Horns247 Board

Yes, Texas has their pick in recruiting.

Swinging away still has better odds of scoring runs than bunting does, even with the new bat.

Well you coach your team and I'll coach mine...

but in the context of this smallball discussion, we are basically talking about moving a runner from 1st to 2nd, and whether to take out #1 in order to do so. If the choice is to do this, then you forego the swing-away option.

All I am saying is that the swing-away option had a more favorable probability before BBCOR than today. So choosing the small ball strategy today is less "sacrificial" than in years past.

What I mean is, Texas doesn't have any trouble getting players. Better hitters are available to the Longhorn coaching staff.......

No, it's all about scoring before you're out of outs. Runs and outs. Outs and runs. Advancing runners while intentionally giving up an out is rarely the right move.

omg, really. Never mind.

Welcome to 2013, where there is football, and then there is that offseason sport where they hit balls with sticks.

No idea how Augie became the winningest coach in CB, he is obviously a moron.

Pitching and defense probably had more to do with it than bunting players over with his best hitters.

Why?

Does your Run Expectancy for that inning increase with a runner at 3rd and 1 out compared to a runner at 2nd and 0 outs?

The answer is no. Moving that runner actually decreases the Run Expectancy of the inning.

The table I'm linking to uses MLB numbers, and I'm sure NCAA numbers would be slightly different, but not enough to erase the point.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/sortable/index.php?cid=1091223

Now, late in 1 run games, I can understand the thought of needing to get that 1 runner closer. But for most of the game it is not the right move to move the runner over, even though that's what most of us were brought up to believe is playing the game "the right way." The data simply doesn't back it.

Ok so I see you statiscally believe that small ball is not supported by data. I rescind the jr high girl talk.

However, you must be arguing that Augie is the winningest coach of all time despite making the poor decision to play smallball throughout his entire career. In other words, he overcame it?

Secondly, I am not supporting that we continue with the smallball philosophy, as I do not like the recruiting impact it has in today's college game. I am only pointing out that the deader bats would only promote the smallball strategy, if all other things were held equal, which they aren't.

But rather than continue to argue that, I would like to articulate why I do support the abandonment of smallball. It's a recruiting thing. The bats are deader, so we need to recruit bigger hitters. However, bigger hitters don't want to bunt. I get that. So I am on-board.

My pro-smallball argument is purely from a strategic and logical standpoint, not from a dynamic or environmental standpoint. The bat is deader. So which choice is more compromised as a result - swing away or bunt? Precisely.

Yes, Augie overcame the small ball strategy. It doesn't guarantee losing. It prevents maximizing the offensive output.

I disagree that the BBCOR bats promotes small ball. The ball is so much slower off of the barrel that infielders are able to play tighter, cutting off balls they would not have touched in years past. BBCOR bats are damaging to gorilla ball in terms of HRs, but not necessarily to base hits, doubles down the line, or gap shots.

I support the abandonment of small ball for many reasons, and I feel the recruiting one is valid. Having known a few kids recently recruited by Texas out of the Houston area, I can say that none of them wanted to have to automatically bunt if the guy in front of them got on to lead off an inning. Kids, and their parents, are smarter than that these days. It's not a selfish tihng. It's a knowledge thing.

As I stated, Augie has been successfully due to pitching and defense more than small ball. Really pitching. 2002 and 2005 were pitching dominate teams. I don't think the Omaha has seen a pitching staff that Texas brought into town in 2005 before or after.

The 2009 team had a great pitching staff and excellent defense, but also had some power from Rupp, Keyes, and Moldenhauer.

Really in this era of the dead bats, recruiting defense and speed is not smart. Since the ball isn't traveling anywere, you don't need + defensive people all over the place who can't hit a damn.

Plus the wind seems to blow in most of the games..............The Disch was built for small ball.

Great link. I wanted to find something like that but didn't have time to spend digging.