[CTcard]

I hear what you're saying about Mathews and Dowd, CTCard, but...

Mathews has 30 BBs in 60 innings and a 6.15 ERA.
Dowd has 20 BBs in 37 1/3 innings and a 6.99 ERA.

Maybe we see them in a blowout? I would put them in the same grouping as Weiermiller, although Weiermiller, now a senior, pitched really well in 2019 and we are all hoping to see him replicate that success. Dowd is a frosh and Mathews is a sophomore.

Whoever is on the mound for Stanford will get my full support. I love this team for its unrelenting resilience.

To be clear, I wasn't advocating any particular strategy or use of personnel, I was writing what I thought Esquer would likely do based upon what he has been doing both all season and in recent games.

As for advocating, I think Mathews has enough potential and produced enough all season long that he should be used as either a third starter or long relief option. It's not completely clear as he hasn't had a really good outing in over a month, though his performance in the final UCI game was pretty good under the circumstances. Thus, he should be (and clearly would be) on a short leash if trouble arises.

[CTcard]

I hear what you're saying about Mathews and Dowd, CTCard, but...

Mathews has 30 BBs in 60 innings and a 6.15 ERA.
Dowd has 20 BBs in 37 1/3 innings and a 6.99 ERA.

Maybe we see them in a blowout? I would put them in the same grouping as Weiermiller, although Weiermiller, now a senior, pitched really well in 2019 and we are all hoping to see him replicate that success. Dowd is a frosh and Mathews is a sophomore.

Whoever is on the mound for Stanford will get my full support. I love this team for its unrelenting resilience.

To be clear, I wasn't advocating any particular strategy or use of personnel, I was writing what I thought Esquer would likely do based upon what he has been doing both all season and in recent games.

As for advocating, I think Mathews has enough potential and produced enough all season long that he should be used as either a third starter or long relief option. It's not completely clear as he hasn't had a really good outing in over a month, though his performance in the final UCI game was pretty good under the circumstances. Thus, he should be (and clearly would be) on a short leash if trouble arises.

[OutsiderFan]

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors having been throwing stones and spears overhand when hunting for a couple of hundred thousand years. It's surprising that, with all that time, Mother Nature couldn't figure a way to evolve shoulders and arms where throwing overhand is "natural." :)

Ah, someone on this board who thinks the way I do :)

Seriously, I was just thinking about this topic in light of the Tyler Glasnow injury and the presser he gave yesterday about his reaction to MLB cracking down on "sticky stuff" Pitchers use for gripping the Baseball.

[OutsiderFan]

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors having been throwing stones and spears overhand when hunting for a couple of hundred thousand years. It's surprising that, with all that time, Mother Nature couldn't figure a way to evolve shoulders and arms where throwing overhand is "natural." :)

Ah, someone on this board who thinks the way I do :)

Seriously, I was just thinking about this topic in light of the Tyler Glasnow injury and the presser he gave yesterday about his reaction to MLB cracking down on "sticky stuff" Pitchers use for gripping the Baseball.

[Maple Leaf]

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors having been throwing stones and spears overhand when hunting for a couple of hundred thousand years. It's surprising that, with all that time, Mother Nature couldn't figure a way to evolve shoulders and arms where throwing overhand is "natural." :)

..........Mother Nature was banking on acceptance of  the "Spitball" to deal with the overhand motion.

[Maple Leaf]

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors having been throwing stones and spears overhand when hunting for a couple of hundred thousand years. It's surprising that, with all that time, Mother Nature couldn't figure a way to evolve shoulders and arms where throwing overhand is "natural." :)

..........Mother Nature was banking on acceptance of  the "Spitball" to deal with the overhand motion.

[ColoradoTree]

I didn't look at every NC State series, but in the last few 3-game series of the regular season as well as the Super Regionals, N.C. State's rotation went like this:

1. Reid Johnston (11 starts, 8-3, 4.47 ERA, 91 K, 22 BB, 90.2 IP)
2. Sam Highfill (15 starts, 8-2, 3.98 ERA, 77 K, 24 BB, 86 IP)
3. Matt Willadsen (13 starts, 5-3, 4.73 ERA, 72K, 29 BB, 83.2 IP)

And it was Johnston that got chased by Arkansas early. The closer is Evan Justice (5-2, 11 saves, 4.09 ERA, 68K, 24 BB, 55 IP). The other pitcher that got significant time was Chris Villaman (18 appearances, 7 starts, 5-2, 4.35 ERA, 71K, 16BB in 60 IP), who mostly seems to be handcuffed with Willadsen.

