Far more interested in your opinions/questions/observations than my personal perspective, but I figured it necessary to touch on a few pressing items as the Owls set to commence with their first intrasquad of the preseason. Weather permitting, the action gets underway Friday.
OFFENSE
The defensive positions are ostensibly set, but there appears to be plenty of flexibility as to who hits where in the batting order. So 3B Anthony Rendon will bat cleanup, and chances are good that Jr. SS Rick Hague and Sr. C Diego Seastrunk will flank him in some sequence. Sr. 1B Jimmy Comerota is a better fit in the 2-hole, but he might be forced to lead off a lineup that appears to lack a traditional table setter. If So. LF Michael Fuda develops superior plate discipline perhaps he can fill the void atop the order, but it's doubtful The OG goes that direction right out of the gate. There was some discussion that Fr. 2B Michael Ratterree could handle the job, but he's the lone newcomer to the lineup. Why put such pressure on the kid?
With split squads it's practically impossible to decipher what The OG is thinking with regards to establishing a batting order, but it is advisable to watch carefully when certain players hit in curious spots. Jr. RF Chad Mozingo in the 2-hole? That might raise an eyebrow or two. Comerota at the bottom of the lineup with Ratterree to follow? That would require analysis too.
DEFENSE
Because Comerota remains the most trustworthy SAK this side of West Point, expect Jr. 1B/LHP Abel Gonzales and So. 1B/DH Ryan Lewis to get plenty of reps at first base. Comerota is more likely to play shortstop during preseason intrasquads with Fr. 2B/RHP J.T. Chargois manning second base for whichever team Ratterree doesn't play that position. So. OF Jeremy Rathjen has played a lot more center than left recently, so the assumption is that he will share that position with Sr. OF Steven Sultzbaugh while Fr. OF Will Maxwell works left field with Fuda, who could get some time at second in order to stay sharp. Mozingo and So. OF Daniel Gonzales-Luna represent the platoon in right field. No clue who backs up Rendon.
Can't want to see how The OG parcels the reps behind the plate and at DH. Fr. C Geoff Perrott has been so solid that he allows The OG the freedom to play both Seastrunk and So. C Craig Manuel simultaneously. It might be tough to itemize that extravagance during intrasquads, but it will happen. Manuel physically looks more proficient with the bat, so I wouldn't mind seeing him get multiple opportunities as the lefthanded DH along with Lewis.
Back to Ratterree: He's being pushed by the staff to improve defensively, and his aptitude is tremendous. He has a strong arm and handles turning double plays with aplomb. He moves better to his right than his left, but he takes so swimmingly to teaching that it's only a matter of time before he figures it all out. The Owls have enjoyed the luxury of a series of skilled defensive second basemen (Bucky, Buenger, Holt), and Ratterree could continue the legacy.
PITCHING
For the sake of brevity, let's just skip past So. LHP Taylor Wall. He is deserving of his slotting as the staff ace and subsequently the Friday night starter, so we won't delve too deeply into his performances. By most accounts, The OG seems keen on starting Jr. LHP Tony Cingrani on Sundays and utilizing one of his RHPs - RS Fr. Anthony Fazio or Sr. Jay Rogers - on Saturday. Rogers was sharp early last fall while Fazio came on late, so keep an eye out there.
Jr. RHP Boogie Anagnostou is the most experienced option at starting and supplying relief, so expect him to do plenty of both over the coming weeks (incidentally, there is a feature in the works on the talented yet unproven staff. Expect it to hit RiceOwls.com sometime Friday). How The OG doles out innings to So. RHP Matthew Reckling and Fr. RHP Tyler Duffey is rife with intrigue. Both could start or offer relief, so check how well each does in both roles. Gonzales, Jr. LHP Matt Evers and Fr. LHP Holt McNair appear set as the southpaw middle relief options while Sr. RHP Mark Haynes, So. Andrew Benak and the freshmen trio of Chase McDowell, Tyler Spurlin and Chargois will get turns to work from the opposite side of the rubber. Jr. LHP Doug Simmons might break out as the closer if Anagnostou doesn't lock up the job. Of course, Anagnostou could also work as the midweek starter, so who knows?
