BB: NCAC: North Coast Athletic Conference

[Li'l Giant]

6-4-3,

You don't have to apologize. It's not like we're painting an inaccurate picture here. We're being honest. If our hoops or football teams had performance like this no one would accept it. Why it is accepted for baseball is beyond me.

I don't intend to disrespect the guys on the team, I think they are doing their best. But I think baseball is getting short shrift from the top down. As you say, in terms of "administrative committment". Unfortunately, regardless of the coaching change I don't see that being improved upon. Football and hoops are always going to be the top dogs in our athletic department.

Of course, it might help if Wally were to drop a couple of million on a new field. 

[earlhamalum]

BASH6-4-3-     To be brutally honest with you not much better than they are now. 

I went to Earlham to play basketball for Coach Justus, and I also had a chance to play baseball and to play at McBride.  Baseball was my better sport, basketball was my true love. (ahhhhh)     I knew both had a reputation of finishing in the bottom of league year after year.  As NCAC basketball fans know that is no longer the case with the basketball team.... now that is still the case for baseball.  From 1999 to current the head coach of EC has won 9 games out of 107 in NCAC action.  Stats should never look that bad in baseball!   Actually my Soph. Year after starting 3-3 we lost 24 straight games.  I am wondering if that is some sort of NCAA record at any level! (does anyone know where you could look that one up at??) Needless to say it was hard to focus on team goals when I played. (having individual goals got me through those 4 years)  not trying to be selfish.  I would just like to see them compete with the NCAC.   
On a good note they won 2 games Vs Bluffton last night! 

[ScotsFan]

The latest Div. III Baseball Poll was released yesterday and Wooster is #1 once again having gone 12-0 now since the last poll released on April 3rd.  Wooster is leading the nation in team batting average (.374) and they are 23rd in team ERA (3.28).  Kenyon was 2nd in the nation in batting average (.373) and OWU was 7th (.365).  Wooster is also 7th in the country in Runs per game at 10.3 rpg.  OWU was 13th at 9.4 rpg and Kenyon was 25th at 8.6 rpg.

Wooster frosh John Quimby should be a lock for Newcomer of the Year in the NCAC.  He is currently 2nd on the team in batting average at .448 and tied for the team lead with slugger Kurt Kapferer in RBI's with 43.  With those kinds of stats, he's making a bid for National Freshman of the year following Pat Christensen nabbing that honor last season. 

Speaking of Christensen, has anyone heard anything on the status of his shoulder injury?  I believe he injured the shoulder towards the end of the Florida trip, and, at the time I thought they said he would be out for a week to 10 days.  I was listening to the radio broadcast of yesterday's game and they mentioned something about the injury, but had no idea how severe the injury was or when he would return this season, if at all.  Seems kind of odd for there to be no info on one of the Scots' best players.

[David Collinge]

The latest Div. III Baseball Poll was released yesterday [...]

I have corrected the link in the above-quoted passage. 

[woosterbooster]

Speaking of Christensen, has anyone heard anything on the status of his shoulder injury?  I believe he injured the shoulder towards the end of the Florida trip, and, at the time I thought they said he would be out for a week to 10 days.  I was listening to the radio broadcast of yesterday's game and they mentioned something about the injury, but had no idea how severe the injury was or when he would return this season, if at all.  Seems kind of odd for there to be no info on one of the Scots' best players.

I think it was about a week ago that I heard them say on the radio that it was a partially dislocated shoulder.  I don't even know what that means, although I've heard the term before.  It seems to me that your shoulder is either dislocated or not.  At any rate, they didn't give any time frame, but did mention that he was expected to be able to swing a bat before he'd be able to play in the field, I assume due to throwing.  As good as he is at the plate, unfortunately it's in the field where they need him the most.

MVP Brandon Boesiger today: HBP, HBP, single, double.  Current BA, .423. Current OBP, .593.

[ScotsFan]

As good as he is at the plate, unfortunately it's in the field where they need him the most.

Good point WB.  As well as the Scots are swinging the bats right now, Christensen is missed more now for his glove than his bat, although having another power hitter in the lineup wouldn't hurt by any means. 

You mentioned that Christensen would be available to bat before he would be able to platoon the outfield.  I would assume that he would take over as pretty much a full-time DH if and when he is healthy enough to return and Kapferer would be at 1st everyday.  Something he hasn't done since the weekend series against Allegheny.  Kapferer has been the Scot's DH for 14 games in a row and counting.

MVP Brandon Boesiger today: HBP, HBP, single, double. Current BA, .423. Current OBP, .593.

Are you talking team or conference MVP?  That OBP percentage is unreal.  His current HBP count is up to 22 on the season which is only one off the record he set last season!  Looks like that record will be shattered considering the Scots still have 4 regular season games left and, what should be a slew of post-season games as well.

Still, my vote has to go to the big guy, Kurt Kapferer.  He's riding a 22 game hitting streak, he broke the record for career home runs, and still has an outside shot at setting the single season home run mark.  He's only 2 off his season best and he's batting nearly .400 to boot.  Not to mention that he is the team and conference leader in home runs and RBI's (he's also leading the nation in home runs).  My vote would go to the Big Kurt.

