re: Another Hal Hughes post

I think the part the OP is missing that hughes is 1-25 in the last 8 games. His last hit came against Auburn. Although he does have 4 walks; 1 may have been intentional, to try to get a double play but I can't recall if that was Hal.

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List SEC stats and you get s better picture.

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Had to copy paste to excel to get the stats, so won't have them all:

Total / SEC

Hits: 20 / 3
AB: 126 / 53
Avg: .159 / .057
Runs: 18 / 8
RBI: 11 / 1
2B: 2 / 0
3B: 0 / 0
HR: 0 / 0
BB: 18 / 4
K: 19 / 9
SB: 2 / 1

Edit: Just realized my stats did not have the 2nd S. Miss game from the Regionals, updated.

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We seem to win more with Hughes at third and Reid at first.

Down the stretch in SEC play only Hughes fielded around a 980 clip, Reid around 940 and was shakey on bunts. Throw in Garza’s surge and Broussard’s surge at bat, and Reid’s surprising play at first and things seem to click. We got O elsewhere and Hughes’ and Reid’s D helped on the field.

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How did I know you'd use the team's record here? So, I'll repeat myself, you've yet to provide a single statistic that shows why Hughes is the better option.

LSU is winning because Garza and Broussard have both raised their batting averages significantly in the last month. Not because Hughes is 1 for his last 25.

ETA: FSU is currently tearing through the postseason with a 3rd basemen fielding below .900. You can continue to act like LSU has no other option because of Hal's defense, but that notion is just flat out ignorant.

Holy shite facts!

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At this point, i'd rather the strikeout than the sure fire ground ball to shortstop Hal is going to hit, assuming he doesn't pop up to the shortstop.

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The abysmal OB% coupled with a relatively low number of strikeouts (and the 2 extra base hits obviously) show just how little power he has.

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So the team’s record isn’t important?

Like I said you don’t know baseball.

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We're discussing Hughes vs. potential replacements. What Hughes' 8 teammates have carried him to, as far as wins and losses, means very little.

I know more baseball than you and I'm not even that knowledgeable about it. Touting team accomplishments as a reason to keep an individual who's underperforming in the lineup proves this time and again.

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You are putting words in my mouth now. We’ve discussed the options multiple times. I include Hughes as one and you don’t.

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You come into every thread saying Hal should sit, throw a bitch fit and then proceed to call anyone who has a different opinion stupid.

ETA: What's being suggested as a potential move isn't even much of a stretch. It's the same exact defensive alignment that LSU used for months this year on the corners. The biggest difference between then and now is Garza and Broussard producing. Please though, continue to imply that Hughes playing has something to do with that.

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We're discussing Hughes vs. potential replacements. What Hughes' 8 teammates have carried him to, as far as wins and losses, means very little.

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You lost me right there, if wins and losses mean very little.

Hal Hughes has played some of the season at third and Chris Reid has played some of the season at first, and when they do we win more; however, that doesn’t matter even though when in all the games where the didn’t play there we don’t win ad much. OK I’ll trust your judgment and not Mainieri’s.

Everyone is ignoring the obvious solution here. We have a guy who is literally batting 1.000 just sitting on the bench most games.

That guy had only one less extra-base hit than Hughes has had all season in one single at bat last year.

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TODD PETERSON!

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Seriously though, I’d like to know if he takes BP. If not, why the hell not?

At least give him a chance to show he can repeat the feat from the 2018 SECT.

He might legitimately be the best RH bat we have out of Hughes and the guys on the bench.

Had that ball gone 5 feet farther and cleared the fence, does he get that opportunity this year?

The fact that he CAN hit doubles and possibly HRs should be reason enough to at least give him a shot. Some guys just naturally rise to the occasion when the lights are on. Why not at least find out if he has that capability?

I know the baseball experts on here will say I’m an idiot and don’t know baseball, but they’d have said the same thing in last year’s SECT and look how that turned out.

At worst, we play with a serviceable 3B AND 1B, and TP goes 0-4, same as Hughes would.

But pitchers have no scouting report on him as a hitter, and none of us can say for sure that he wouldn’t deliver another timely hit if given the opportunity.

The alternatives are a bunch of guys hitting below .200 and an average LH hitter with no power. Seriously, what’s the absolute worst that can happen? Reid or Beloso gets an error and we have to insert Hughes back into the lineup?

Well that would put us where we are now. I’d like to see our potentially best RHH (not in the lineup) get a chance to hit, and if defense becomes an issue (with no additional offense to offset it) you can always put Hughes back in.

Not understanding the hate for this idea. The only chance he got to bat he hit bombs. Maybe he can recapture that. Maybe not. Either way, seems worth a shot to me.

And if Paul has given him a chance to show he can hit and he couldn’t, okay. I can accept that.

But I’m not privy to all information, and if TP hasn’t been given a chance to audition for DH shame on Paul.

A right-handed bat with gap power could make this team whole.

We’ve seen that TP has power. I personally would like to see if he can bat over .200 with the occasional double or HR.

ETA: Hughes has had two full seasons under his belt, and TP is still more confident at the plate. That tells me that the man deserves a shot, provided he hasn’t had one that I’m not aware of.

To whoever is downvoting me, what’s your rationale for not at least giving it a shot?

I’m open-minded. If I’m wrong I’ll own it.

I really just want your perspective on why this is a bad idea.

Plenty of posters here are more knowledgeable about the intricacies of baseball than I am. If you’re one of them, please enlighten me with your rationale.

Basically it boils down to what's the biggest difference, Gio's bat over Hal's bat or Hal's defense over Beloso's defense. It's definitely a legitimate question.

I think Hal is staying in the lineup because his defense is consistent. Gio's bat (all of the other DH options) do not have that same level of consistency with their hitting.

If there was a second Beloso or a second Garza on the roster, for instance, I think you would definitely see that player at DH with Hal coming off the bench.