Four other relievers with sub-5 ERAs for a total of 6 including Villaman and Justice. But those aren't high-usage guys. Of the four most-used relievers after Justice and Villaman, only one guy has a sub-5 ERA--the others are 8.25, 11.48, and 13.50. But especially in a short season, one bad outing can put your ERA beyond repair for the season, so you can't put too much on that--a couple of those guys got shellacked by Arkansas, so their numbers are a bit inflated. 

Meanwhile, here's our 3-man rotation: 

1. Beck (14 starts, 9-1, 2.96 ERA, 128 K, 23 BB, 100.1 IP)
2. Williams (10 starts, 4-2, 3.06 ERA, 50 K, 14 BB, 50 IP)
3. Quinn Mathews (13 starts, 5-2, 6.15 ERA, 54 K, 30 BB, 60 IP)

(I included Mathews just because he's got a clear edge in starts this year over the other options--i.e., I'm saying he has been our third starter, not that he should be.) As others have noted with the NC State lineup, the same holds through for their bullpen--this is a team that relies a lot on their starters and limits innings for the other guys. N.C. State has just five guys with more than 20 IP this season, and all five have at least 55 innings. Meanwhile, Stanford has ten guys with more than 20 IP, and only two of them (Beck and Matthews) have more than 55 innings. We spread the wealth far more, and that experience is big in the postseason. 

So, if we do chase Johnston early on Saturday, the game has a potential to steamroll if the Wolfpack coach does what he did against Arkansas and leave his closer and his other top reliever, Villaman, on the bench (presumably to preserve that Game 3 handcuff between Villaman and Willadsen). Johnston gave up 7 in 3 innings in that first game against Arkansas, and the relatively little-used relievers who came in gave up another 14. Hopefully our more experienced bullpen proves to be an advantage on Saturday. 

If we end up needing a third starter, it seems like it would be Mathews, but with a quick hook at the first sign of trouble, no? It's not like we have great other options, and Esquer keeps putting Mathews out there. 

---

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors having been throwing stones and spears overhand when hunting for a couple of hundred thousand years. It's surprising that, with all that time, Mother Nature couldn't figure a way to evolve shoulders and arms where throwing overhand is "natural." :)

Ah, someone on this board who thinks the way I do :)

Seriously, I was just thinking about this topic in light of the Tyler Glasnow injury and the presser he gave yesterday about his reaction to MLB cracking down on "sticky stuff" Pitchers use for gripping the Baseball.

Off topic, but I really appreciated that Glasnow presser. Informative and useful. I see a distinct difference in the super sticky substances that majorly boost your spin rate (like Spider Tack) and the mildly sticky substances that help with grip (like when guys use the rosin bag mix a little of that with sunscreen on their body) but which studies have shown don't impact your spin rate. The latter doesn't strike me as cheating or even problematic, while the former needs fixing. (Also, how MLB is supposed to police guys using sunscreen in a summer sport is beyond me. And the league keeps a rosin bag right there on the mound.)

And he's right that to do this midseason when guys haven't trained/prepared for it is unfair, and doing it this way will lead to more injuries as guys have to adjust how they grip the ball and pitch on the fly.

[ColoradoTree]

I didn't look at every NC State series, but in the last few 3-game series of the regular season as well as the Super Regionals, N.C. State's rotation went like this:

1. Reid Johnston (11 starts, 8-3, 4.47 ERA, 91 K, 22 BB, 90.2 IP)
2. Sam Highfill (15 starts, 8-2, 3.98 ERA, 77 K, 24 BB, 86 IP)
3. Matt Willadsen (13 starts, 5-3, 4.73 ERA, 72K, 29 BB, 83.2 IP)

And it was Johnston that got chased by Arkansas early. The closer is Evan Justice (5-2, 11 saves, 4.09 ERA, 68K, 24 BB, 55 IP). The other pitcher that got significant time was Chris Villaman (18 appearances, 7 starts, 5-2, 4.35 ERA, 71K, 16BB in 60 IP), who mostly seems to be handcuffed with Willadsen.

