State definitely needs to get the new head coach and staff in place ASAP to get back on the recruiting trail, in contact with the commitments for next year, and to talk to the returning team to prevent departures.
But now Wichita State won the NIT tonight, meaning Gregg Marshall's season is now done. Shaka Smart's season will be done no later than Monday night. If in fact those two are the top two coaches of interest for State they're freeing up to speak with around this time. So State will soon find out if Marhall or Smart actually have interest in the job.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
some other tidbits around Opening Day
Derek Jeter started at short for the Yankees against Detroit. Jorge Posada was the DH. Mariano Rivera came in in the top of the 9th and earned the save. When Rivera entered the game to things happened.
That made Jeter, Posada, and Rivera the first 3 teammates in the history of any Major League Baseball, NHL, NBA, or NFL team to play in a game together in 17 consecutive seasons. 17 straight seasons for 3 guys to be playing together is impressive in any era of sports. In the modern era of free agency and common player movement it's incredible.
Rivera's save made him the oldest Yankee to ever earn a save. He'll be adding to that record with every save.
In St. Louis, Albert Pujols, who came into this Opening Day Game with around a .480 batting average in openers, went hittless. He also grounded into 3 double plays It was the first time that Pujols had ever grounded into 3 double plays in a game. He also became the first player in Major League history to do that on Opening Day. Dubious record for such a great career, and Pujols certainly wouldn't be a guy you'd think would do that.
St. Louis lost only 2 games all last season when they lead in the 8th inning. They lost 1 today, when San Diego's Cameron Maybin hit a monster home run to dead center field to tie the game with 2 outs in the 9th. Maybin had that huge homer, a nice hit in the 11th that led to San Diego's winning run, and also made a couple tremendous defensive plays in center. Maybe this season is the year that Maybin achieves the potential that Asheville has been waiting to see (he played high school baseball at TC Roberson) and the potential that both Detroit and Florida gave up on. Maybin is still young and has time to put it all together. But Detroit gave up on waiting and could get Miguel Cabrera for him instead. Florida got something in the way of a productive starter in a trade this off-season as well. It came down to slow developing potential vs. getting something that was producing now.
That made Jeter, Posada, and Rivera the first 3 teammates in the history of any Major League Baseball, NHL, NBA, or NFL team to play in a game together in 17 consecutive seasons. 17 straight seasons for 3 guys to be playing together is impressive in any era of sports. In the modern era of free agency and common player movement it's incredible.
Rivera's save made him the oldest Yankee to ever earn a save. He'll be adding to that record with every save.
In St. Louis, Albert Pujols, who came into this Opening Day Game with around a .480 batting average in openers, went hittless. He also grounded into 3 double plays It was the first time that Pujols had ever grounded into 3 double plays in a game. He also became the first player in Major League history to do that on Opening Day. Dubious record for such a great career, and Pujols certainly wouldn't be a guy you'd think would do that.
St. Louis lost only 2 games all last season when they lead in the 8th inning. They lost 1 today, when San Diego's Cameron Maybin hit a monster home run to dead center field to tie the game with 2 outs in the 9th. Maybin had that huge homer, a nice hit in the 11th that led to San Diego's winning run, and also made a couple tremendous defensive plays in center. Maybe this season is the year that Maybin achieves the potential that Asheville has been waiting to see (he played high school baseball at TC Roberson) and the potential that both Detroit and Florida gave up on. Maybin is still young and has time to put it all together. But Detroit gave up on waiting and could get Miguel Cabrera for him instead. Florida got something in the way of a productive starter in a trade this off-season as well. It came down to slow developing potential vs. getting something that was producing now.
Tigers fall to the Yankees in their season opener
Detroit fell 6-3 to the Yankees today. New York hasn't lost a home opener since 1982. Curtis Granderson victimized his former team again, hitting a tiebreaking home run off Phil Coke in the 7th inning. Detroit and the bullpen got sloppy as a Brandon Inge throwing error led to a run scoring, and a wild pitch brought a run home. The final was 6-3. In addition to his homer, Granderson made 2 great defensive plays, robbing Will Rhymes of a single in the first inning and Brandon Inge of what would likely have been an RBI double later.
Inge was 2-4 with a double and RBI single. Miguel Cabrera drove in a run with a sac fly and scored twice. Jhonny Peralta had an RBI sac fly as well. But Detroit missed out on the big hits. They had the bases loaded and no outs against CC Sabathia in the second and came away with only that sac fly.
Justin Verlander threw 31 pitches in the first inning. He settled down but gave up a 3-run homer to Mark Texieria. He ended up giving up 3 runs on 3 hits in 6 innings pitched. He struck out 8 but walked 4, which drove his pitch count to 115.
