Mizzou Baseball Quotes & Notes: Baseball Fun

■ Cowboys seek better pitching at Missouri (ocolly.com)

OSU is third in the Big 12 with a collective .323 batting average, with six of its ten regular starters batting over .300 and the other four within 11 points or less of .300.
Its .982 fielding percentage leads the Big 12.

That leaves the question of why they have a losing Big 12 record.

The answer lies mostly in the pitching staff. OSU ranks ninth in the Big 12 with its 5.11 ERA.
. . .
“You’re as good as your next guy that’s on the mound,” Anderson said.

■ Thoughts on tactical decisions . . what would you do? (TigerBoard.com)

MUStatCat: For sake of discussion... Anyone have thoughts on the tactical decisions we have seen over the course of this season?

Mizzou Astro: He has a very short leash for pitchers, particularly out of the bullpen . . .

MUStatCat: If I were TJ, Id play LaFleur until Brown comes out of the K zone, and maybe even after that if he continues to progress.

TigerNation25: The team is 7-0 when Brannon Champaigne bats leadoff . . . I'm not a huge fan of running 28 different starting line-ups out there. . .

SuperTone: Stop looking at 3rd strikes

Big Time: Free beer at games has worked for SEMO. I would focus everyone on having a good time. Game day should make Chicago Cub fans look old & dour.

■ Fun-loving shortstop makes life for Missouri baseball team (Columbia Missourian)

“I try to be a little spark plug,” Liberto said. “Try to get us going. I’m not that much of a rah-rah kind of guy. I do like to be the guy on Friday night to get the first hit. Especially on the road to stick it to the other crowd.”

Jamieson said that Liberto’s patience with the bat has also helped him gain the role.

“He doesn’t chase a lot of bad pitches,” Jamieson said. “That’s what you want at the top of the lineup, is a guy who’s going to see a lot of pitches, has a high on-base percentage and then can run.”

■ Speaking of fun-loving baseball players . . . You thought that Jayhawk Baseball video was strange, check out this one from UCSB. You've got to admire them for actually being creative in promoting a college baseball game, something seldom seen around these parts.

MU in the Minors

■ Sources tell me that Nathan Culp (04-06) is being promoted by the San Diego Padres organization to the Triple A Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League.

■ Keys win fourth straight (fredericknewspost.com)

Second-year starter Rick Zagone (06-08) rebounded nicely from an opening-night loss. He and relievers Jose Duran and Brandon Cooney combined to strike out nine batters and allow only three hits.

"We are getting ahead (in the count) and the key about it is we are throwing some breaking balls and off-speed pitches for strikes," Gomez said.

"When you can locate those breaking balls and get ahead with breaking balls, it makes the hitter think even more at the plate. We are pitching well to both sides of the plate."

Zagone threw 73 pitches, 48 of them for strikes, before coming out after five innings. He allowed only two hits and a walk while striking out six.

"I just felt a little more comfortable out there," he said. "It was my second start. The first start, you are always a little more apt to" give up some runs.

■ Other Baseball Stuff

■ Game Theory (Hemisphere Magazine) explores 6 Myths about Baseball [link nabbed fromCollegeBaseballToday.com]

MYTH: SOMETIMES BUNTING IS A GOOD MOVE.

REALITY: Along with the knuckleball and Bob Uecker, the bunt is one of the most misunderstood phenomena in baseball. Typically, when a batter bunts, his goal is to move the runner to the next base while conceding the out at first. It’s a trade-off. A sacrifice. An out for a base.

[Trrip note: This writer obviously never watched former Tiger Jayce Tingler bunt for a hit]