SINCE WE LAST SPOKE: 6-11-15
FOR VOL HOOPS IT JUST NEVER ENDS: I have on many occasions mentioned with tongue planted firmly in cheek that as Tennessee Men’s sports fans we are subjects of a cruel government experiment designed to measure just how much misery one group can endure before completely snapping. This however I am not kidding about; I am convinced that dark forces are at play determined to assure that Tennessee Basketball fans will NEVER derive anything other than momentary joy from our program. NOW someone named Brad Wolverton has written an article in something called the
Chronicle of Higher Education in which he accuses the University of Texas Basketball Program during the Rick Barnes era of academic improprieties.
Are you kidding me? This nonsense again? Already? As I tweeted upon hearing the news I am firmly convinced that we could hire Billy Graham as our basketball coach and within weeks
Our Daily Bread would publish a scathing article accusing the Evangelist of providing no-show jobs and improper benefits during Crusades over the last 25 years to prospective recruits and demand his removal. I’VE HAD ENOUGH! I have followed Tennessee basketball closely for 50 years but I promise you if this gains momentum resulting in any kind of NCAA investigation, action and sanctions I AM DONE!
VOL BASEBALL RECAP AND PREVIEW: Dave Serrano’s 4th season at the helm was expected to be the year that saw Tennessee Baseball jump to the upper half of the SEC standings and begin a long run of NCAA Regional appearances. Instead it was a very disappointing carbon copy of Year 3 with a sneak-in-at-the-last-minute; one-and-done Hoover appearance exacerbated by a continued pattern of poor hitting, fielding and mind-boggling base running gaffes that have been so prevalent in Serrano’s tenure.
Serrano however due to his proven track record, affability, love of the University -with an assist to his boss’s lack of desire to make yet another coaching change- will return for a last-gasp 5th season at the helm. If he is to be granted a 6th I would think a comfortable SEC Tournament entry and possibly a long-awaited NCAA Regional Appearance will have to be in the offing. That however will require progress in most every phase of the game and vast improvement in several. This will not be easily accomplished with the likely loss of several key components of this season’s roster and probable purge of the incoming recruiting class.
The Vols will certainly lose at least one of their major 2015 power producers Christin Stewart and Andrew Lee to early departure. Lee (.625-4th) and Stewart (.606-6th) finished in the SEC’s Top 6 in Slugging Pct. and Top 8 in HRs (Stewart-8; Lee-7). Serrano who considered this season’s juniors to be his crown recruiting jewel better do some re-recruiting since replacing their production with the current roster or another signing class is highly unlikely. Regardless of Stewart and Lee’s decisions A.J Simcox –who blossomed late after being allowed to swing more freely- former Farragut teammate Nick Senzel and Vincent Jackson will need to turbo-charge their offensive games to minimize the loss. The addition of Larry Simcox as the team’s new Hitting Coach should bring with it a more aggressive, play for the big inning, approach but it remains to be seen if the pieces exist to bring it to fruition. The recruiting class could have provided a much needed power surge but it is unlikely Chris Betts (C Long Beach Ca; MLB.com #25 Prospect), Ke'Bryan Hayes (Perfect Game’s #1 Rated 3B in USA; Tomball Texas; MLB.com #44 Prospect) or Trey Cabbage (3B Grainger County; MLB.com #72 Prospect) will ever make it to campus due to their early selection in the MLB Draft. Bryant Hayes (OF Hampton Ga) is a good prospect as well but not at the level of those mentioned above.
Brett Marks (.220 opposing BA; 8th) (Ks-60; 7th) and Andrew Lee (Saves-5; 3rd) were the only Vol pitchers among league leaders in any category. Marks is a senior and as mentioned above Lee may not return. That leaves Andy Cox (3-3 3.36), Drake Owenby (2-6; 4.83), Kyle Serrano (5-4; 4.47), Hunter Martin (1-3; 5.35) and Zach Warren (2-0 5.09) as the only 2016 returnees that have started a SEC game in a Tennessee uniform, none of which will give the Vols a distinct advantage in any matchup. Though it’s a lot to expect freshman pitchers to provide an immediate impact the Vols probably need at least one of two local products Alex Curl (LHP Maryville) or Will Neely (RHP Hardin Valley) to do so. Garrett Devila a LHP from Belmont, NC like the trio of position players mentioned above will likely immediately play for pay.
Here is a quick glance at the 2015 Vols areas of statistical “glory” and shortcomings. The latter was condensed due to blog space availability.
All stats are SEC games only:
Most of the Vols top half of the conference statistical performances were once again speed-category numbers: Triples (6; T-6th); Stolen bases (26; T-4th); Caught Stealing (11 T-6th); Steal Attempts (37; 5th)
The Vols also finished 3rd in Hit Batters (33) and 1st in Sacrifice Bunts (26). Tennessee players hope they never again finish so high in the former and I hope they finish dead last from here on in the latter.
