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Baseball: Oregon State @ Arizona

By
angry
-
137

Probable starters for the weekend have not been released, but my hunch is the matchups will look like this:

Date Opponent Pitchers Time (PT)
04/01 Arizona Sam Gaviglio (5-0, 0.39) vs  Kurt Heyer (4-0, 1.33) 6:00 p.m.
04/02 Arizona Josh Osich (3-0, 2.74) vs Kyle Simon (5-1, 2.25) 1:00 p.m.
04/03 Arizona Ben Wetzler (3-1, 4.08) vs Tyler Hale (3-1, 2.70) 12:00 p.m.

Oregon State and Arizona have one common opponent (LBSU), and both squads took two of three. Arizona won in more convincing fashion outscoring the Dirtbags 18-3 (versus the Beavs more modest 15-7). Those numbers may seem meaningless since "a win is a win", but actually I think they provide good insight.

Arizona's wins have been slightly more routine, and they have beaten Rice and Arizona State. Right now, especially at home, you have to give them the edge in this series. That's a given. But my fear is that the Beavs will be swept. I'll tell you why: too much lies on Sam Gaviglio winning game 1.

If that doesn't happen, they will have to rely on Osich or Wetzler (or Nygren, *gasp*) to salvage a game. Do you have confidence in that happening? Maybe versus Hartford…I just don't see it happening versus good teams. Osich and Wetzler/Nygren are throwers who dig themselves into trouble. If the Beavs score in the 1st, they'll give back two in the 2nd. These guys just have that feel to them. Of the group, Wetzler has the most promise, but he's too green to win a meaningful game on the road.

So, my prediction is this: if Sam wins game 1, the Beavs take 1 of 2. If Sam loses game 1, the Beavs will get swept.

As far as whether Gaviglio will win the opening contest…God…tough call. I see a really tight game. The difference might be the amount of pressure on Sam to win that game…he could crack. The Wildcats have better mashers, too, in Joey Rickard (.481, 1, 18) and Cole Frenzel (.411, 1, 27) and have 41 steals as a team. Andrew Susac has been a mess behind the dish with 5 passed balls. In a close game, the combination of Arizona speed with a bad Oregon State battery could matter. Oh, and I forgot to mention: one of our best mashers, Jake Rodriguez, will likely miss the series with a fractured wrist.

Brace yourselves for the worst.

Why I Hate Larry Scott

By
angry
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60

I had a eureka moment last night. It happened right before I passed out. You know, in that hazy state where you're dreaming of something bizarre…like Larry Scott, but also aware enough to realize it and think, "Fuck, why am I dreaming of Larry Scott!?" Smart scientists have labeled this phenomenon "lucid dreaming".

Anyway, in this woozy state I saw Larry Scott circa 1980-something. He was in a Lamborghini, wearing Ray-Bans, feathering his hair with a pocket comb, snorting a line of coke in the bathroom, and trading corporate junk bonds with Michael Milken.

I knew how that story ended, so like a good lucid dreamer I pulled a Michael J Fox and hopped in my DeLorean, fast-forwarding a decade to see what Mr. Scott would be up to.

What did I see? It was 1991 and Scott was now in Seattle, donned in flannel, Doc Martin's, and horned-rimmed glasses. He was hanging outside The Vogue with a cigarette dangling from his lip, and raving to someone who looked like David Geffen about a great new band led by a pretty yet grizzled moribund frontman. "David, he is perfect. You need to sign him. We can go to MTV with this guy and pitch the idea of Buzz Clips and 120 minutes of alternative rock!"…

I lived through that. It was cool and all at the time, but I know that story ends with a deranged, money-hungry chick, a shotgun to said rocker's head, and my trading in Chuck Taylor's for some business loafers. So, I fast-forwarded another decade.

It's 2000.

I'm working at Lucent Technologies and one morning walk in to find my co-workers in a craze. Overnight, our company stock shot from $10 a share to $65. "This is GRRRRREAT!!" I yelp, like Tony the Tiger. And there is Larry Scott, our CEO, explaining to us that at his discretion, the Lucent board of directors went ahead and split with the Baby Bells and became it's own entity, entitling it to an IPO.

