Tiger Crew 2012-2013

The new Tiger Crew

Mizzou Baseball in the MLB Postseason: Max rested, Brock audio

♦ Former Tiger Brock Bond talks to the Sports Zone on AM 1380 in StL about the Cardinals vs. the Giants (RobRains.com)

Audio Archive

♦ Scherzer to be well rested for Game 4 (mlb.com)

Max Scherzer says he feels fine after his five-plus innings last Wednesday in Game 4 of the American League Division Series against the A's. He could have pitched Game 3 if needed. The Tigers' decision to move him back was more about having Justin Verlander pitch twice than having Scherzer pitch just once.

That said, manager Jim Leyland believes the rest could be a benefit. Scherzer will have two extra days of rest before he starts Game 4 of the AL Championship Series on Wednesday at Comerica Park.

"Max Scherzer, more than any of them, is always honest about how he feels," Leyland said. "He came out of [his last start] good, some normal soreness."

SxSE: Coach Kevin O'Sullivan's Florida Gator

♦ Recruiting footprint:  Based on recent rosters, O'Sullivan recruits heavily from Florida, plus Georgia, and reandom players from NJ, PA, KY and NC.

♦ State Of The Gators (Baseball America, May 4, 2012)

That includes Florida, a team that entered the season as the clear-cut favorite to win the College World Series and reinforced that position by dominating its first-half schedule. But injuries (especially on the mound) and a midseason offensive slump joined forces to cause the Gators to lose three of their last five weekend series, two of them at home against LSU and Arkansas. Florida looks considerably more mortal now than it did a month ago
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"What we haven't done is we haven't done a good job of maintaining innings, getting innings started," O'Sullivan said. "We rely on the big inning too much. We need to do a better job applying pressure each inning and not relying on the three-run homer. We need to get the leadoff man on and do a better job situational hitting. You've got to be able to manufacture runs, get on base, handle the bat. . . . We just haven't really clicked offensively for a while, but I know we'll get back to it, hopefully this weekend."

Coaches who have faced the Gators walk way saying the bottom half of the lineup is not as imposing as it was a year ago, but O'Sullivan said that part of the lineup has done exactly what the Gators needed it to do. The key is getting the top five hitters all swinging the bat well at the same time.

♦ 2011 College Coach Of The Year: Florida's Kevin O'Sullivan (baseballamerica.com)

In four years at the helm, O'Sullivan has transformed the Gators into a college baseball powerhouse. After missing regionals in 2006 and '07, Florida exceeded expectations to make a regional in O'Sullivan's first season in 2008. The next year, the Gators won a regional. The year after that, they made it to Omaha. And this year, they earned a preseason No. 1 ranking, ended the regular season atop the rankings and advanced all the way to the CWS Finals. For constructing a model program with a rock-solid foundation, O'Sullivan is Baseball America's College Coach of the Year.
. . .
O'Sullivan made sure to make ample use of all his options over the course of the season. From the start of the spring all the way through the College World Series, O'Sullivan managed his team with an eye toward the biggest prizes: winning a national championship this year, and competing for a championship every year. He used midweek games as an opportunity to get innings for all of his pitchers, and if the Gators took a few more midweek losses, so be it. At least all of the key arms would be fresh—and none would be inexperienced.

It was a winning formula. And while Tanner's Gamecocks might have denied O'Sullivan's Gators a championship this year, both Tanner and O'Sullivan said they expect Florida to be back soon, and often. . .

♦ Two bits: Kevin O'Sullivan (onlygators.com)

Florida Gators head baseball coach Kevin O’Sullivan touched at the two hottest topics surrounding his team on Wednesday. Addressing Florida going 4-4 in their last eight games (all on the road), O’Sullivan noted that he was not worried one bit because, simply put, these things happen. “Every year every team goes through something like this. Every single year. It doesn’t matter how talented you are or how much experience you have,” he said. “This game is a humbling game and you’re not going to go 50-6 through the regular season. You’re going to have some stretches where you’re not going to play your best. The key to this whole thing is not to have this stretch at the need of the year as you go through tournament play. That’s the key. This will make our team better. It is frustrating and sometimes you don’t want to go through this obviously but ultimately it does build character and puts you in a better position at the end of the year.”

♦ Florida Gators' Kevin O'Sullivan isn't happy just being at College World Series; he plans on winning it (palmbeachpost.com)

Kevin O'Sullivan is making it look easy. 

It's not, of course, because it's baseball, which is intricate and complicated in ways both silly and wonderful. And it's baseball in the College World Series, which means those intricacies and complications have to be handled by young men frequently not prepared for the mix of a welcoming embrace from America's Heartland and the steaming pressure they find there in Omaha, Neb.