Four other relievers with sub-5 ERAs for a total of 6 including Villaman and Justice. But those aren't high-usage guys. Of the four most-used relievers after Justice and Villaman, only one guy has a sub-5 ERA--the others are 8.25, 11.48, and 13.50. But especially in a short season, one bad outing can put your ERA beyond repair for the season, so you can't put too much on that--a couple of those guys got shellacked by Arkansas, so their numbers are a bit inflated. 

Meanwhile, here's our 3-man rotation: 

1. Beck (14 starts, 9-1, 2.96 ERA, 128 K, 23 BB, 100.1 IP)
2. Williams (10 starts, 4-2, 3.06 ERA, 50 K, 14 BB, 50 IP)
3. Quinn Mathews (13 starts, 5-2, 6.15 ERA, 54 K, 30 BB, 60 IP)

(I included Mathews just because he's got a clear edge in starts this year over the other options--i.e., I'm saying he has been our third starter, not that he should be.) As others have noted with the NC State lineup, the same holds through for their bullpen--this is a team that relies a lot on their starters and limits innings for the other guys. N.C. State has just five guys with more than 20 IP this season, and all five have at least 55 innings. Meanwhile, Stanford has ten guys with more than 20 IP, and only two of them (Beck and Matthews) have more than 55 innings. We spread the wealth far more, and that experience is big in the postseason. 

So, if we do chase Johnston early on Saturday, the game has a potential to steamroll if the Wolfpack coach does what he did against Arkansas and leave his closer and his other top reliever, Villaman, on the bench (presumably to preserve that Game 3 handcuff between Villaman and Willadsen). Johnston gave up 7 in 3 innings in that first game against Arkansas, and the relatively little-used relievers who came in gave up another 14. Hopefully our more experienced bullpen proves to be an advantage on Saturday. 

If we end up needing a third starter, it seems like it would be Mathews, but with a quick hook at the first sign of trouble, no? It's not like we have great other options, and Esquer keeps putting Mathews out there. 

---

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors having been throwing stones and spears overhand when hunting for a couple of hundred thousand years. It's surprising that, with all that time, Mother Nature couldn't figure a way to evolve shoulders and arms where throwing overhand is "natural." :)

Ah, someone on this board who thinks the way I do :)

Seriously, I was just thinking about this topic in light of the Tyler Glasnow injury and the presser he gave yesterday about his reaction to MLB cracking down on "sticky stuff" Pitchers use for gripping the Baseball.

Off topic, but I really appreciated that Glasnow presser. Informative and useful. I see a distinct difference in the super sticky substances that majorly boost your spin rate (like Spider Tack) and the mildly sticky substances that help with grip (like when guys use the rosin bag mix a little of that with sunscreen on their body) but which studies have shown don't impact your spin rate. The latter doesn't strike me as cheating or even problematic, while the former needs fixing. (Also, how MLB is supposed to police guys using sunscreen in a summer sport is beyond me. And the league keeps a rosin bag right there on the mound.)

And he's right that to do this midseason when guys haven't trained/prepared for it is unfair, and doing it this way will lead to more injuries as guys have to adjust how they grip the ball and pitch on the fly.

[magnus]

Why did Stanford wear black jerseys? Don't they have gray ones that might not absorb as much heat?

Because Beck said so.
[Tweet]https://twitter.com/11point7/status/1403543264960073731?s=20[/tweet]

[magnus]

Why did Stanford wear black jerseys? Don't they have gray ones that might not absorb as much heat?

Because Beck said so.
[Tweet]https://twitter.com/11point7/status/1403543264960073731?s=20[/tweet]

[ca245]

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors having been throwing stones and spears overhand when hunting for a couple of hundred thousand years. It's surprising that, with all that time, Mother Nature couldn't figure a way to evolve shoulders and arms where throwing overhand is "natural." :)

..........Mother Nature was banking on acceptance of  the "Spitball" to deal with the overhand motion.

And all those ancestors who threw their stones and spears underhand because it was the more "natural" motion probably starved and became extinct...

