Give it away, give it away now...
What a difference a week can make.
A 4-3 ninth inning lead turned into a 7-4 loss in a matter of minutes.
It wasn't bad pitching. It wasn't even horrible defense. It simply was a string of bad luck at the worst possible time - with everything on the line.
The more I watch college baseball, the more I realize rankings and statistics are worthless.
Miami sported a 45-0 record when leading after eight innings. Stat geeks choose to chest-thump over that kind of stuff, but what does it really all mean when you're now 45-1, with that lone loss coming during the most important game of the season?
Timing is everything. Especially in Omaha. This isn't the first time a great Miami team has faceplanted or blew an opportunity. Lesser Canes teams have won it all, while some of the supposed best Miami squads have gone home empty-handed.
The faint of heart should steer clear of the message boards today. The folks with the biggest mouths, choosing revisionist history (instead of logic) are out in full force.
Some of their knee-jerk thoughts? Jim Morris should be fired. Yasmani Grandal should be benched. Gutierrez is a worthless closer. Morris should've left Kyle Bellamy in the game, instead of doing what he did all year - going to his closer in the ninth.
Can it, haters.
Miami had their worst inning of baseball at the worst possible time. Sucks, but it happens. Welcome to Omaha.
Stanford whooped higher-seeded Florida State, 16-5 yesterday, hours before Miami was upset by lower-seeded Georgia. Today, it's out-of-nowhere Fresno State taking it to a favored Rice squad, 17-5.
Florida State, Miami and Rice in the losers' bracket - with Stanford, Georgia and Fresno State moving on. Programs with some rich CWS history will now need to scrap their way out of an 0-1 hole, while some newbies are in the driver's seat.
It is what it is, people.
The Canes gave it away last night. It wasn't Morris' decision to go with Gutierrez. It wasn't even Gutierrez's errant throw or Grandal's untimely miss behind the plate.
It was simply bad luck. Bad timing. An imperfect storm when Miami could least afford to weather it.
The odds of yesterday's ninth inning collapse are almost infinitesimal. A runner reaching first after a strike out, due to a wild pitch? Almost unheard of. Especially in the ninth, with a first round CWS berth on the line. A pitcher - known for his fielding abilities - sailing the ball past his first baseman, allowing the game-winning run?
Inconceivable, and hardly characteristic of a team destined to win it all.
In college baseball more than anything else, it's about getting hot at the right time and getting the lucky bounces. Such isn't the case for Miami right now. Sad but true, as bitter as that pill may be to swallow.
The Canes caught some bad luck in game one of the Super Regionals, endured a shoot out in game two and staved off execution in game three, allowing them to advance. It took everything in the tank for a top-ranked Miami team to even reach Omaha.
It's been a while since the Canes have looked like a 'hot' team. Before struggling with Arizona in the Super Regionals, Miami had some shaky moments in the Coral Gables regional - needing to rally for wins over Bethune-Cookman and Missouri, before beating up on a run down and depleted Ole Miss bunch.
The last time the Canes truly looked like the 'Canes' was the ACC tourney - with convincing wins over Clemson, Georgia Tech, NC State and Virginia. Even when a few of those games had their close moments, Miami still looked in control. The bats were hot, the pitching clamped down when it needed to and The U was still the team to beat.
That simply hasn't been the case these past few weeks.
As has been the case lately, Miami has been stranding runners on base. Against Georgia, the Canes left seven on and never capitalized when they needed to. Seven total hits? Guys like Mark Sobolewski, Dennis Raben and Dave DiNatale going 0-for-12 on the day?
Blake Tekotte, Jemile Weeks and Yonder Alonso being the only Canes productive at the plate all day? Where was the middle and bottom of the order? This is Omaha. Teams are putting up four-run innings and double-digit victories.
Four runs and seven hits against the likes of Georgia is as unacceptable as a ninth-inning collapse - buy a team applauded all season for its stellar defense.
Chalk this one up to wrong team at the wrong place at the wrong time. The regular season means nothing when you get to Omaha - where everyone starts out 0-0 and all eight teams are capable of winning it all.
Miami choked in a game when you can't choke. The Canes went cold at a time when teams in the hunt are supposed to get red hot.
It'll now take four straight victories to simply reach the title game - and two more to win the whole damn thing.