"It's not easy, and nobody here thinks it is," said O'Sullivan, who is in his fourth season as head coach at the University of Florida and has the Gators back in college baseball's big show for a second consecutive year. "The thing is getting everybody to understand that just being here isn't the ultimate goal. That's a cliche, but it's important,"
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"We hadn't achieved any consistency until Sully got here," he said. "We'd be in and out every year or every couple of years. Our goal was to be like Miami and Florida State, who have set a standard by having a chance to go to Omaha every year. We wanted to be considered one of those teams expected to challenge for a championship all the time.

"I wouldn't have told you we'd be 2-0 at the College World Series four years in, but I knew Sully would have a big impact."

♦ Florida Gators' Kevin O'Sullivan is close with Vandy's Tim Corbin, but focus is on getting to finals (palmbeachpost.com)

Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan and Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin worked together as assistants at Clemson. They developed a friendship that is strong today.

"Me and Tim go back and awfully long way. I care about him deeply," O'Sullivan said. " Our families know each other. It goes well beyond the baseball side of things."
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♦ What the heck was that, Florida!!! (Message Board thread at Rivals.com)

LHSNaughts: That's the last thing those guys needed. They are in borderline meltdown mode right now. A few details.....

After the series loss last weekend, the pitching staff had to run on Monday until they vomited. Then on Tuesday, they lost 10-5 to UNF. After the game, Sully called four of that night's pitchers in front of the team and told them they were the sorriest mother f--kers he has ever seen, and that none of them would be playing for Florida next year. To top it off, he told Preston Tucker in front of everyone that he was the most arrogant s.o.b. in baseball and that he wouldn't do sh-t at the next level.

So I can only imagine what kind of wrath will come from that 9th inning tonight.
. . .
As for the players who told me, one is already set on getting the hell out of there, while the other thinks Sully should be in the hall of fame. It takes the right kind of kid to play up there.

Who's on First: PAC-Men

The Tigers' 2012 Fall Roster includes five players recruited from PAC 12 Country:

Eric Anderson

♦ Senior RHP Eric Anderson, Mountain Vista HS, Highlands Ranch, Colorado

• Anderson is unlikely to see any playing time in 2013.  He underwent Tommy John surgery toward the end of the 2012 season.  While recovery times for that surgery have been shortened by advances in the technology, it's unlikely he'll be ready for in-game innings until well into the season.  If that's the case, he and the coaches may decide it would be better to slow down his rehab and aim for a full season in 2014, rather than a risky hurry-up partial season in 2013.
• 2012 Stats:  0-3, 4.44 ERA in 4 games, 4 appearances, 24.1 IP; 30 H, 12 R, 12 ER, 3 BB, 16 SO, 1 HR, OPP BA .313

Justin Byrd

♦ Junior (redshirt) C Justin Byrd, Littleton, CO (by way of Green River Community College, Auburn, WA)

• Byrd did not play in 2012
• Came to Missouri from Green River Community College
• Byrd will cempete with several catchers for playing time

Dillon Everett

♦ Sophomore INF Dillon Everett, Horizon HS, Phoenix, Arizona

• Everett goes into the practice season as the front-runner for the 2B starting job.
• 2012 Stats: .215 BA (42-for-195), 34 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 19 RBI, .251 SLG%, 21 BB, 15 HBP, 25 SO, .336 OB%, 2/4 SB
• Everett spent his summer playing for the San Diego Force
  
  
  

♦ Freshman INF Jonathan Meyer, Mountain Ridge HS, Phoenix, Arizona

• 6'0", 185 lb, L/R
• Meyer is a middle infielder who will be working to find playing time in a crowded field
• 2012 Stats:  .358 BA (29-for-81), 26 R, 17 RBI, 10 2B, 4 3B, 3 HR, 14 BB, 10 K, 2 HBP, .464 OBP, .691 SLG, 9/11 SB
• Meyer had previously been committed to attend Glendale Community College before switching to Mizzou

Matt Garringer

♦ Freshman RHP Matt Garringer, Valley Vista HS, Surprise, Arizona

• 2012 Stats:  3.47 ERA, 5-0, 11 AP, 42.1 IP, 46 H, 23 R, 21 ER, 22 BB, 33 SO, 1 HR, .274 Opp BA, 1 WP, 11 HBP, 10 SB
• Baseball players make history at Surprise Valley Vista High School (AZCentral.com)

SEC Fan's Guide to Mizzou Baseball: A Weekend in CoMo

What's there to do in Columbia, MO (often referred to as CoMo) on a baseball weekend?