[ca245]

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors having been throwing stones and spears overhand when hunting for a couple of hundred thousand years. It's surprising that, with all that time, Mother Nature couldn't figure a way to evolve shoulders and arms where throwing overhand is "natural." :)

..........Mother Nature was banking on acceptance of  the "Spitball" to deal with the overhand motion.

And all those ancestors who threw their stones and spears underhand because it was the more "natural" motion probably starved and became extinct...

[BostonCard]

Why did Stanford wear black jerseys? Don't they have gray ones that might not absorb as much heat?

Because Beck said so.

I mean it could have been monumentally stupid if someone had passed out due to dehydration, but as a statement that Stanford isn't made up of a bunch of nandy pandy Californian's, it couldn't have been more badass.

BC

[BostonCard]

Why did Stanford wear black jerseys? Don't they have gray ones that might not absorb as much heat?

Because Beck said so.

I mean it could have been monumentally stupid if someone had passed out due to dehydration, but as a statement that Stanford isn't made up of a bunch of nandy pandy Californian's, it couldn't have been more badass.

BC

[Softball Fan]

I don't agree with either of the below quotes taken from random internet articles.  Everyone knows black absorbs more heat than white or light colors.  Does that translate into clothing?  Can someone explain the thermal dynamics between clothing and skin?

"When we wear white, we cook ourselves. The best color to keep cool in the heat, it turns out, is to wear black. Black absorbs everything coming in from the sun, sure. But black also absorbs energy from the body instead of reflecting it back."

"In most cases white clothes look just like black clothes in the infrared spectrum. They both reflect about the same amount of thermal radiation."

My own uneducated guess is the amount of sweat a fabric absorbs and retains is more important than color for how uncomfortable a physically active person feels due to the heat.

[Softball Fan]

I don't agree with either of the below quotes taken from random internet articles.  Everyone knows black absorbs more heat than white or light colors.  Does that translate into clothing?  Can someone explain the thermal dynamics between clothing and skin?

"When we wear white, we cook ourselves. The best color to keep cool in the heat, it turns out, is to wear black. Black absorbs everything coming in from the sun, sure. But black also absorbs energy from the body instead of reflecting it back."

"In most cases white clothes look just like black clothes in the infrared spectrum. They both reflect about the same amount of thermal radiation."

My own uneducated guess is the amount of sweat a fabric absorbs and retains is more important than color for how uncomfortable a physically active person feels due to the heat.

[terry]

And he's right that to do this midseason when guys haven't trained/prepared for it is unfair, and doing it this way will lead to more injuries as guys have to adjust how they grip the ball and pitch on the fly.

So, the players assumed they would be allowed to cheat, and now they're saying it's unfair that they need to figure out how to follow the rules? 

I have a hard time summoning up much sympathy.

[terry]

And he's right that to do this midseason when guys haven't trained/prepared for it is unfair, and doing it this way will lead to more injuries as guys have to adjust how they grip the ball and pitch on the fly.

So, the players assumed they would be allowed to cheat, and now they're saying it's unfair that they need to figure out how to follow the rules? 

I have a hard time summoning up much sympathy.

[OutsiderFan]

And he's right that to do this midseason when guys haven't trained/prepared for it is unfair, and doing it this way will lead to more injuries as guys have to adjust how they grip the ball and pitch on the fly.

So, the players assumed they would be allowed to cheat, and now they're saying it's unfair that they need to figure out how to follow the rules? 

I have a hard time summoning up much sympathy.

Much like with PEDs, MLB teams at best looked away and at worst encouraged Pitchers to use sticky substances. Now, the guy who works for those same owners is telling the Pitchers they will be punished for following team instructions.

This is why I side with Pitchers like Trevor Bauer, who raised the issue for four years while MLB did nothing. Then after seeing they weren't doing anything to enforce rules, he likely figured he had to follow suit to keep up, so he is rightfully pissed.

There has been cheating in Baseball since it started. But only selective and inconsistent enforcement, kind like the NCAA. Both organizations are a joke when it comes to rule enforcement or being taken seriously about it.

[OutsiderFan]

And he's right that to do this midseason when guys haven't trained/prepared for it is unfair, and doing it this way will lead to more injuries as guys have to adjust how they grip the ball and pitch on the fly.

