BB: 2013 Regionals (MIdwest)

[OshDude]

Twitter says Franz is starting for UST today. That was my guess too. The idea isn't to get to the next game. The idea is to win the regional. The best chance St. Thomas has of winning the regional is with Thomas facing Stevens Point. I'm assuming Thomas would be first out of the pen should Case run out front.

That didn't work out too well for the Tommies.  Case 7  UST 3
Now you explain how you get eliminated and you used your All American 1 meaningless inning.   Ouch

Nothing to explain. It's a matter of mapping a strategy to win it. Doesn't matter if you lost today or tomorrow. I think UST's strategy was plausible. UST's execution of the strategy wasn't successful.

It's not a philosophy that everyone will agree with.

[username]

Twitter says Franz is starting for UST today. That was my guess too. The idea isn't to get to the next game. The idea is to win the regional. The best chance St. Thomas has of winning the regional is with Thomas facing Stevens Point. I'm assuming Thomas would be first out of the pen should Case run out front.

That didn't work out too well for the Tommies.  Case 7  UST 3
Now you explain how you get eliminated and you used your All American 1 meaningless inning.   Ouch

Nothing to explain. It's a matter of mapping a strategy to win it. Doesn't matter if you lost today or tomorrow. I think UST's strategy was plausible. UST's execution of the strategy wasn't successful.

It's not a philosophy that everyone will agree with.

I doubt Dennis Denning would have done that.

[DagarmanSpartan]

CASE WINS!!!!

GO SPARTANS!!!!

[OshDude]

That'll do, Messenger.

Say it ain't so, Joe. Gonna miss your call, good man. Glad I got to listen to your reliable warm blanket of a webcast all these years. Share your iPod with the next in line. Make sure he or she knows that certain situations call for certain tracks. DMB deep cuts are universal though, especially when fielding requests from All-Americans. Be well.

[ADL70]

FWIW (and it might not be worth enough), CWRU has the more rested pitching staff.

I expect lefty Fortunato to start game one.

http://athletics.case.edu/sports/bsb/2012-13/bios/fortunato_john_6a6i

[badgerwarhawk]

Twitter says Franz is starting for UST today. That was my guess too. The idea isn't to get to the next game. The idea is to win the regional. The best chance St. Thomas has of winning the regional is with Thomas facing Stevens Point. I'm assuming Thomas would be first out of the pen should Case run out front.

That didn't work out too well for the Tommies.  Case 7  UST 3
Now you explain how you get eliminated and you used your All American 1 meaningless inning.   Ouch

Nothing to explain. It's a matter of mapping a strategy to win it. Doesn't matter if you lost today or tomorrow. I think UST's strategy was plausible. UST's execution of the strategy wasn't successful.

It's not a philosophy that everyone will agree with.

Obviously and I understand the theory and it's plausibility.  However when you're in the loser's bracket you won't win the regional unless you win your next game and imo you have to rethink your strategy.  Thinking you can beat Case Western without using your best was a gross miscalculation.  But being perfectly honest I'd have to admit that I didn't think Case Western could beat them either. However when you fall behind 3-0 and it's apparent they're better than you thought and you still leave him on the bench ... well, I'm not sure what you can call that. 

I don't want to rail on the Tommies' staff.  I have a lot of respect for them and they've obviously been very, very successful. But they simply didn't give Case enough credit and in the end it was their down fall.  When they finally went to the pitcher that gave them the best shot of winning it was way late and essentially meaningless.  No offense Ricky but thinking you have nothing to explain is silly.

[OshDude]

Why would I have anything to explain? I didn't make the decision. I didn't write that I agreed with the decision (although I may have done the same thing at the start). I wrote that my guess was that UST would try to save a rested Thomas for the next game.

I doubt it was a matter of St. Thomas underestimating Case more than it was a gamble to gain a later advantage.

[forheavendial4999]

I wouldn't have done it, I know quite a few programs that wouldn't have done it, but I think Olean has earned the right to make a decision without raked over the coals for it. Ultimately the only person that probably deserves an explanation is Thomas. I imagine Chris will spend enough time second guessing himself.

I like St. Thomas, I like the way they play the game and respect the game and I think they're the #2 program in the country. Doesn't make them perfect, or mean they always make the right decision. But you can bet whatever they do, they do because they're trying to compete at the highest level.