♦ Take in some other sports action:  Mizzou Basketball is already in the post-season by the time baseball's conference schedule rolls around, but you may be lucky enough to catch some other sports scheduled in town - often within a short walk from Simmons Field

• MU's track and softball fields are right behind the baseball field.  MU Softball is a perennial top-ranked team, and MU Track often has individual leaders in the national standings.
  
  
• On certain weekends (especially during the annual Missouri Relays in late March), there can be baseball, softball and track going on simultaneously, with fans wandering back and forth between the venues, or watching the track meet between innings of the ballgames.
  
  
• The Missouri state high school basketball and wrestling championship tournaments take place at the Mizzou Sports Park, with game after game scheduled throughout their respective weekends, which often coincide with MU Baseball weekends.

♦ Places to go, things to do:  Sure, you can go to the mall, but why do the same things you can do back home?  CoMo has some unique entertainment venues to check out:

• Ragtag Cinema , 10 Hitt Street, in downtown CoMo, is a nice little independent "art house" movie theater, featuring a lot of off-the-beaten track movies.  Alcoholic beverages are sold in their small cafe.
   
• The Blue Note, 17 N. 9th Street, in downtown CoMo, has become a nationally known music venue, featuring a wide range of regional and national acts in every genre imaginable (and a few that aren't imaginable).
  
  
• MoJo's, 1013 Park Avenue, in downtown CoMo, is a great little restaurant that also features a wide range of live music, majoring in blues and roots music.  

♦ Columbia's unique dining opportunities.   Like any college town, CoMo has a plethora of chain restaurants and fast food joints.  But if you want the true CoMo experience, check out these places:

• Booches, 110 N. 9th Street, in downtown CoMo, is a pool hall and restaurant that dates back to 1884.  Their cheeseburgers, which are served on a sheet of wax paper, have been listed in USA Today as among the best in the country.  It comes across as an unassuming place, but there's often a line stretching out on the sidewalk waiting to get in.
  
  
• Shakespeare's Pizza, 225 S. 9th Street, in downtown CoMo (the original location) and 3304 Broadway Business Park Court (on the west end of CoMo), was named by Good Morning America as the Best College Hangout in the nation.  Serving unique pizzas since 1973.  It's a must-visit spot when you're in CoMo. The song "Whiskey Bottle," by Uncle Tupelo, is rumored to be about the city of Columbia as it makes specific reference to a sign which used be displayed on a Columbia tackle shop sign which read, "Liquor, Guns, and Ammo." The sign is now displayed at the downtown location of Shakespeare's
  
  
• The Broadway Diner, 22 S. 4th Street, in downtown CoMo, is the place to stop for breakfast, even if breakfast is at 3 AM (they're open 11 PM to 2 PM daily).  For the truly hungry, there's nothing quite so delicious or filing as The Stretch, "a multi-tiered plate of hash browns topped with scrambled eggs, chili, cheddar cheese, green peppers and onions." 

• Murry's, 3107 Green Meadows Way, is my recommendation if you're looking for a more upscale but affordable unique dining experience in CoMo.   Try the fried green pepper rings while you listen to live jazz.
  
  
• Sparky's Homemade Ice Cream, 21 S. 9th Street, is a unique ice cream shop in downtown Columbia.  Sparky's offers something other than the usual ice cream fare.  You can order alcoholic ice cream drinks (a Guiness float, a White Russian shake, etc) and an ever changing assortment of ice cream flavors.  My favorite is the cinnamon ice cream, but I've also enjoyed the Les Bourgeois & Ghirardelli Chocolate, the Rum Raisin and Butterbeer flavors.  And check out the time Sparky's made the national news with one of their creations:  

• For more of CoMo's unique restaurant choices, check out our SimmonsField.com FAQ

♦ Also check out The SEC Guide to Missouri's Home Turf, which lists many good options for food and fun in CoMo.

When you're in Columbia, Mo., you definitely need to make it to Booches on 9th Street. A pool hall that serves the best burgers I've ever tasted. Cash only. Notable for the sign in the front that says "Closed Sunday, see you in church."

♦ Also check out the Columbia Daily Tribune's annual Our Town issue, with nearly everything you could possibly want to know about Columbia.

Mizzou Baseball in the Majors: Mad Max

♦ Scherzer wore some pretty cool goggles during celebration (The Score)

Detroit Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer, who has two different eye colours, celebrated in style last night after the Tigers 6-0 win over the A’s with some pretty awesome looking goggles that came as a gift from his wife for his anniversary.