I know how that story ends, too. I invest my paltry $5000 of savings into the great, new stock; four months later the dot.com bubble bursts, and I'm left holding a piece of paper worth a half-cent. Scott jokes, "A penny for your thoughts, Angry?", and I have to admit to him since I don't even own that much, I could use the money. He flips me a coin…and I give him the longest, most drawn out "Fuck you" humanly possible. I look down at the coin: it's a half-cent piece.

Another decade goes by. It's 2010. There, again, is Larry Scott. This time he's standing before Congress with Ben Bernanke and Hank Paulson. In a Dr. Evil voice, he's pleading with a white-haired congressman from the Great Plains that unless the taxpayers fork over one hundred bazillion dollars (!) to Paulson, the U.S. economy will crash. The septuagenarian, borderline senile at this point in his career, buys into the fear tactics, signs the dotted line, and forks over the money. I know how this story ends, too. The recession turns into a depression, the only thing fending off that label being more propaganda and a government, headed by a promiser much like Larry Scott, that decides it doesn't want to count the long-term unemployed, seasonal workers, the homeless, etc in their economic figures.

In short, Larry Scott is "THAT GUY".

The hot shot chameleon who has pedigree and the charisma to match. The guy with big ideas who charms his way into the good graces of the influential, convinces them that some horrible idea is genius, and ten years down the line everyone's left shaking their head (or blowing it off).

So, when in my lucid state, I shift to modern times and see Larry Scott demanding the highest TV contract in college sports, I see Mike Milken, Hank Paulson, David Geffen, I-Village.com, and the IPO all at his side, all amassed into this one moment.

I wake up. I decide to write a blog about my night. A few hundred people read it. Some, who lived through these times, chuckle…but many don't understand. Most just close the page, muttering "Angry's lost it". They are just glad to be a part of the promised payday. Some respond with justifications longer than Martin Luther's scroll.

It's all good. I ate oatmeal for breakfast. I'm ready for the fight.

Look, I'm at the point in my life where it's impossible to pull one over on me. Have you seen the (wonderful horror) movie called "Death Proof"? Well, I am SCAM PROOF, and my scumbag radar is going haywire when pointed it in the direction of Walnut Creek, California.

Spring Practice Begins Today

By
angry
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58

I doubt anyone forgot, but just an FYI for the cursory fan: spring practice begins today.

Practices will be Monday-Wednesday-Friday for the next four weeks, culminating with the spring game on April 30th (12:15 PT).

This post will be a place to discuss anything related to football for the week.

I'll be keeping a close eye on these areas:

  • Cody Vaz and Sean Mannion's progress (Katz is out, last I heard)
  • The running back battle
  • Young athletes making a push to supplant the (walk-on) incumbents on the OL
  • Further position shifts, specifically on the aforementioned and malingered offensive line
  • The LB corp–keep an eye on Unga making a push at MLB. But also, is Doctor for real (fast but undersized), or will Akuna or the BYU transfer overtake him?
  • Cornerback depth. Reynolds needs to step up and become the nickle.
  • Our new kicker…very excited to see what he can do, I expect great things from Romaine

I think these are all potential weaknesses or at best question marks that warrant a keen and critical eye upon them.

Lastly, those of you attending the practices, provide first-hand information of what you're seeing, especially at key positions such as RB and OL. I'll be scouring the net for information, but direct observation always adds great value. If you want to remain anonymous, email me with your information (my address is on the contact page), and I'll bring it to print. 

Sit back and enjoy, boys. The corrupt world of college football is upon us.

Baseball: Santa Barbara @ Oregon State

By
angry
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117

Talk about mixed emotions…for those who don't know, I live in Santa Barbara and have a hard time rooting against the Gauchos. The one team that trumps them, however, is the Beavers. If this game were in SB, that my friends would be the definition of "hog heaven."