Phil Coke took the loss, giving up the homer to Granderson in the first batter he faced. He gave up 2 runs, 1 earned. Coke is the 5th starter but with an off-day tomorrow Detroit won't need a 5th starter for a couple weeks, so that put Coke in the pen to get some work. He worked well out of the bullpen last year, and a lot of people think he was just too good there and will end up back in the bullpen before the year is out.
Brad Penny is getting the start on Saturday apparently.
Inge was 2-4 with a double and RBI single. Miguel Cabrera drove in a run with a sac fly and scored twice. Jhonny Peralta had an RBI sac fly as well. But Detroit missed out on the big hits. They had the bases loaded and no outs against CC Sabathia in the second and came away with only that sac fly.
Justin Verlander threw 31 pitches in the first inning. He settled down but gave up a 3-run homer to Mark Texieria. He ended up giving up 3 runs on 3 hits in 6 innings pitched. He struck out 8 but walked 4, which drove his pitch count to 115.
Phil Coke took the loss, giving up the homer to Granderson in the first batter he faced. He gave up 2 runs, 1 earned. Coke is the 5th starter but with an off-day tomorrow Detroit won't need a 5th starter for a couple weeks, so that put Coke in the pen to get some work. He worked well out of the bullpen last year, and a lot of people think he was just too good there and will end up back in the bullpen before the year is out.
Brad Penny is getting the start on Saturday apparently.
more 2011 Tiger firsts
The first Tiger extra base hit goes to Brandon Inge with a 6th inning double. He's also the first Tiger with a multi-hit game, though he certainly wouldn't be a top candidate.
Still waiting for the first home run of the season and the first multi-RBI hit.
Still waiting for the first home run of the season and the first multi-RBI hit.
Detroit is on the board
Jhonny Peralta hit a bases loaded sac fly to drive in Miguel Cabrera for the first Tiger run of the season. Victor Cabrera also tagged up and moved from second to third. Jim Leyland said in the spring it was going to be a point of emphasis to focus on aggressive baserunning and seizing the opportunity to take an extra base when it presents itself. When the season's first chance came, Martinez tagged from second to third on the deep flyball to Curtis Granderson.
Play Ball!
Opening Day is here! The Tigers are on TV. So far they went down in order in the top of the first. Austin Jackson struck out for the first time on the season. On the good side he brought an 0-2 count back to a full count, and fouled a pitch off. A leadoff hitter at least wants to to make the pitcher throw pitches, especially the first time through the order so the guys behind him can get a look at the pitcher a bit. So working 7 pitches, and not swinging at stuff out of the strike zone on 0-2 are both improvements if that holds.
Justin Verlander's emphasis on getting off to a good start in April looks good early. He struck out Brett Gardner to leadoff, but has fallen into some 2-out trouble after a walk on a 3-2 2 pitch, a wild pitch, and a walk on a 3-2 pitch to ARod.
He got out of the inning by striking out Robinson Cano, again on a full count. But it was a 32 pitch first inning. That was a problem Verlander had early last seasons. Even when he wasn't getting hit hard he threw too many pitches so he was hitting 100 pitches in the 5th inning and coming out at that point.
It seems like he's in line for something like that today, especially on a cold day and the first start of the season. Verlander's the workhorse so the bullpen depends on him to go 7-8 innings to give them a little rest.
This was a little bad luck. He got squeezed by the ump a bit on the two 3-2 walks. Some close pitches didn't go his way so that added to the pitch count.
In the top of the second Miguel Cabrera singled for Detroit's first hit of the season. Victor Martinez followed with a single in his first Tigers' at-bat.
Justin Verlander's emphasis on getting off to a good start in April looks good early. He struck out Brett Gardner to leadoff, but has fallen into some 2-out trouble after a walk on a 3-2 2 pitch, a wild pitch, and a walk on a 3-2 pitch to ARod.
He got out of the inning by striking out Robinson Cano, again on a full count. But it was a 32 pitch first inning. That was a problem Verlander had early last seasons. Even when he wasn't getting hit hard he threw too many pitches so he was hitting 100 pitches in the 5th inning and coming out at that point.
It seems like he's in line for something like that today, especially on a cold day and the first start of the season. Verlander's the workhorse so the bullpen depends on him to go 7-8 innings to give them a little rest.
This was a little bad luck. He got squeezed by the ump a bit on the two 3-2 walks. Some close pitches didn't go his way so that added to the pitch count.
In the top of the second Miguel Cabrera singled for Detroit's first hit of the season. Victor Martinez followed with a single in his first Tigers' at-bat.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Why I figure NC State will hire Shaka Smart to be their next head coach
It seems like State has a knack more than any school I know to manage to do things to make itself the butt of jokes. Even to me, an alumni.
So I figure they'll hire Shaka Smart as head basketball coach just because that immediately and inevitably sets them up for "Shaka Zulu" and "Shaka Khan" jokes.
So I figure they'll hire Shaka Smart as head basketball coach just because that immediately and inevitably sets them up for "Shaka Zulu" and "Shaka Khan" jokes.
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