re: Is Timely Hitting A Concern?

This lineup-top to Bottom-has failed to produce enough XBH vs plus arms early this year (Shriner's series and again last night). The Head Coach has made a decision to go with the Freshman from jump in SEC Play and he's sitting kids like Reid and Romero, the latter decision removing his semblance of home run power out of our lineup outside of Deichmann. The former decision puts an undue amount of pressure on the younger kids to protect the one true power threat we have that Mainieri won't frick with in the lineup.

What's really interesting to me is that with a lineup that obviously doesn't hit to the gaps, with consistent power or extra bases consistently, late in the game when that was holding true to form, Mainieri didn't play station-to-station and, "went with his gut," for the big inning instead of bunting the runner to 3rd. The stats are actually better by a slim margin to get the runner in from 3rd with 1 out than from getting the runner home from 2nd with 0 outs.

With a Freshman pitcher in a pressure situation and a catcher that's had some issues fielding it later in the game and-more importantly, IMO at least-a back end of the order up that had done nothing and looked inept and overmatched the entire game, we didn't pinch hit with Reid, Romero or anyone else.

Once again placing pressure on Freshman and back of the order kids who showed zero propensity to produce in those situations all night. Much less versus any plus arms this year in the times we faced them.

It's inexplicable to me. He knows the game but never ever seems to press the right buttons. It's genuinely confusing to try and understand what or why he's doing what he's doing.