Anyway, back to reality. The pitching matchups for Saturday and Sunday have not yet been determined. Figure Josh Osich will get one of the starts. I'm unsure who gets the other. Maybe Booser if he is truly back and healthy. Right now this is what it looks like:

Date Opponent Pitchers Time (PT)
03/25 UC Santa Barbara Sam Gaviglio (4-0, 0.00 ERA) vs Jesse Meaux (1-1, 3.48 ERA) 5:35 p.m.
03/26 UC Santa Barbara Josh Osich vs Matt Vedo (2-2, 3.57 ERA) 2:05 p.m.
03/27 UC Santa Barbara James Nygren vs Greg Davis (2-0, 2.86 ERA) 1:05 p.m.

I feel like I've seen (*cough*…heard) enough Beaver baseball to make some judgments and criticisms.

  • Brian Stamps strikes out way too much. He truly is a modern day, real life "Willie Mays Hayes". Yes, he is fast. But, he is a flawed player. He will struggle mightily in conference play.
  • Susac is a liability behind the plate. 4 passed balls is 4 too many. It's a very high number for this early in the year.
  • Outside of Sam G, the starting pitching staff is unpredictable. We have "great arms", but right now they are throwers rather than pitchers, and I can foresee them getting themselves into trouble once the real season begins.
  • Ryan Gorton has decent numbers, but I feel like something goes wrong every time he's in the game. He reminds me of Tyler Waldron last season. Tony Bryant looks to be the one right-handed reliever we can trust.
  • If Boyd is now the closer, we're sorely lacking a lefty specialist. Casey can get away with this now, but again, once we start facing good teams…
  • Wetzler and Osich have combined for 10 starts, but only 2 have been quality starts. Granted, Osich was on a pitch count, but he appears to be an inefficient pitcher who gets himself into trouble. Meaning, even when he isn't on a pitch count, I envision heavy bullpen usage the games he starts.
  • The offense is weak ("Duh, Angry"). I still have to say it. Scoring 4 runs versus a second year DI school (Seattle) is putrid no matter how you frame it. A .371 team slugging percentage is the main culprit, and negates a very respectable .382 team OBP.

I'm not sure how much baseball coverage I will do once conference play starts. This is the first year I've put effort into covering baseball, and honestly not many fans seem to care about the sport, so I wonder if I am wasting time. My severance pay ends in a week, and as it is I spend much of my day looking for jobs, so researching teams like Seattle University gets a bit tedious, especially if nobody cares about the sport. I am not asking you to care or respond to posts; I am just saying why I might cut back on doing write ups for baseball.

On a similar note, things have been awfully quiet of late. Even football coverage at the Oregonian and the pay sites is slow. I guess it's the calm before the storm (i.e. spring practice)? I'm not sure, but for whatever reason apathy is king right now.

Baseball: Seattle @ Oregon State

By
angry
-
24

Finally, Oregon State has cracked the top 25, coming in at #23 in the Baseball America Poll. Now the hard part: staying there when the competition heats up April 1st. Winning the next five games versus Seattle and Santa Barbara won't do much for the Beaver's ranking, but it will buoy their confidence for Pac-10 play.

As of right now, the Pitchers are undetermined.

Date Opponent Pitchers Time (PT)
03/22 Seattle TBD 5:35 p.m.
03/23 Seattle TBD 3:05 p.m.

It will be interesting to see where Pat Casey goes with this. The permutations are practically endless, but considering Santa Barbara is the better squad he might try to get away with Cam Booser today and James Nygren tomorrow, then go with his standard rotation over the weekend. Seattle has a couple starters with good numbers (Seafth Howe, 3-0 2.12 ERA, Brandon Kizer 3-1, 3.13 ERA) and you'd figure they'd throw both these guys at Oregon State, but Seattle played a make up doubleheader on the 20th in which both these guys pitched. Looking at the rest of the staff, there's not much there. They have a guy named Max Wieldon who has a good ERA (2.89) but an 0-2 record and only 9 strikeouts in 28 innings. The Beavers handle finesse pitchers well.

On offense, Seattle has a .250 team batting average and .355 slugging percentage. Their long masher is Doug Kincaid (.333, 2HR, 9RBI, .615SLG). Stay away from him, and the Beaver's staff should find success.

Expectations should be for a two game sweep.

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