[CTcard]

To anyone that attended last night's game, did it seem like the Fresno fans were getting under our players' skin?  Someone posted that it was the sloppiest game we played all year.

To anyone who has played college level baseball or better, can motivation cause sloppy play?  In other words, when players are trying hard to win, do they tend to make more bad decisions or get ahead of themselves.  Could this explain the aggressive base running?  Or, was that a planned strategy?

I didn't attend, but after the game ended there were a few reactions that indicated the Fresno players were getting under our kids' skins. For example, while walking towards teammates after the final out Little mimed ripping his shirt open a couple of times, which Nogales had actually done after his 2-RBI double on Saturday. The Stanford kids seemed to be giving a little jawing back towards the Fresno bench after the game.

In general, I don't care much what fans do - they're just fans. That was a little tough to stick to last night, probably mostly because it seemed one particularly loud Fresno fan was seated beside the crowd-noise pickup mike. But I don't much like the heckling and umpire bating that came from the Fresno players and bench last evening - especially considering that the two critical replay checks both went Fresno's way (one of which was clearly the incorrect call). That jawing got the Fresno pitcher Hill booted, almost got the Fresno SS Aruda and 2B Dempsey booted when the umps came out to lecture them, and I thought was going to get the coach Batesole booted over the "talking to his batter" stunt he pulled in the 7th (that batter was Nogales again).


Stanford generally has been pretty aggressive on the base paths this year, so I am not sure we can attribute Kinamon's two base running outs as due to any skin-burrowing. Overall, the approach has given some extra bases and runs but also cost extra outs and runs. Not sure of the balance.
Even last night, its tough to be sure of the balance.
OUTS - Kinamon out at home in the 3rd cost at least one run (though it was a bad call, it was also overly-aggressive under the circumstances). Kinamon out trying to take second on a single in the 4th did not clearly cost a run.
SUCCESSES - Wulff stealing in the 1st gave us a run when Matthiessen hit a ground rule double and there were no more hits in the inning. Kinamon stealing third in the 3rd didn't help (as he then got called out trying to take home), Stowers stealing second in the 5th gave us an immediate run but may not have mattered overall. Handley stealing second in the 7th didn't matter.

[CTcard]

To anyone that attended last night's game, did it seem like the Fresno fans were getting under our players' skin?  Someone posted that it was the sloppiest game we played all year.

To anyone who has played college level baseball or better, can motivation cause sloppy play?  In other words, when players are trying hard to win, do they tend to make more bad decisions or get ahead of themselves.  Could this explain the aggressive base running?  Or, was that a planned strategy?

I didn't attend, but after the game ended there were a few reactions that indicated the Fresno players were getting under our kids' skins. For example, while walking towards teammates after the final out Little mimed ripping his shirt open a couple of times, which Nogales had actually done after his 2-RBI double on Saturday. The Stanford kids seemed to be giving a little jawing back towards the Fresno bench after the game.

In general, I don't care much what fans do - they're just fans. That was a little tough to stick to last night, probably mostly because it seemed one particularly loud Fresno fan was seated beside the crowd-noise pickup mike. But I don't much like the heckling and umpire bating that came from the Fresno players and bench last evening - especially considering that the two critical replay checks both went Fresno's way (one of which was clearly the incorrect call). That jawing got the Fresno pitcher Hill booted, almost got the Fresno SS Aruda and 2B Dempsey booted when the umps came out to lecture them, and I thought was going to get the coach Batesole booted over the "talking to his batter" stunt he pulled in the 7th (that batter was Nogales again).


Stanford generally has been pretty aggressive on the base paths this year, so I am not sure we can attribute Kinamon's two base running outs as due to any skin-burrowing. Overall, the approach has given some extra bases and runs but also cost extra outs and runs. Not sure of the balance.
Even last night, its tough to be sure of the balance.
OUTS - Kinamon out at home in the 3rd cost at least one run (though it was a bad call, it was also overly-aggressive under the circumstances). Kinamon out trying to take second on a single in the 4th did not clearly cost a run.
SUCCESSES - Wulff stealing in the 1st gave us a run when Matthiessen hit a ground rule double and there were no more hits in the inning. Kinamon stealing third in the 3rd didn't help (as he then got called out trying to take home), Stowers stealing second in the 5th gave us an immediate run but may not have mattered overall. Handley stealing second in the 7th didn't matter.