Charles Fischer Administrator No. 1 Share Posted 5 hours ago I am a baseball fan, but I really don't know the sport very well, and could always use some help by those who have been around the game far longer than I. We've had WILD swings in pitching performances over three different stretches during the season, and I have no explanation... February 14th until March 10th: A pitching staff ERA of 2.88, (superb!) and our record was 14-2 for that stretch. March 11th until April 24: Pitching Staff ERA of 7.87, (Yikes!) and a record of only 13-10. April 25th until just before last night: An ERA of 1.26, (WOW!) and a record of 8-1. Last night's goose-egg of runs given to Washington will drive those stats for Our Beloved Ducks even better. I don't understand how a whole staff can go on a funk, but I also do not know what the coaches did to bring them back to exceptional pitching. Can we keep it up? Thoughts? A New Pitcher Emerged, and We Needed Him! 1 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sports fan No. 2 Share Posted 4 hours ago Hi Charles Baseball is such a funny game sometimes. You never know what is going to happen. That's why we enjoy it so much. I don't know either why a team can be so good and then seem to fall apart so suddenly. I can see a pitcher or batter having a slump, but when the entire team does, that is certainly perplexing. Based on their ups and downs, I looked at their schedule. February 14th - March 10th 13 home games 3 road games March 11th - April 24th 15 home games 8 road games April 25th - May 9th 6 home games 4 road games It's easier to win at home then on the road. Maybe that has something to do with it. And there could have been a flu bug or cold virus circulating throughout the clubhouse that made the players feel a bit ill. Let's hope everyone is healthy and ready to kick the Huskies butt. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drake Moderator No. 3 Share Posted 4 hours ago The best analogy I can think of is golf. Pitching, or playing golf at a high level requires precise mechanics, and mental toughness. If your timing is slightly off things go south quickly, and a mental lapse can be costly. Throw in the weather factor, add some bad luck, and you have can easily have a bad round, or bad inning. A swing/pitching coach will help players achieve higher levels, but can also help players with their mental approach when they are in a slump. College players in both sports are one step from being professional players. So we are watching the top non-professional players. It can be a very fine line between those who go on to have a professional career, and those who don’t. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck Moderator No. 4 Share Posted 4 hours ago An ERA is a very faulty gauge for performance as one bad inning, or a 1/3 of an inning will produce a huge number, and has been mentioned before, baseball is tough. A really good hitter will go out 7 out of 10 times. Nolan Ryan is a Hall of Fame pitcher, the leader in career strikeouts, but only won 53% of his games. Willie Mays started his first season going 0-21. Figure out baseball" Wee Willie Keeler said it best, "Hit it where they ain't" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanLduck No. 5 Share Posted 1 hour ago So much of success in sports is cerebral. And success is contagious. As would be the reverse. Baseball in my opinion is very cerebral due to success being less than 50%. Always a need to put that last bad at bat behind you, or last pitch. In what other sport would a 30% batting average, (success ratio) be OK? With such a long season, maybe longer periods of ups and downs is inevitable. Whatever their motivation relies on, I hope they continue their stride into the post season. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