♦ Tiger pitcher Max Scherzer's night changed because of walk (Detroit News)

Had Scherzer struck out Seth Smith to end the inning without complication, perhaps the sixth would have been different. But with a pitch just off the plate, Scherzer walked Smith with two outs, then gave up a bloop single to catcher Derek Norris - advancing Smith to third - before he struck out Cliff Pennington to strand the two runners.

The walk cost him 10 extra pitches, though - four to Norris, six to Pennington - before Scherzer ended the fifth. While throwing those 10, the outlook for the rest of his night changed.

"I could feel I was starting to get tired," he said. "I used some bullets to get out of that jam. When you're in a playoff atmosphere, you put so much into every pitch."

♦ Brother’s death has motivated Detroit’s Scherzer (Kansas City Star)

"I think everyone handles grief a little different," manager Jim Leyland told the Detroit News last month. "Sometimes, you can use grief as a motivational tool. However it has been with Max, it (his pitching) has been pretty amazing."

Southern Exposure: The Boys of Autumn

♦ Slimmer Rea should carry big stick for the Bulldogs (CD Dispatch)

John Cohen has a request for every Mississippi State University fan who might see sophomore first baseman Wes Rea around campus in Starkville.

"If you see him with sweet tea, knock it out of his hand," Cohen, MSU's fifth-year head baseball coach joked on Sept. 27 during a preseason media session at Dudy Noble Field. "We've had a lot of conversations about the difference between sweet and unsweet tea for his diet."

Rea's diet, which has started since the end of the 2012 season, has seen instant results as the MSU baseball program enters in its fall season of preseason camp as the power-hitting corner infielder from Gulfport has lost over 20 pounds and is down to 272 pounds when he weighed in days before the first fall scrimmage.
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The hard work has apparently paid off as Rea was named the hitter of the week by his teammates after the first three intra-squad scrimmages of the fall. Rea's power numbers included two doubles and a a crushing home run over the left field wall in first scrimmage. The unofficial honor allows Rea to park his black pickup truck closest to the entrance at Dudy Noble Field.

♦ Five Fall Thoughts: South Carolina (Perfect Game)

4. Offense a question mark for Gamecocks -- When the dust settles and the 2013 campaign begins, there's a good chance the Gamecocks will be more than serviceable from an offensive standpoint. But for now, this unit is one with some holes. The Gamecocks finished last season with a .265 batting average, and loses their only hitter -- first baseman Christian Walker -- that finished last season with a batting average over .321...

♦ Diamond Rebels start fall with high energy (The DM Online)

An interesting note for the Ole Miss pitching staff is that it features four lefties, all four of whom are newcomers. Denny is the lone freshman, while Austin Blunt, Jeremy Massie and Scott Ashford are all junior college transfers.

In the field, there are some question marks, most notably at catcher, first base and second base, with the departures of Matt Snyder and Alex Yarbrough...

♦ SEC Fall Check-In: Ole Miss (College Baseball Daily, written by Mizzou's own Brandon Weiss)

Ole Miss breaks away from the norm in that the Rebels are deep in fall traditions. The first is a Labor Day party at Coach Bianco’s house, which includes a team meal and fun events, such as a largest cannonball-splash contest, corn hole, and what Bianco called “Labor Day Olympics.”

Another tradition is the annual “Pizza Bowl,” a series of games in which team veterans draft teams to compete against one another. The winners then get to eat pizza while the losers get to run.

Finally, the Omaha Challenge takes place right before Thanksgiving break. Players split into groups and compete in a rigorous series of physical challenges, including an obstacle course, tire flipping, swimming, and more.

♦ Proper Tee Drill Techniques with DeMarini and LSU Baseball (youtube.com)

See also Low Tee Drill

Mizzou Baseball in the Minors: Gibson in the Zona

♦ Kyle Gibson racks up the strikeouts in Fall League debut (ESPN)

In his first Arizona Fall League start on Thursday, Kyle Gibson was nothing short of dominant.

Pitching for the Peoria Javelinas, the Minnesota Twins prospect held the Phoenix Desert Dogs scoreless on four hits over five innings, striking out eight and walking nobody.

According to one observer, "The hardest hit ball of the day for Phoenix was on the ground through the left side." Gibson never went to a three-ball count, and his fastball was consistently 92 to 93 mph and down in the strike zone.

Mizzou Baseball Scrimmage @ 5:00

♦ Baseball to host scrimmage Friday (mutigers.com)

The Mizzou baseball team is busy preparing for its inaugural season in the Southeastern Conference and fans are invited to check out the progress this Friday as the team will host a public scrimmage. The nine-inning contest is slated to begin at 5 p.m. at Taylor Stadium with pregame starting at 3 p.m. Admission to the event is free.