Questions? Thoughts? Concerns?
OFFENSE
The defensive positions are ostensibly set, but there appears to be plenty of flexibility as to who hits where in the batting order. So 3B Anthony Rendon will bat cleanup, and chances are good that Jr. SS Rick Hague and Sr. C Diego Seastrunk will flank him in some sequence. Sr. 1B Jimmy Comerota is a better fit in the 2-hole, but he might be forced to lead off a lineup that appears to lack a traditional table setter. If So. LF Michael Fuda develops superior plate discipline perhaps he can fill the void atop the order, but it's doubtful The OG goes that direction right out of the gate. There was some discussion that Fr. 2B Michael Ratterree could handle the job, but he's the lone newcomer to the lineup. Why put such pressure on the kid?
With split squads it's practically impossible to decipher what The OG is thinking with regards to establishing a batting order, but it is advisable to watch carefully when certain players hit in curious spots. Jr. RF Chad Mozingo in the 2-hole? That might raise an eyebrow or two. Comerota at the bottom of the lineup with Ratterree to follow? That would require analysis too.
DEFENSE
Because Comerota remains the most trustworthy SAK this side of West Point, expect Jr. 1B/LHP Abel Gonzales and So. 1B/DH Ryan Lewis to get plenty of reps at first base. Comerota is more likely to play shortstop during preseason intrasquads with Fr. 2B/RHP J.T. Chargois manning second base for whichever team Ratterree doesn't play that position. So. OF Jeremy Rathjen has played a lot more center than left recently, so the assumption is that he will share that position with Sr. OF Steven Sultzbaugh while Fr. OF Will Maxwell works left field with Fuda, who could get some time at second in order to stay sharp. Mozingo and So. OF Daniel Gonzales-Luna represent the platoon in right field. No clue who backs up Rendon.
Can't want to see how The OG parcels the reps behind the plate and at DH. Fr. C Geoff Perrott has been so solid that he allows The OG the freedom to play both Seastrunk and So. C Craig Manuel simultaneously. It might be tough to itemize that extravagance during intrasquads, but it will happen. Manuel physically looks more proficient with the bat, so I wouldn't mind seeing him get multiple opportunities as the lefthanded DH along with Lewis.
Back to Ratterree: He's being pushed by the staff to improve defensively, and his aptitude is tremendous. He has a strong arm and handles turning double plays with aplomb. He moves better to his right than his left, but he takes so swimmingly to teaching that it's only a matter of time before he figures it all out. The Owls have enjoyed the luxury of a series of skilled defensive second basemen (Bucky, Buenger, Holt), and Ratterree could continue the legacy.
PITCHING
For the sake of brevity, let's just skip past So. LHP Taylor Wall. He is deserving of his slotting as the staff ace and subsequently the Friday night starter, so we won't delve too deeply into his performances. By most accounts, The OG seems keen on starting Jr. LHP Tony Cingrani on Sundays and utilizing one of his RHPs - RS Fr. Anthony Fazio or Sr. Jay Rogers - on Saturday. Rogers was sharp early last fall while Fazio came on late, so keep an eye out there.
Jr. RHP Boogie Anagnostou is the most experienced option at starting and supplying relief, so expect him to do plenty of both over the coming weeks (incidentally, there is a feature in the works on the talented yet unproven staff. Expect it to hit RiceOwls.com sometime Friday). How The OG doles out innings to So. RHP Matthew Reckling and Fr. RHP Tyler Duffey is rife with intrigue. Both could start or offer relief, so check how well each does in both roles. Gonzales, Jr. LHP Matt Evers and Fr. LHP Holt McNair appear set as the southpaw middle relief options while Sr. RHP Mark Haynes, So. Andrew Benak and the freshmen trio of Chase McDowell, Tyler Spurlin and Chargois will get turns to work from the opposite side of the rubber. Jr. LHP Doug Simmons might break out as the closer if Anagnostou doesn't lock up the job. Of course, Anagnostou could also work as the midweek starter, so who knows?
Questions? Thoughts? Concerns?
Need to go through at least a week of intrasquads before starting a lineup thread on The Parliament, but as of now, this is how I'd formulate the lineup card (recognizing full well that The OG has a different philosophy in some aspects than I)...