[woosterbooster]

It would create quite a dilemna if it does turn out that Christensen can hit but can't play the field.  Steiner is doing an excellent job at first base and I can't imagine him being removed from the lineup.  I'd guess that Christensen would be limited to pinch-hitting duty at least for a while.  We'll just have to see how it plays out, but I sure hope he's available asap.

For Boesiger, I was thinking team MVP not league.  I'm really not up on how individuals on other teams are doing so it wouldn't be fair to speculate on that.  As far as Boesiger beating out Kapferer (or Oliver, or anyone else) I think it's a very close call, but he'd still be my choice.  Remember, he's also an excellent defensive catcher.

[BASH6-4-3]

Wooster guys -

22 HBP in a single season and counting for 1 player?  That's old school!
This is such a lost art in baseball.  It's right there with the walk as the ultimate rally starter - especially against a very dominating pitcher.  My American Legion coach taught the practice and I became pretty good at it whenever I lead off an inning and we were trailing.  But in 2006 this is almost unheard of.  Don Baylor would be proud.

[woosterbooster]

BASH -

You'd like this guy.  He's a righthanded hitter who indeed has mastered the art.  Instead of leaning off an inside pitch, he sort of twists to the right, towards the catcher.  It gives the impression that he's avoiding the pitch, but he's really just getting his left shoulder into the way.  Out of the 22 HBP, I'll bet 15 or more have hit him in the same spot, the left upper back. 

He's never flinched once until yesterday when he did a double-take after the second HBP.  The radio said they thought he got hit in the kidney, but I thought it probably caught him right on the shoulder blade.  After that shot, I guess he'd had enough of getting hit, so he singled and doubled in his final two at bats.

[ScotsFan]

Coach Petorinni refers to Boesiger as a walking bruise.   He said that he doesn't encourage him to get hit, but also that he can't stop him from doing it.  Besides, as Bash said, it's a lost art of the game and it is also a great asset to a team to have someone like Boesiger taking all those shots to get rallies started.

[BASH6-4-3]

Got to watch for those kidney shots.
We used to have a pretty decent rivalry with Marian College in Indy (got into a couple bench clearing episodes).  Anyways, I took one out on these guys in the 1st inning.  Next at bat I got drilled right in the left lat - definite pay back pitch.  Thing spasmed up so bad I could barely breath let alone throw a ball.  Definitely want to take it off the fleshy part of the shoulder.

[BASH6-4-3]

WB, Scots Fan

You're right I would love Boesiger's game.  Makes me think of all the major league guys who were not afraid to do the little things to help their team win.  This list is off the top of my head so I'm sure I've forgotten a few.

1st base - Pete Rose - aka Charley Hustle
2nd - Craig Biggio
ss - Walt Weiss
3rd - Pepper Martin - St. Louis Gas House Gang 1930's
RF - Brian Giles - Padres.  Dude took out the catcher in Colorado the other night to break up a DP - Got called for interference - Good baseball
CF - Lenny Dykstra - "Nails"
LF - Don Baylor for the aformentioned HBP record
C - They're all tough.  Anyone who puts on the gear for an inning has my respect.

Any others?

[Li'l Giant]

LF - Don Baylor for the aformentioned HBP record

Biggio has the modern-era record now. He passed Baylor last season. The overall record is held by Hughie Jennings, who played in the late 1800s and Biggio is closing in on that. He only has 13 more and the record is his.

[woosterbooster]

Going back a ways, but Ron Hunt from the early days of the Mets was one of my favorites.  He'd get hit by pitches and was unafraid at second base turning the double play. 

By the way, I saw the Giants turn an old '69 Mets style double play a few days ago. 6-4-5.  Men on first and second, ground ball to short.  Vizquel goes to Durham at second who flys over the bag and throws straight to Pedro Feliz at third.  They caught the runner from second rounding the bag too far and tagged him out.  I read somewhere that the '69 Mets turned 11 of those that season!

[woosterbooster]

And speaking of Pete Rose.  If you haven't read it already, get a copy of Donald Hall's book, Dock Ellis in the Country of Baseball.  A really good read about the acid-doing Ellis and his career in the bigs. 

The best part is when he decided that he needed to show the Cincinnati Reds that his team, the Pirates, weren't afraid of them.  His plan was to plunk every hitter in the order, in a row, one through nine, to open the game.  Right off he hit Joe Morgan.  Then Rose came up, and Ellis in the book explains that this was the part of his plan that had him really worried.  He said he knew that Rose would show no pain, etc.

But what happened was even worse.  Ellis hit Pete right in the side with his best fastball.  Rose just grinned, bent over and picked up the ball, and then daintily rolled it back to Ellis on the mound.  Then he took off and sprinted to first, as usual.  The Dock said he almost gave up right there.  He didn't, though, hitting the next two guys before his manager, Danny Murgaugh, figured out what was going on and came out and got the ball from him. :-)