⚾ 🥎 ⚾ Bama Baseball offseason news

Will update thread with portal, roster, and staff news and such and it happens... The Baseball Transfer Portal opens to all players on Monday (June 2) and closes on July 1st.

 

[RTB X Bot]

 

[Bammerboy321]

Just waiting for the JJ announcement

 

[Bammerboy321]

Outside of needing new arms and a different pitching coach, Vaughn has to learn to utilize pinch hitters. Alabama had two on with zero outs in the 8th yesterday and came away empty. Torres was god awful and it would have been the perfect time to bring in a PH.

For being a supposed analytical guy, Vaughn struggles mightily in areas like that.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Down

Outside of needing new arms and a different pitching coach, Vaughn has to learn to utilize pinch hitters. Alabama had two on with zero outs in the 8th yesterday and came away empty. Torres was god awful and it would have been the perfect time to bring in a PH.

For being a supposed analytical guy, Vaughn struggles mightily in areas like that.

Vaughn, for whatever reason, has his core group of guys in the lineup 1-8, with an additional guy like Mizell and the rotating catcher, and that's who he sticks with. On SEC weekends, that's fine. But refusing to use some of the other, younger players more in midweeks and non-conference games is a head scratcher. Only 11 guys saw more than 25 plate appearances this season, next lowest was 12 (Steele) and then 2. I can't figure it out... even playing devil's advocate, I can't come up with a good reason.

Don't get me started on Torres... I've tried to walk a fine line this year on this board when discussing his play... tried hard to do so without bashing the dude. There came a point though where it really wasn't his fault. It was/is squarely at Vaughn's feet for running him out there game after game. It took forever for him to drop him in the order, but he should have been benched. He was already playing out of position in the field, so it wasn't some offsetting circumstance from that perspective. It was being stubborn. It was Roy McAvoy taking drop after drop at the US Open, putting himself in a deeper and deeper hole.

Yesterday, again... I feel for Torres... but Vaughn should have PH for him from the jump in that spot for whoever the best bunter on the bench was, which is probably Jon Young Jr. But he at least told him to bunt. OK. For all of Torres' issues, he at least has a decent eye for the zone (compared to some in the lineup). He works a quick 2-0 count and then Vaughn, for reasons I'll never grasp, removes the bunt sign. A few pitches later, K. Next AB, double play. Huge momentum shift, USM takes the lead, game over, season over.

Hinted at this yesterday, but I really don't see how next year's squad is going to be any better than this year's. The positive from that should be that a significant number of young players end up having to play. It'll make for some struggles, but over time, should build back up into a pretty good offensive team in a couple of years. The portal is the wild card obviously, but I'm personally bearish on there being enough meaningful pieces added to really move the needle very much.

 

[Bammerboy321]

 

[UAgrad93]

REALLY need Hines to make it to campus!!

 

[alabama mike]

We need pitching desperately.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

We need pitching desperately.

As of now, they need everything (other than C and SS) desperately. Lot of holes to fill.

 

[Bammerboy321]

As of now, they need everything (other than C and SS) desperately. Lot of holes to fill.

Yep - and to no surprise, the first three transfers are pitchers. Vaughn has to go a different route with JJ. Saban and Oats both are/were fantastic coaches, but they surround(ed) themselves with excellent assistants.

 

[RTB X Bot]

 

[Bammerboy321]

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Was looking over the weekend at some of the #'s... the conference vs. non-conference numbers are slightly different than how he stacked them up, but it isn't far off. UA had 2 plyers hit over .300 in SEC play... Snell (easily) and Plattner (barely) who saw very limited action. 3rd highest was Bonomolo Jr. at .257.

This is why, despite some issues with pitching, unless/until the hitting is figured out and fixed, it won't matter who the pitching coach is.

 

[Bammerboy321]

Was looking over the weekend at some of the #'s... the conference vs. non-conference numbers are slightly different than how he stacked them up, but it isn't far off. UA had 2 plyers hit over .300 in SEC play... Snell (easily) and Plattner (barely) who saw very limited action. 3rd highest was Bonomolo Jr. at .257.

This is why, despite some issues with pithing, unless/until the hitting is figured out and fixed, it won't matter who the pitching coach is.

Yep - considering that is where Vaughn has made his mark as a HC, this year was really disappointing considering some of the talent. It should have been way more reliable and see better strides. Instead it was the same approach every game:

-Swing on the first pitch
-Watch an absolute meat ball go right down the middle and not swing
-ball/foul
-strike 3 either watching or swinging at a slider in the dirt

 

[Bammerboy321]

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Mentioned the other day that he was gonna be on A&M’s short list if they made the move. They didn’t, but Byrne was ready for it.

 

[TerryP]

Mentioned the other day that he was gonna be on A&M’s short list if they made the move. They didn’t, but Byrne was ready for it.

I've read in a few places they were looking at three different guys. We know about Vaughn and I haven't looked to see...any clue as to the other two? (IF ya know off the top of your head. I didn't search.)

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

I've read in a few places they were looking at three different guys. We know about Vaughn and I haven't looked to see...any clue as to the other two? (IF ya know off the top of your head. I didn't search.)

Can’t say for sure. It was no big secret around here that Vaughn’s name was gonna come up, even if it was just A&M forcing UA to spend some extra money to keep him. Supposedly though, the higher ups at A&M wanted to make another run at Vitello, but I’m not sure how realistic they thought getting him would be.

 

[TerryP]

Now that you mention Vitello, I remember reading something about him a few times, somewhere. A&M is one school that could compete with UT and their baseball NIL program.