[ShineTime]

The bottom line is the best team doesn't always win and this year was probably a prime example.  I look back just a few years ago with point losing when Williams and Delorit were seniors.  Sometimes you just hit piss rods right at people that's what makes baseball great.

[MIACLUV]

There is no doubt that he underestimated Case! Not throwing Thomas was a play that had to be done to win this tournament, the HUGE error was thinking that he could get by them using Franz when he had far better bullets left in the gun. Sad days the past few in Tommie land. To say Dennis wouldn't have done it that way is fair because this isn't the same program that Coach Denning built. It's about having a philosophy of bringing in a ton of good players and letting it sort itself almost like a junior college. Very little teaching and a lot of recruiting. When they start putting it all together watch out it could be the making of a lot of trips to Appleton in a row. For now the Tommie's missed a great opportunity be in the hunt for a title. Things need to change or this will be a common theme and recruits will be going elsewhere.

[badgerwarhawk]

Why would I have anything to explain? I didn't make the decision. I didn't write that I agreed with the decision (although I may have done the same thing at the start). I wrote that my guess was that UST would try to save a rested Thomas for the next game.

I doubt it was a matter of St. Thomas underestimating Case more than it was a gamble to gain a later advantage.

My bad I didn't take your statement to mean that you, personally, had anything to explain. 

[voice]

I just want to give a shout-out to the UW-Stevens Point baseball fans at UWW's Miller Stadium.  Even though UWW was dispatched from the tourney I was at today's UWSP vs. Case Western championship game.  Even though I was down following yesterday's UWW loss listening to the genuine enthusiasm, especially the group of Pointer ladies sitting right behind me, made the afternoon extremely enjoyable for this loyal Whitewater fan.  Also thanks to the UWSP fans who assisted me in navigating the steps as I remain a bit weak following seven months of chemo-therapy.

Here's wishing Point and it's fans the best of luck next weekend in Appleton!!

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

Twitter says Franz is starting for UST today. That was my guess too. The idea isn't to get to the next game. The idea is to win the regional. The best chance St. Thomas has of winning the regional is with Thomas facing Stevens Point. I'm assuming Thomas would be first out of the pen should Case run out front.

That didn't work out too well for the Tommies.  Case 7  UST 3
Now you explain how you get eliminated and you used your All American 1 meaningless inning.   Ouch

Nothing to explain. It's a matter of mapping a strategy to win it. Doesn't matter if you lost today or tomorrow. I think UST's strategy was plausible. UST's execution of the strategy wasn't successful.

It's not a philosophy that everyone will agree with.

I doubt Dennis Denning would have done that.

Actually, I think Dennis would have done it (where do you think Olean learned a lot of his strategy?)

Its not an uncommon (or dumb) strategy. Darren Erstad (former LA Angel) used the same strategy in this weekend's Big 10(12) tourney and his Nebraska Conrhuskers nearly pulled it off as they advanced to the championship game and forced a "winner takes all" game vs Indiana before falling.

[username]

Twitter says Franz is starting for UST today. That was my guess too. The idea isn't to get to the next game. The idea is to win the regional. The best chance St. Thomas has of winning the regional is with Thomas facing Stevens Point. I'm assuming Thomas would be first out of the pen should Case run out front.

That didn't work out too well for the Tommies.  Case 7  UST 3
Now you explain how you get eliminated and you used your All American 1 meaningless inning.   Ouch

Nothing to explain. It's a matter of mapping a strategy to win it. Doesn't matter if you lost today or tomorrow. I think UST's strategy was plausible. UST's execution of the strategy wasn't successful.

It's not a philosophy that everyone will agree with.

I doubt Dennis Denning would have done that.

Actually, I think Dennis would have done it (where do you think Olean learned a lot of his strategy?)

Its not an uncommon (or dumb) strategy. Darren Erstad (former LA Angel) used the same strategy in this weekend's Big 10(12) tourney and his Nebraska Conrhuskers nearly pulled it off as they advanced to the championship game and forced a "winner takes all" game vs Indiana before falling.

Dennis probably wouldn't have been eliminated from an NCAA tournament with the Midwest Region Pitcher of the Year pitching one inning in the tournament...unless there was an injury.