re: UCI fans were PISSED at Gillespie after the game...

They should be pissed at their right fielder for diving for a ball with the lead with a runner at 1st and 2 outs. That was fricking stupid.

If you search my earlier posts, I believe I called the steal of home attempt. Thing about Gillespie, with this play as well as the 7-man outfield, is that his "tricks" are getting long in the tooth.

As for being the best thing that ever happened to the program, that honor would go to current UCLA AD Dan Guerrero who not only resurrected a dormant program, but also set expectations for it to be a nationally competitive team. John Savage built the foundation and Dave Serrano brought it to fruition.

Mike Gillespie has slowly and steadily brought the program into a post season also ran and has alienated a lot of his players and their parents.

In addition, when he was hired for the '08 season, it was to be a somewhat interim agreement for three years with the understanding that associate head coach Pat Shine would inherit the reins for the 2011 season. But noooo. Ego. Mike goes behind closed doors and negotiates himself a 3-year extension. I wouldn't blame Pat Shine one iota if he took off for head coaching greener pastures.

I really do fear for the long term health of our program and hope that we don't end up as some historical footnote in the annals of Omaha.

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The Civil War Should Have Been 2 outta 3!

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Glutton for punishment?

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UCI fans were PISSED at Gillespie after the game...

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All 2 of them?

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The funny thing is the ones complaining about the trick play that didn't work, are not complaining about the squeeze that did.

To quote Shaq, "One lucky shot deserves another."

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A squeeze is a straight up baseball play, and it was a good one. The runner falling down is a weak attempt to either draw a balk or confuse the left handed pitcher looking right at the guy that fell. Putting the 3rd baseman in left was pretty dumb too.

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I think yall will be fine....I HATE playing you guys....... I hope yall lose today for the simple fact I dont want anything to do with UCI in case we lose to UCLA. thats out of respect

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I second that comment......tough team UCI - I just want to bring the Super Regional back to Baton Rouge.....this was horrible to make LSU travel so far for a regional, trying to knock us out of a chance at OMAHA....

Was the squeeze a suicide or safety squeeze???

A suicide would be more gimmicky to me than a safety squeeze.

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Gillespie hasn't exactly impressed a lot of LSU fans with his antics the last several years. The hidden ball trick was something most coaches would never even consider attempting. Maybe he harbors some deep seated hatred of LSU beginning in the 90's with USC? Supposedly they tried the hidden ball trick again last night, and that's almost embarrassing if true.

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It's true



UC Irvine coach Mike Gillespie did his best to juke LSU with his repertoire of trick plays.

This time, though, neither one fooled the Tigers.

In the fifth inning, Katz advanced to third base after he led off with a double and Mahtook singled to left.

Anteaters’ third baseman Brian Hernandez held onto the ball while pitcher Daniel Bibona paced around the mound to ready himself to face Tyler Hanover. It appeared Hernandez was waiting for Katz to wander off base so he could tag him out, which happened when the two teams met in a super regional in 2008.

Finally, when Katz stayed put, Hernandez tossed the ball to Bibona.

Then in the ninth inning, Gillespie reached up his sleeve again.

After UCI took a 9-8 lead on Ryan Fisher’s two-out single, Gillespie sent pinch-runner Dillon Bell in. Bell swiped second and got to third on Gibb’s throwing error.

LSU freshman reliever Jordan Rittiner walked D.J. Crumlich to put runners on the corners and with Sean Madigan at-bat, Crumlich broke for second and intentionally fell down. Bell started toward the plate, but Rittiner stepped off the rubber and triggered a rundown play that ended with Rittiner tagging Bell out.

“Any time you run a first-and-third play, you understand that if the other team keeps its poise and plays catch, you’re out,” Gillespie said. “It’s a gamble and in doing so you’re counting on somebody be surprised, breaking down, or not playing catch (well) — stealing a run.

“If the other team, or in this case the pitcher, does what he’s taught to do and trained to do then you’re out. We were trying to get an add-on run. You roll the dice and if it works you’re smart and if it doesn’t you’re a moron.”



LINK

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the squeeze is the same as a hit and run.

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Correct. It's not a trick play at all.