Cats vs Otis ...

[CatsFanGG24]

Because Hairston is a righty and the pitcher they threw today was a righty. Henderson has been huge with these matchups and hasn't actually cared at all about who has hit well against who. It is pure righty v. lefty and lefty v. righty.

These matchup deals are extremely overrated, especially in the college level and lower. D1 college players are fresh out of HS where they likely hit 3rd or 4th (in lineup) vs any and ALL pitchers they had to face.

When they start moving up to the pro leagues, specialization can start happening...but damn, don't believe its that big of a deal in college.

 

[Comebakatz3]

These matchup deals are extremely overrated, especially in the college level and lower. D1 college players are fresh out of HS where they likely hit 3rd or 4th (in lineup) vs any and ALL pitchers they had to face.

When they start moving up to the pro leagues, specialization can start happening...but damn, don't believe its that big of a deal in college.

We don't have the luxury of looking at the breakdown of how each player does against each type of pitcher, but if I had to guess it likely isn't that much different for some of the better ones. To me, if you had two solid hitters then it wouldn't be bad to make sure they were put in a position to exceed even more. However, when you are taking out a guy that is hitting almost .300 and replace him with a guy that is hitting under .225 then that is a huge dropoff regardless of the matchup. Oddly enough there are only a couple of hitters in the lineup that Henderson likes to do this with. Doesn't make much sense.

 

[sluggercatfan]

We don't have the luxury of looking at the breakdown of how each player does against each type of pitcher, but if I had to guess it likely isn't that much different for some of the better ones. To me, if you had two solid hitters then it wouldn't be bad to make sure they were put in a position to exceed even more. However, when you are taking out a guy that is hitting almost .300 and replace him with a guy that is hitting under .225 then that is a huge dropoff regardless of the matchup. Oddly enough there are only a couple of hitters in the lineup that Henderson likes to do this with. Doesn't make much sense.

How much of what he does does make sense?...the next week is going to tell the tale of how this season ends I think...they have a very tough weekend series with an excellent Vandy team and then a rematch with Otis next week...things could get ugly in a hurry...BUT they could also look very rosie!!! ...#GOCATS!!!!

 

[Comebakatz3]

How much of what he does does make sense?...the next week is going to tell the tale of how this season ends I think...they have a very tough weekend series with an excellent Vandy team and then a rematch with Otis next week...things could get ugly in a hurry...#GOCATS!!!!

To be honest with you I think that Henderson has to be one of the luckiest people in the world. He had two sure fire draftees return for their senior years. Doing so ensured him a Friday and a Saturday starter that we would not have had otherwise. So, if you looked at those two and considered them gone rather than coming back then you have to wonder just who was going to pitch on the weekend. Strecker and Lewis are the two obvious choices, but then you have to wonder who the heck pitches during weekend relief? Salow and Hjelle might have had their arms fall off. Without those two returning we are possibly looking at a terrible season. Instead, they have helped to carry us throughout our SEC schedule.

 

[CoachZ77]

For the person asking about why Arnold hasn't been playing, there's an article on one of the college baseball websites about him having a bad case of the yips throwing the ball back to the pitcher. Evidently it kept him from playing summer baseball last year and seems to still be haunting him.
LSU and South Carolina have both recently had catchers battling that issue. You can find videos of both of those guys double and triple pumping and stepping with the wrong foot and hitching and generally having a fit trying to throw the ball 60 feet back to the pitchers. It's amazing that can sideline otherwise great athletes, but if you've ever had a case of the yips standing over a four foot putt you know what it's like.

 

[Big_Blue_1018]

As someone who caught in high school, I do understand the "yips". I remember one time my freshman year, our third baseman who was being recruited to play division 1 developed this problem and ended up missing the entire season. I really hate it for Arnold because I feel he really could have been a big contributor this year.

 

[Comebakatz3]

Arnold's defense has always been a bit suspect. I think he is a good backstop but his arm needs a bit of work. Still, he's hit the ball pretty well. So, I think my problem is less with him playing the field and more with the fact that Henderson hasn't worked him in to pinch hit or DH more. He had him pinch hit yesterday, but it was his first time at the plate since March 30th. Right now we basically have one player that regularly pinch hits and that's Carson. Carson hasn't hit overly well this season and he is pretty much our first pinch hit option. Just not great roster development in my opinion.