So, the players assumed they would be allowed to cheat, and now they're saying it's unfair that they need to figure out how to follow the rules? 

I have a hard time summoning up much sympathy.

Much like with PEDs, MLB teams at best looked away and at worst encouraged Pitchers to use sticky substances. Now, the guy who works for those same owners is telling the Pitchers they will be punished for following team instructions.

This is why I side with Pitchers like Trevor Bauer, who raised the issue for four years while MLB did nothing. Then after seeing they weren't doing anything to enforce rules, he likely figured he had to follow suit to keep up, so he is rightfully pissed.

There has been cheating in Baseball since it started. But only selective and inconsistent enforcement, kind like the NCAA. Both organizations are a joke when it comes to rule enforcement or being taken seriously about it.

[BobK]

More honors

https://gostanford.com/news/2021/6/16/ba...unced.aspx

[BobK]

More honors

https://gostanford.com/news/2021/6/16/ba...unced.aspx

[CTcard]

I don't agree with either of the below quotes taken from random internet articles.  Everyone knows black absorbs more heat than white or light colors.  Does that translate into clothing?  Can someone explain the thermal dynamics between clothing and skin?

"When we wear white, we cook ourselves. The best color to keep cool in the heat, it turns out, is to wear black. Black absorbs everything coming in from the sun, sure. But black also absorbs energy from the body instead of reflecting it back."

"In most cases white clothes look just like black clothes in the infrared spectrum. They both reflect about the same amount of thermal radiation."

My own uneducated guess is the amount of sweat a fabric absorbs and retains is more important than color for how uncomfortable a physically active person feels due to the heat.

That's a dangerous question to ask on a board like this because there are folks (like me) who could answer in excruciating detail thereby torturing the majority who don't care all that much.

The short version: both statements and the related articles (which pop up quickly on an internet search) are wrong in concept and the top article itself is particularly annoyingly dumb by claiming one should chide others for not understanding physics while getting the physics 100% wrong.

However, your last comment hits close. In at least many cases, the lightness of the fabric and fit of the garment may matter more than the color. The ability to evaporate sweat makes a big difference; the heat that evaporating sweat dissipates is the reason we sweat in the first place. And in the Lubbock case, a dry heat makes sweating much more efficient than in swampy Houston or Florida.
[When I lived in Scottsdale, I was amazed at the cooling effect of the misters around small outdoor bars. You rarely see these in the hot, humid east because the air is already saturated and the mist just makes people wet ... and hot.]

[CTcard]

I don't agree with either of the below quotes taken from random internet articles.  Everyone knows black absorbs more heat than white or light colors.  Does that translate into clothing?  Can someone explain the thermal dynamics between clothing and skin?

"When we wear white, we cook ourselves. The best color to keep cool in the heat, it turns out, is to wear black. Black absorbs everything coming in from the sun, sure. But black also absorbs energy from the body instead of reflecting it back."

"In most cases white clothes look just like black clothes in the infrared spectrum. They both reflect about the same amount of thermal radiation."

My own uneducated guess is the amount of sweat a fabric absorbs and retains is more important than color for how uncomfortable a physically active person feels due to the heat.

That's a dangerous question to ask on a board like this because there are folks (like me) who could answer in excruciating detail thereby torturing the majority who don't care all that much.

The short version: both statements and the related articles (which pop up quickly on an internet search) are wrong in concept and the top article itself is particularly annoyingly dumb by claiming one should chide others for not understanding physics while getting the physics 100% wrong.

However, your last comment hits close. In at least many cases, the lightness of the fabric and fit of the garment may matter more than the color. The ability to evaporate sweat makes a big difference; the heat that evaporating sweat dissipates is the reason we sweat in the first place. And in the Lubbock case, a dry heat makes sweating much more efficient than in swampy Houston or Florida.
[When I lived in Scottsdale, I was amazed at the cooling effect of the misters around small outdoor bars. You rarely see these in the hot, humid east because the air is already saturated and the mist just makes people wet ... and hot.]

[ColoradoTree]

And he's right that to do this midseason when guys haven't trained/prepared for it is unfair, and doing it this way will lead to more injuries as guys have to adjust how they grip the ball and pitch on the fly.