Impossible? No. Likely? An even bigger 'no'.
The challenge begins Monday with an elimination game against arch-rival Florida State, another 0-1 bunch looking to stay alive in Omaha. From there, the loser of the Georgia/Stanford contest and from there, two straight victories over the Dawgs/Card winner.
A team with Miami's pitching and hitting has the ability to make it happen - but do they have the heart? Losing 7-4 is rough enough, but having your guts torn out in the top of the ninth after an uncharacteristic defensive meltdown? Doesn't exactly leave Miami faithful feeling solid about the chances.
This thing ain't over... but it's definitely on life support.
Win or lose in Omaha, this season isn't a loss - contrary to today's popular opinion. Only one team wins it all every year. The Canes have reached the College World Series twenty-three times and came home winners a mere four times.
The odds of winning it all are slim - no matter what you are ranked in early June. You can't throw out a 52-10 season if the Canes don't bring home one for the thumb.
Disappointment in yesterday's collapse is understandable, but don't let it take away from the accomplishments of 2008. A better outcome was expected, but it was never promised. Great teams sometimes go cold in Omaha. Look no further than some great Miami teams last decade for further proof.
Right now, it's a one-game season and Florida State is on deck. Beat the Noles, hope to get hot again, regroup and see what happens next. Both UM and FSU lost ninth inning heartbreakers. Who can shake it off and who comes to play tomorrow? Tune in at 2:00pm EDT to find out.
posted by allCanes at
2:58 PM
5 Comments:
Despite the fact that Gators hate Canes and vice-versa, I'm actually here to give you credit. Your baseball coverage is unbelievable.
UF usually has good, but not great baseball teams. Unfortunately, I just can't get into baseball. Never have been able to do so. The sport is just too slow for me. I watched one full game of the Gators' World Series death-by-buzzsaw at the hands of Texas a few years ago, and that was enough.
Nonetheless, for you to be able to cover both baseball and football to the degree that you do -- well, that's impressive.
Now, hurry up and get your asses up to Gainesville so we can start paying back on that 6-game losing streak we currently have against ya...
For the first time ever, I've got to disagree with you... to a point.
This season has been classic. It has featured prolific baseball on one of the highest levels. No question.
Last night was a collapse; an implosion with simple carelessness to blame at several key joints throughout the one inning defeat that overshadowed the entire game. The super regional showed that the 'Canes were totally beatable--fine. In fact, that's awesome--if you reassess who you are & what it takes to win. You count the immense blessing you came through that run unscathed & determine to play (enter sport) better than before. Who with any sports competence honestly believes a collegiate baseball lead of 1 or two runs is EVER safe. & we're in a tournament with "world" in the title. Do we not watch sports everyday in this nation & understand you can put a team away in the fifth just as easy as the ninth? What got me upset was that this was the exact same way they should have lost in the Super Regional. Miami should have put this squad away with the opportunities they had when they had them. Georgia did. They weren't as good. They won. It's always the same game on the same field with the same rules & momentum matters, domination matters.
Win or (AAHH--) lose against the 'Noles, this has been a truly special year that I've been privileged to watch. I just don't understand why it wouldn't be worth it to finish.
gatorpilot - If UiF had 23 appearances in the College World Series and four titles since 1982, I think Gainesville would be much more behind their baseball program. Zero titles doesn't make it all that easy for you.
Miami Baseball has long been a powerhouse and Ron Fraser is the face of college baseball - bringing it to the forefront and making it the nationally televised game it is today.
Canes Football is tops for me, but I went to Ron's baseball camp as a kid and always had a heart for Miami Baseball.
Before the mid-90s, Florida fans didn't give a hell about college basketball -- but enter Billy Donovan, some solid recruiting, a few runs in the late 90s and then two titles in the late 00s -- and low and behold, Florida is now also a 'basketball school'.
If you had a winning baseball program (consistently) it might change your tune a bit.
As for September 6th, yeah, y'all better beat Miami. The Gators will be the higher ranked team for the first time in over 25 years. Hell, the Canes won't even be ranked. Miami starts a freshman behind center and the Gates start a Heisman winner. The game is at The Swamp and UiF is 2 years removed from a title while the Canes are 12-13 since late 2005.
