, so all of these guys returning should have progressed. Some may have, but I dont see enough progression to make a significant jump from the previous season.

    But it's baseball - best team doesnt always win. Teams can come together and get hot.

    UTortho

  • horn4jc said...

    +1

    We will never have a team like LSU where all 9 hitters are home run threats as long as we play in the Disch. Alex Box field dimensions are conducive to power hitters.

    Not sure what the down vote is all about. I was making a statement of fact. In baseball, you have to consider the type of ballpark you play in when building a team. Over the years whether it's been Gus ball or Augie, it's always been built on pitching and defense. Sure there's been some power hitters over the years but even then home runs are hard to come by at the Disch. So you have to manufacture runs using small ball from time to time.

    Contrast it to LSU who plays in a more hitter friendly park, it behooves them to build a team to take advantage of it. For Texas, pitching at the Disch is an easy sell for recruits.

    horn4jc


  • The "small ball" stuff is killing recruiting. And Augie can't deny it any longer.

    Funny thing is, "small ball" is as effective a strategy today as ever, possibly even more so. Why? The change to BBCOR bats.

    I don't look for this new philosophy to improve Texas W-L potential this season, but possibly could help us to recruit some bigger bats.

    I have noticed that some teams are sacrificing speed for power now in recruiting, due to the bat restrictions.

    browncounty

  • bat said...

    In baseball, you give out very few full scholarships. You really have to decide where to focus your efforts. Our home field is huge and plays even bigger because of the turf, orientation, and prevailing winds so it makes sense to focus recruiting on defense and pitching. That's why we're recruited that way, and why we've played so much small ball.

    So recruit to the size fields in Omaha.

    GPie

  • browncounty said...

    The "small ball" stuff is killing recruiting. And Augie can't deny it any longer.

    Funny thing is, "small ball" is as effective a strategy today as ever, possibly even more so. Why? The change to BBCOR bats.

    I don't look for this new philosophy to improve Texas W-L potential this season, but possibly could help us to recruit some bigger bats.

    I have noticed that some teams are sacrificing speed for power now in recruiting, due to the bat restrictions.

    Texas gets who they want in recruiting.......they just choose this style of player. Runs are down across college baseball due to the bat which makes giving up outs via the bunt a bad strategy.

    Beast 512

  • browncounty said...

    The "small ball" stuff is killing recruiting. And Augie can't deny it any longer.

    Funny thing is, "small ball" is as effective a strategy today as ever, possibly even more so. Why? The change to BBCOR bats.

    I don't look for this new philosophy to improve Texas W-L potential this season, but possibly could help us to recruit some bigger bats.

    I have noticed that some teams are sacrificing speed for power now in recruiting, due to the bat restrictions.

    We are amongst the top recruiting schools in the nation on an annual basis but are generally decimated by the MLB draft.

    chupita

  • bat said...

    In baseball, you give out very few full scholarships. You really have to decide where to focus your efforts. Our home field is huge and plays even bigger because of the turf, orientation, and prevailing winds so it makes sense to focus recruiting on defense and pitching. That's why we're recruited that way, and why we've played so much small ball.

    This year, we have some young promising hitters, and Augie wants to develop some confidence. I think the approach will work. We're still going to be a singles hitting team, outside of the middle of the lineup, until later in the season.

    Some are pissed because we took a young team up to Palo Alto and played a more experienced team with more weapons, and we lost three competitive games. I think we should give this season some time to develop.

    I understand this, and concede that Augie won mostly on pitching and defense, but even in his title years, he had a credible offense. This team is worse than 2000 offensively and doesn't have the same pitching talent or defense to cover up the pathetic offense. I'm not asking for a team like LSU, but this team can't hit for any kind of power which decreases your margin for error when pitching and defense aren't Top 5 in the country.

    NLeininger

  • Augie is just taking a look at what he has right now --- I think he has his pitching rotation sorted out for the most part, and now he needs to figure out the best lineup.

    He's one (if not the) best in the buz... Augie ball requires good pitching, fielding and an execution of the basics to create runs. To be honest, he hasn't had the same type of pitchers that we have been use too the last few years.

    chupita

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