So, the players assumed they would be allowed to cheat, and now they're saying it's unfair that they need to figure out how to follow the rules? 

I have a hard time summoning up much sympathy.

Again, I think banning spider tack or something similarly sticky is fair game at any point in any season. But there's a rosin bag at the mound, and rosin is an accepted means of improving a pitcher's grip on the ball. It is a standard tool of baseball, in other words. Sunscreen is necessary to protect against sunburn and skin cancer. That those two substances, both of which are acceptable for pitchers to use, at least individually, combine to form a mildly sticky substance that--and this is the key thing--improves grip but does not improve spin rate doesn't amount to cheating, in my mind. 

If I'm a pitcher and my sweaty sunscreened hands mix with the rosin that MLB has helpfully placed by the mound for me--where is the wrongful act? Where is the intentional flouting of the rules? You're allowed to use rosin, and you're allowed to use sunscreen to protect your skin. 

Spider tack is something completely different--it's like super glue and has been shown to dramatically improve spin rate. Ban that and punish players whenever you like. My concern is that something that does not strike me (or apparently most major league hitters) as cheating is now being banned, and it is forcing pitchers who are not the worst offenders to make changes midseason when their arms have not been trained for that. The prevailing view I've seen among major league hitters is that they are leery of pitchers throwing inside without some sort of grip aid--nobody wants to take a fastball to the head. 

If you want to ban sunscreen/rosin moving forward, fine. Do it in the offseason and let guys build up their arms in such a way as they can maximize control and grip with whatever substances you deem acceptable. Then everyone is on the same page. Millions of dollars are at stake, along with guys' careers and reputations. 

I agree that cheating is cheating, and you can reasonably punish it at any point during the season. I just quibble with sunscreen/rosin being considered cheating, or being deemed a foreign substance on par with spider tack or even pine tar. I just don't see it that way. 

One thing that everyone--including MLB--seems to agree on is that balls come out of the box with sometimes significant variation on how slick they are. Hence the rosin bag, to allow pitchers to improve grip and make the ball a little easier to handle. That is the root of the problem, and MLB has given pitchers some level of leeway for years because they presumably agree that some minor corrective measures like that are appropriate. But as with anything in life, you give an inch, and someone takes a mile, and you have a minority of pitchers going to extremes. Yes, police the extremes, but a policy shift like this is better done after studied consideration with time for players to adjust, not this sort of ad hoc line in the sand midseason.

(FWIW, I never cared about the amount of pine tar on George Brett's bat, while the emery board and sandpaper Joe Niekro used to doctor balls in 1987 was messed up. He got a 10-day suspension for getting caught with an emery board and sandpaper on the mound. But that 10-game suspension is what everyone with any sort of substance beyond pure rosin will get. I just don't see those things as equally culpable.)

[ColoradoTree]

And he's right that to do this midseason when guys haven't trained/prepared for it is unfair, and doing it this way will lead to more injuries as guys have to adjust how they grip the ball and pitch on the fly.

So, the players assumed they would be allowed to cheat, and now they're saying it's unfair that they need to figure out how to follow the rules? 

I have a hard time summoning up much sympathy.

Again, I think banning spider tack or something similarly sticky is fair game at any point in any season. But there's a rosin bag at the mound, and rosin is an accepted means of improving a pitcher's grip on the ball. It is a standard tool of baseball, in other words. Sunscreen is necessary to protect against sunburn and skin cancer. That those two substances, both of which are acceptable for pitchers to use, at least individually, combine to form a mildly sticky substance that--and this is the key thing--improves grip but does not improve spin rate doesn't amount to cheating, in my mind. 

If I'm a pitcher and my sweaty sunscreened hands mix with the rosin that MLB has helpfully placed by the mound for me--where is the wrongful act? Where is the intentional flouting of the rules? You're allowed to use rosin, and you're allowed to use sunscreen to protect your skin. 

Spider tack is something completely different--it's like super glue and has been shown to dramatically improve spin rate. Ban that and punish players whenever you like. My concern is that something that does not strike me (or apparently most major league hitters) as cheating is now being banned, and it is forcing pitchers who are not the worst offenders to make changes midseason when their arms have not been trained for that. The prevailing view I've seen among major league hitters is that they are leery of pitchers throwing inside without some sort of grip aid--nobody wants to take a fastball to the head. 