If you can't get it done against Miami this year, y'all have some serious issues.
Enjoy it while you can. Next time the teams meet up, Shannon will have things turned around and Meyer will most likely be a distant memory and an NFL coach!
Thanks for the props. - C
Last night was a collapse; an implosion with simple carelessness to blame at several key joints throughout the one inning defeat that overshadowed the entire game. The super regional showed that the 'Canes were totally beatable--fine. In fact, that's awesome--if you reassess who you are & what it takes to win. You count the immense blessing you came through that run unscathed & determine to play (enter sport) better than before. Who with any sports competence honestly believes a collegiate baseball lead of 1 or two runs is EVER safe. & we're in a tournament with "world" in the title. Do we not watch sports everyday in this nation & understand you can put a team away in the fifth just as easy as the ninth? What got me upset was that this was the exact same way they should have lost in the Super Regional. Miami should have put this squad away with the opportunities they had when they had them. Georgia did. They weren't as good. They won. It's always the same game on the same field with the same rules & momentum matters, domination matters.
Justin, I fail to see where we disagree.
We agree last night's ninth was a collapse... that Miami looked beatable in the Super Regionals... that the Canes should've put the game away earlier (i.e. - all the runners stranded on base).
Like any Canes fan, I'd love to see four straight wins and a title game berth. The talent is there and if these guys can shake off Saturday's heartbreaker, it's doable.
That said, there's a lot of talent in Omaha this year (as opposed to years passed) and it's tough road ahead - starting with Florida State on Monday. Not exactly the team you'd expect the Canes to get in a LOSERS bracket.
One game at a time and with focus, this team can still creep back into things.
I simply have my reservations.
Miami needed to come in hot, and didn't. Missouri had their shot against them in the Regionals, on the heels of Bethune-Cookman making a game of it.
In the Supers, Arizona stole game one, fought tooth and nail game two and game three was a dogfight.
Miami has missed A LOT of opportunities to put teams away during their last eight games - and has failed on most occasions, letting lesser teams hang around.
Personally, I think it's 0-and-2-BBQ for Miami. I PRAY I'm wrong, but I feel like this team had its heart ripped out and will face a FSU team looking for revenge (for the three-game series months ago) and will out hit the Canes on Monday, en route to a victory.
It should be Miami/Stanford right now, but the Canes gave it away and I'm not sure they are going to mentally respond to the position they're in.
Not enough guys are getting hot at the right time - which reminds me of 1998.
I was in between feeling nauseated and pissed at the same time. I knew at some point, the 58 game home win streak was going to end for the 'Canes in football. I also knew at some point, the 45-0 win streak when leading after the 8th inning (75-2 over the last two years) was going to end for the 'Canes in baseball - I just didn't want it to be in the College World Series. Then, when I saw that Georgia was 1-20-1 when trailing after 8 innings and they were about to become 2-20-1 after their center fielder caught Jemile Weeks fly out for the 27th 'Cane out - I honestly didn't even want to talk to anyone about the game for a while, including 'Cane fans afterward. Why? Because just like Chris noted, I knew I was going to hear things that would make me wish temporary laryngitis on them. I didn't need to hear someone spouting off that Carlos Gutierrez is crap ... well then, better hope the Twins kept the receipt on their 1st Round pick so they can send him back, huh? Someone better tell the ACC that arguably their top closer is garbage as well, right? Note to all the people chirping off about C. Gutierrez - without him, Miami wouldn't be where they are right now, he has 13 reasons in the save column to back that up. Yes he made a bad throw - that was also his only throwing error of the entire season, sh*t happens and it's unfortunate it has bad timing as well.
If I would've heard anyone even mention calling for Jim Morris' job, I would've straight up asked them of even having the smarts to tie their own shoe or wipe their own ass. I really can't say anything else about it than that.