Comerota/Ratterree-Hague-Seastrunk-Rendon-Sultzbaugh/Mozingo-Mozingo/Sultzbaugh-Fuda-Lewis/Manuel/Gonzo/Rathjen-Ratterree/Comerota
...I'm a big advocate of balancing your left-handed hitters throughout the lineup so that you never make it easy for the opposing coach in making late-inning bullpen decisions. I don't like have more than two right-handed hitters consecutively in the lineup. Seastrunk, with his superior plate discipline and switch-hitting skills is the perfect #3 hitter infront of Rendon. Chad and Steven provide protection for AR, with Chad batting #5 against right-handed starting pitchers and Steven batting #5 against southpaws. Jimmy and Ratterree start the year at the top and bottom of the order, though Ratterree could certainly move up or down if he hits out of the gate with power.
As for the pitching staff, it's understandable that The OG wants to break up his southpaws in the weekend rotation, with Fazio or JaRogers getting the nod on Saturday, with the other the primary mid-week starter. With regards to the bullpen, Coach would prefer the flexibility of going with multiple guys he's confident in closing, ala 2008 when we had the four horsemen in Price, Evers, CSC and Bell. Last year, JoRogers was used more as the traditional closer only because we had no one else who demonstrated any consistency whatsoever. I can see the trio of Boogie, Simmons and Reckling serving as our late inning guys, with Evers joining the group if he demonstrates consistent control. Either Reckling or Duffy will be the second mid-week starter, but both should contribute mightily. Gonzales, Benak, Haynes, McDowell, Spurlin and Chargois will all be used as middle relievers and situational guys-- unless and until one or two "breakout" from the pack and demonstrate consistency.
I can't wait to see how the rotation shakes out. I think it will come down to who throws strikes. I really like Fazio and Cingrani's ability to get the strikeout (probably more so that Rogers), but Rogers has the experience and pitched great towards the end of last season. I'll be keeping on eye on Cingrani's walks, especially.
If Simmons keeps up his performance from the Fall, then wow, that would be a huge addition. ...and with Ojala rejoining the staff at some point this season, that should provide an emotional boost as well as quality production.
Thanks for the breakdown, MK. Will the OG go with a 4 man starting rotation (3 w/e starters and one primary weekday starter) and then use Johnny Allstaff for the fifth midweek game, or do you think he will settle on a regular fifth starter?
TFW: Unless one pitcher distinguishes himself as the fifth starter during intrasquads, I'd imagine that The OG will go with the hot hand for that second midweek game. - MK
I still like the idea of hitting Rendon 3rd. Over the course of a MLB season, I believe each lineup spot tends to get 20-30 more at-bats then the spot behind it. This means over the course of a college season, you can expect each lineup spot to garner an additional 8-10 at-bats. Do we really want to lose any games with Rendon in the on-deck circle?
Also, the more protection for Rendon the better. We know everyone will be careful with him anyway, but he is still going to get walked a lot and we need to make sure there are very good hitters behind him to make pitchers pay for walking him.
I agree with the strategy of starting Ratterree down in the lineup and letting him work his way up as he adjusts. Absolutely no reason to pressure him off the bat. If memory serves, Rendon started hitting 5-7(?), then moved up as the season progressed.
If Fuda starts walking more and shows improved plate discipline (fewer K's), he is the ideal leadoff guy. Otherwise, focus on OBP guys in front of Rendon (Diego probably #2), with Hague immediately behind Rendon (assuming he continues to show his improved plate discipline from the fall).
mrbig: Rendon hit cleanup in two of the three games at Cal Poly and all three games at Minute Maid Park. The OG loves his run production, so I can't imagine him relocating Rendon in the order. But now that you mention it, I am curious as to how many times the Owls closed a loss with Rendon on deck. I don't imagine that it happened often, if at all, which is why The OG doesn't put too much stock in a particular type of hitter batting leadoff. As he has noted, how many times does a leadoff hitter actually lead off a frame aside from the first inning? - MK
OT -- The NY Times has a long article today (Sat) about conference changes, basically affirming everything you blogged here a few days ago. Thanks for the advance info! It will be interesting to see what happens.