A Sea Of Red

Flames kick off the second season at Liberty Baseball Stadium welcoming in an in-state rival in the Monarchs (Flames swept the two meetings last year 6-2 and 17-10). I'll defer to Sly to pretty it up.

Buying my season tickets tomorrow!

Down 6-3 to Old Dominion. They're coming off a 30-24 year out of the Colonial, and they're 1-2 to start the year.

So, 4 games into baseball season and I'm already disappointed.

FINAL:

ODU 7- LU 4

Not gonna win many games stranding 12 runners on base including bases loaded...what...twice?

That one was tough, but you cant leave that many on base and expect to win. (Someone please tell the Orioles that). The pitching didn't seem to bad other than that one big inning but 1-3 is still 1-3

First time seeing the 2014 flames in person so here are my initial thoughts. We really miss wimmer and aanderaud. Both positions are going to be a problem in my opinion. Keranen is going to be a rock solid player and has a great approach. He needs to move up in the lineup. Britt looks much better at the plate. I actually think he can be the 3b for us but he needs to get his footwork down and learn positioning. Seiz is as good a hitter as advertised. His bat cant be lost in the double switch scenario. Roberts is really athletic and will be a good player for us. Not sure hes ready yet. To throw mid 9's graeur cant get the ball to 2nd and struggles blocking the ball. We've been spoiled for the last decade with excellent catching. We really need close to hit and catch like hes capable of so we can put the other pieces in place. Were pitching well enough to win but we have to tighten up and toman haa to figure out the lineup.

wow I don't think any of us were expecting a 1-3 start. Hopefully we will turn it around soon...

This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. We are good at throwing the ball. Gotta learn how to catch it and hit it.

Or hope for rain.

^ Crash Davis ^

Jinxy, you are right, we need Close to hit, but not catch. He is the worst defensive catcher of the whole bunch, and will hurt us more than he will help behind the plate. I know this isn't the best answer, but Grauer is our best option back there with Stankey and occasionally Close giving him a break.

Close played first today and hasn't caught since the opener. Perritt made a bad decision on the bases-loaded double play ball. Baseball season is way too long to make snap decisions on a four-game sample.

Chris Lang wrote:Close played first today and hasn't caught since the opener. Perritt made a bad decision on the bases-loaded double play ball. Baseball season is way too long to make snap decisions on a four-game sample.

. . ya, should have gone home to first with the comebacker. Catcher has the responsibility to communicate that to him in that situation prior ever throwing a pitch. It' simple situational baseball in which everyone has to keep each other accountable and in the game. In the infield it's typically the catcher. Fulghum is a battler. We need to reward him with a clean game next time out.

Forgot about sanckey and barbee. Havent seen either enough. All i know is we cant keep losing seizs bat at the end of games in the double switch to perritt. His spot came up with bases loaded and 1 out. Were hitting and getting runners on. Just need the timely hitting. I think the bats will be fine. Really worried about our defense at catcher second and third.

There is still time to fix the defense and lack of hitting with runners on base.

Maybe when we get runners on, we should go to the "short game". bunting, hit-n-run, and stealing.

I've gone into this season giving Coach Toman the benefit of the doubt, and for the most part he's done a good job trying to get everything figured out lineup wise. My only criticism would be yesterday and the double switch. You have to know your lineup going in and if Perritt's live that day you have to plan accordingly. There's no way we should sacrifice our best hitter for our closer, especially when we're not even winning.

Good post SuperJon

I had a thought about something to do but I will frame it in a question: Would it have been a wise call to go for a squeeze play in either of the bases loaded situations yesterday?

No we need seiz playing first so he doesnt come out of the game in the dh spot. Graeur or close should be the dhing. Ive seen seiz enough to see he is a legit 3 hole hitter. He was that lefty bat we desp needed the last few years.

jinxy wrote:No we need seiz playing first so he doesnt come out of the game in the dh spot. Graeur or close should be the dhing. Ive seen seiz enough to see he is a legit 3 hole hitter. He was that lefty bat we desp needed the last few years.

I'm with you jinxy. I blame Toman for this loss along with all the rest of them to come. He has no clue how to make a lineup or who to put in the lineup. You do not take out your best hitter; and leave two guys in the lineup that are hitting well below .180 just because they are "captains". If your not hitting, you shouldn't be playing.

The attendance of this game was shown at over 1100. This number is tickets sold I guess. In the pictures and the video, there is less than 300 people "in the seats". That is just sad for a season opener at a nice stadium like that.

Trottalot wrote:

jinxy wrote:No we need seiz playing first so he doesnt come out of the game in the dh spot. Graeur or close should be the dhing. Ive seen seiz enough to see he is a legit 3 hole hitter. He was that lefty bat we desp needed the last few years.

I'm with you jinxy. I blame Toman for this loss along with all the rest of them to come. He has no clue how to make a lineup or who to put in the lineup. You do not take out your best hitter; and leave two guys in the lineup that are hitting well below .180 just because they are "captains". If your not hitting, you shouldn't be playing.

The attendance of this game was shown at over 1100. This number is tickets sold I guess. In the pictures and the video, there is less than 300 people "in the seats". That is just sad for a season opener at a nice stadium like that.

Come to expect the inflated numbers from this athletic administration!

Oh God he's here too...and he brought Trott with him...where were you when we were in the NCAA Regionals bro?

Lburglifer wrote:

Trottalot wrote:

jinxy wrote:No we need seiz playing first so he doesnt come out of the game in the dh spot. Graeur or close should be the dhing. Ive seen seiz enough to see he is a legit 3 hole hitter. He was that lefty bat we desp needed the last few years.

I'm with you jinxy. I blame Toman for this loss along with all the rest of them to come. He has no clue how to make a lineup or who to put in the lineup. You do not take out your best hitter; and leave two guys in the lineup that are hitting well below .180 just because they are "captains". If your not hitting, you shouldn't be playing.

The attendance of this game was shown at over 1100. This number is tickets sold I guess. In the pictures and the video, there is less than 300 people "in the seats". That is just sad for a season opener at a nice stadium like that.

Come to expect the inflated numbers from this athletic administration!

It seemed there were a good 600-700 in the seats at any one time. Students came and went throughout the game as some were wearing shorts, etc and it was not shorts weather.

BJWilliams wrote:Oh God he's here too...and he brought Trott with him...where were you when we were in the NCAA Regionals bro?

I was watching USC (Toman's old school that didn't want him back) beat up on the Flames 19-3

Not a word of congratulations on making it though? Youre worse that LBL (and that's saying something)