If you want to ban sunscreen/rosin moving forward, fine. Do it in the offseason and let guys build up their arms in such a way as they can maximize control and grip with whatever substances you deem acceptable. Then everyone is on the same page. Millions of dollars are at stake, along with guys' careers and reputations. 

I agree that cheating is cheating, and you can reasonably punish it at any point during the season. I just quibble with sunscreen/rosin being considered cheating, or being deemed a foreign substance on par with spider tack or even pine tar. I just don't see it that way. 

One thing that everyone--including MLB--seems to agree on is that balls come out of the box with sometimes significant variation on how slick they are. Hence the rosin bag, to allow pitchers to improve grip and make the ball a little easier to handle. That is the root of the problem, and MLB has given pitchers some level of leeway for years because they presumably agree that some minor corrective measures like that are appropriate. But as with anything in life, you give an inch, and someone takes a mile, and you have a minority of pitchers going to extremes. Yes, police the extremes, but a policy shift like this is better done after studied consideration with time for players to adjust, not this sort of ad hoc line in the sand midseason.

(FWIW, I never cared about the amount of pine tar on George Brett's bat, while the emery board and sandpaper Joe Niekro used to doctor balls in 1987 was messed up. He got a 10-day suspension for getting caught with an emery board and sandpaper on the mound. But that 10-game suspension is what everyone with any sort of substance beyond pure rosin will get. I just don't see those things as equally culpable.)

[Papa John]

Back to the CWS:

Omaha is in for a weather roller-coaster ride.
Today: high of 102 and a heat advisory
Friday: high of 93
Saturday, Games 1 and 2 (Stanford/NCSU at 2 pm): high of 95
Sunday, Games 3 and 4 (Stanford will not play): high of 99
Monday, Games 5 and 6 (Stanford will play at 2 pm or 7 pm): high of 70!
Tuesday, Games 7 and 8 (Stanford will not play): high of 79
The rest of the week: Impossible to know when Stanford might play, but forecast highs in the 80s every day

No rain in the forecast. Yet.

But all in all, things will be toasty but not dangerously so on Saturday, cool if Stanford plays on Monday night and summer-comfortable the rest of the way.

I'll definitely take it.

[Papa John]

Back to the CWS:

Omaha is in for a weather roller-coaster ride.
Today: high of 102 and a heat advisory
Friday: high of 93
Saturday, Games 1 and 2 (Stanford/NCSU at 2 pm): high of 95
Sunday, Games 3 and 4 (Stanford will not play): high of 99
Monday, Games 5 and 6 (Stanford will play at 2 pm or 7 pm): high of 70!
Tuesday, Games 7 and 8 (Stanford will not play): high of 79
The rest of the week: Impossible to know when Stanford might play, but forecast highs in the 80s every day

No rain in the forecast. Yet.

But all in all, things will be toasty but not dangerously so on Saturday, cool if Stanford plays on Monday night and summer-comfortable the rest of the way.

I'll definitely take it.

[BostonCard]

Will we be wearing the black uniforms again?

BC

[BostonCard]

Will we be wearing the black uniforms again?

BC

[CTcard]

Short preview article on the Pac 12 web site.
https://pac-12.com/index.php/article/202...rld-series

Not much there.
I noted this,
"Stanford is looking for its first title since 1988 when Hall-of-Famer Mike Mussina and the Card defeated Arizona State in the finals."

While Mussina, a frosh, was part of the starting rotation he only contributed to the defeat of Arizona State by cheering the team on from the dugout. The final game starter was Stan Spencer (also a frosh) closed by Steve Chitren.

[CTcard]

Short preview article on the Pac 12 web site.
https://pac-12.com/index.php/article/202...rld-series

Not much there.
I noted this,
"Stanford is looking for its first title since 1988 when Hall-of-Famer Mike Mussina and the Card defeated Arizona State in the finals."

While Mussina, a frosh, was part of the starting rotation he only contributed to the defeat of Arizona State by cheering the team on from the dugout. The final game starter was Stan Spencer (also a frosh) closed by Steve Chitren.