The only pitching “bright spots” were finishing 4th in both Hit Batters (21) and Hits Allowed (257) and a 6th best finish in Strikeouts (229)
Now take a deep breath and repeat after me the statistical categories that Vol Baseballers finished 10th or lower in: Batting Average .256 (11th) Runs 120 (T-Last); Hits 240 (Last), RBIs 120 (T-Last); Doubles38 (T-12th); Total Bases 353 (T-11th); Plate Appearances 1100 (Last); At Bats 938 (13th);Walks 97 (11th); Sac Flies 5 (Last); GIDP 16 (12th);
How about Pitching? (ERA 5.04 (11th); Innings Pitched 250 (13th); Wins 11 (12th); Losses 18 (T-12th); Runs Allowed 170 (11th);2Bs Allowed 56 (13th); 3Bs Allowed 10 (Last)
Surely we can field though right? Fielding Percentage .971 (11th); Putouts 750 (13th); Assists 277 (13th) and Double Plays 21 (10th)
Other than that everything seems to be going well.
I FEEL A DRAFT: As expected the MLB Draft was good to current Vol players and signees but may prove to be detrimental the Tennessee Program and Dave Serrano’s future in Knoxville. Here is the rundown of Vols selected:
CURRENT PLAYERS:
Christin Stewart: 1st Round; Selection# 34; Detroit Tigers
Andrew Lee: 11th Round; Selection# 344; Washington Nationals
Drake Owenby: 12th Round; Selection# 361; Milwaukee Brewers
A.J. Simcox: 14th Round; Selection# 430; Detroit Tigers
Bret Marks: 15th Round; Selection# 453; New York Yankees
Andy Cox: 37th Round; Selection# 1118; Oakland A’s
SIGNEES:
Ke’Bryan Hayes: 1st Round; Selection# 32; Pittsburgh Pirates
Chris Betts: 2nd Round; Selection# 52; Tampa Bay Rays
Trey Cabbage: 4th Round; Selection# 110; Minnesota Twins
Garrett Davila: 4th Round; Selection# 129; Kansas City Royals
MY 2015 MLB ALL STAR BALLOT: The Mid-Summer Classic will be here before we know it and with less than a month of voting period left it was time to cast my ballot. Blog regulars will remember that I vote for players who I think have had the best season to-date rather than those who have put up the best career numbers. I have no problem with fans who vote for their favorite players or the game’s biggest stars regardless of seasonal production because this should be the game for the fans by the fans making the fact that it determines home field advantage in the World Series one of the most ludicrous things in all of sports.
Note: Player stats listed were from the time my ballot was cast
NL PLAYERS (AVG-HR-RBI-SB)
C-BUSTER POSEY SF (.287-9-30)
1B-PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT ARI (.343-16-46-9)
2B-DEE GORDON MIA (.365-0-16-20)
3B-NOLAN ARENADO COL (.280-3-42)
SS-BRANDON CRAWFORD SF (.292-8-38)
OF-A.J. POLLOCK ARI (.324-7-25-14)
OF-BRYCE HARPER WASH (.333-19-46)
OF-JUSTIN UPTON SD (.301-12-37-11)
AL PLAYERS (AVG-HR-RBI-SB)
C-STEPHEN VOGT OAK (.299-11-39)
1B-PRINCE FIELDER TEX (.356-10-40)
2B-JASON KIPNIS CLE (.332-5-27)
3B-JOSH DONALDSON TOR (.306-15-40)
SS-MARCUS SEMIEN OAK (.279-6-16-7)
OF-J.J REDDICK OAK (.296-8-32)
OF-ADAM JONES BAL (.309-8-29)
OF-MIKE TROUT LAA (.284-15-34-8)
DH-NELSON CRUZ SEA (.326-18-39)
RANDOM THOUGHTS FROM MY BALLOT:
-The National League doesn’t have a truly deserving 3B and the American League needs to have better SS play. The respective leagues should leave those positions vacant during the All Star Game
-How in the world did I wind up with three A’s when they are 12 games under .500?
-Bryce Harper is beginning to fulfill his great promise. He’s having an MVP caliber 1st half.
-No way you could have convinced me when the season started that I would ever cast a vote for Dee Gordon, A.J Pollock, Stephen Vogt, Marcus Semien or J.J Reddick.
-Justin Upton has made the most of his first 1/3 season in San Diego. Living up to high expectations in your first season in a new uniform and a pitcher-friendly park is no easy task.
-Much like Todd Helton it is a shame that a special talent like Paul Goldschmidt plays most of his games after more than half of America has gone to bed.
-Prince Fielder is having a season that I no longer believed he was capable of.
-My Yankees are in first place and I don’t have a single one on my ballot. It’s a testament to a tremendous back end of the bullpen and a number of guys doing just enough to win most nights.
ANOTHER OF MY FAVORITES GOES HOME I am not the rasslin fan Tony is and haven't followed it closely in years but there was a time in the 70s and 80s when I rarely missed viewing and there was no one I enjoyed more than Dusty Rhodes. We lost Dusty at the age of 69 and sixty-nine years from now there will probably not be another like him. For those who loved him and those not fortunate enough to have seen him perform the link below is as good a representation of who he was that you will find. Enjoy!
RIP American Dream
IN A PERFECT WORLD: Tennessee Basketball would at least be a “Dog’s Ass” so the sun would shine on it occasionally.