Here's an idea though for the 'Canes - how about stop trying to play home run derby each time you step to the plate. Last I checked, it's not a slow-pitch beer league softball team where everyone tries to go yard on each swing with their $300 juiced up DeMarini or Miken. Why try and swing for the damn fences all the time? Get that whole Nike commercial "chicks dig the long ball" bullsh*t out of your heads. Hey, you know what chicks really dig? - a National Championship - and that's not going to happen with pop-ups and easy fly-outs. You don't hit home runs on purpose, 9 times out of 10 when you try and hit one, you pop up or exhibit superb warning track power - wow. Home runs are a round white 5 oz.mistake with red seams, served on a silver platter in your wheel house and you're lucky the stars are aligned for your swing to hit it on the right spot to deposit it 400 feet away. Does anyone know what the term "small ball" means? I think the only player that isn't capable on the 'Canes of playing small ball is Yonder - there's a reason he has almost twice as many home runs as anyone else - everyone else should be hitting ropes inside the park. Singles, doubles, hit and run, sacrifices, moving runners over, manufacturing runs, nickel and dime-ing, National League mentality, etc. Anyone see how North Carolina beat LSU and the difference in batting styles? UNC got 17 hits - all but two of them were singles. The other two hits were doubles. LSU had 97 home runs on the year (8th in the nation), Miami had 100 (5th in the nation), FSU had 101 (4th in the nation) .... UNC had 56 for the year (82nd in the nation). Which three "gorilla ball" teams lost their first game in the CWS, with only one of them scoring more than 4 runs (FSU scored 5)?
Out of Miami's 52 wins, 5 of those wins the 'Canes scored 4 or less runs. Out of Miami's 52 wins, 7 of them were by 1 run .. 6 of them were by 2 runs ... 31 of the wins were by 4 or more runs.
You can't expect to win the majority of the time in college baseball (especially in post-season play) by 1 or 2 runs, with your team only scoring 4 or less runs .. you know why? Two words for ya - aluminum bats. Fight off a hard slider on your wrists with an aluminum bat and there's a pretty good chance it's going to drop in for a single somewhere .. do the same with a wooden bat and it doesn't make it out of the infield. Here's another reason you can't expect to win in post-season play in college by 1 or 2 runs ... four words for ya - good pitching good defense. As soon as Miami went down by three runs to Georgia, even the most die hard 'Cane fan had a sinking feeling in the back of their stomach when they knew Josh Fields was coming in. If the 'Canes could only put up a 4 spot in 8 innings, how would they drop at least 3 runs on arguably the best closer in the NCAA? If the guy hasn't even allowed an inherited runner to score all year on him (0-14) then chances are bleak that you're going to score against him with no ducks on the pond at all.
In the two losses that Miami has had in the post-season, there are some stats that are eerily similar. In the loss to Arizona:
- 3 hitters were combined 0-14
- # 4 and # 5 hitters were combined 0-10
- Team combined for 5 hits, Dennis Raben got 2 of them (2-5 .. 2 RBI .. HR)
- No one else got more than 1 hit
- 5th inning, bases loaded, Sobolewski strikes out
- 6th inning, 2 players stranded on base in scoring position
- 7th inning, 2 players stranded on base in scoring position
In the loss to Georgia:
- 3 hitters were combined 0-12
- # 1 and # 2 hitters were 2-9
- # 4 and # 5 hitters were combined 0-8
- Team combined for 7 hits, 3 were home runs
- Ryan Jackson got 2 hits, no one else got more than 1 hit
- 3rd inning, 2 players stranded on base, 1st and 2nd - no outs to start
- 6th inning, 2 players stranded on base, 1st and 2nd - 1 out to start
Bottom line is, the 'Canes didn't hit. Their pitching and fielding was fine - with the exception of the one errant throw that came at the worst time possible. Eesh. But, if Miami capitalizes on having runners in scoring position while they're at the plate, then that errant throw by Gutierrez probably never happens in the first place. I've seen more pop-ups hit by this team than Wesley Snipes had as Willie Mays Hayes in the beginning of Major League. There is no f*cking excuse why your cleanup and # 5 hitter go a combined 0-8, or that only one player on your team gets more than 1 hit. There's a reason this club was 8th in the nation in scoring - show it on the field. There's a reason this club had enough discipline at the plate to be ranked 4th in the nation in walks - show it on the field. I still believe the 'Canes can win it all this year, I'll always believe that until I see the minimum 27th 'Cane get out. Only two teams have lost their opening game and have come back to win the title - USC in 1998 and Oregon State in 2007 - it's tough but it can be done. It's too late to take it one game at a time - it's time to take it pitch by pitch .. you win more pitches than the other team while up at the plate and on the mound, you win the game.
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