[troyc]

Was in on Esquer's presser this morning....couple things of note...

Troy C

[tweet]https://twitter.com/TroyClardy/status/1405917234367590401[/tweet]

[troyc]

Was in on Esquer's presser this morning....couple things of note...

Troy C

[tweet]https://twitter.com/TroyClardy/status/1405917234367590401[/tweet]

[Brickcity]

Was in on Esquer's presser this morning....couple things of note...

Troy C

[tweet]https://twitter.com/TroyClardy/status/1405917234367590401[/tweet]

Is there a place we can listen to the press conference? ALSO, this is the first thing I've heard about Martinez since he disappeared! What's up with him? Recovering from an injury!?

[Brickcity]

Was in on Esquer's presser this morning....couple things of note...

Troy C

[tweet]https://twitter.com/TroyClardy/status/1405917234367590401[/tweet]

Is there a place we can listen to the press conference? ALSO, this is the first thing I've heard about Martinez since he disappeared! What's up with him? Recovering from an injury!?

[fullmetal]

Nobody's passing out from dehydration when players spend a majority of the game in the dugout with available water.  Love the swag from Beck about the uniform decision.  There are a few Texans, Arizonans, and a guy from Nevada on the team...and southern California isn't super temperate either.  I'm sure the team knows how to handle the heat...here's hoping they bring overwhelming heat these next couple of weeks.

[fullmetal]

Nobody's passing out from dehydration when players spend a majority of the game in the dugout with available water.  Love the swag from Beck about the uniform decision.  There are a few Texans, Arizonans, and a guy from Nevada on the team...and southern California isn't super temperate either.  I'm sure the team knows how to handle the heat...here's hoping they bring overwhelming heat these next couple of weeks.

[CTcard]

Was in on Esquer's presser this morning....couple things of note...



Troy C



[tweet]https://twitter.com/TroyClardy/status/1405917234367590401[/tweet]

Is there a place we can listen to the press conference? ALSO, this is the first thing I've heard about Martinez since he disappeared! What's up with him? Recovering from an injury!?

I had been wondering if there had been anything else behind the scenes with Martinez , but looking at the numbers there isn't much evidence for anything other than Martinez hitting a slump and Troy coming in and responding with some HRs.
 
Martinez's went into a (not terrible) slump starting roughly in the middle of the USC series. His BA has dropped every appearance since the second SC game, hasn't hit a HR, and had a an average under 0.200 (11 games for him).

Troy started alternating starts with Martinez in the cal series, gradually started more games, then every tournament game. 

Starting with the cal series, Troy has hit BA=0.225, SLG 0.525, with 4 HRs, 3 of those in the tournament (vs NDSU, UCI, Texas Tech).
Not a brobdingnagian average, but some notable power.

The one curious move in this recent stretch was that frosh Carter Graham got one start (vs OSU) and one pinch hit appearance in the tournament (first game vs UCI, the 12-4 win). Martinez hasn't appeared in the postseason.

[CTcard]

Was in on Esquer's presser this morning....couple things of note...



Troy C



[tweet]https://twitter.com/TroyClardy/status/1405917234367590401[/tweet]

Is there a place we can listen to the press conference? ALSO, this is the first thing I've heard about Martinez since he disappeared! What's up with him? Recovering from an injury!?

I had been wondering if there had been anything else behind the scenes with Martinez , but looking at the numbers there isn't much evidence for anything other than Martinez hitting a slump and Troy coming in and responding with some HRs.
 
Martinez's went into a (not terrible) slump starting roughly in the middle of the USC series. His BA has dropped every appearance since the second SC game, hasn't hit a HR, and had a an average under 0.200 (11 games for him).

Troy started alternating starts with Martinez in the cal series, gradually started more games, then every tournament game. 

Starting with the cal series, Troy has hit BA=0.225, SLG 0.525, with 4 HRs, 3 of those in the tournament (vs NDSU, UCI, Texas Tech).
Not a brobdingnagian average, but some notable power.

The one curious move in this recent stretch was that frosh Carter Graham got one start (vs OSU) and one pinch hit appearance in the tournament (first game vs UCI, the 12-4 win). Martinez hasn't appeared in the postseason.