Shox vs. Long Beach State Dirt bags Game 3

[Shocker85]

The Shox had lots and lots of chances to win this game, they just couldn't get the timely hits. The Shox left 9 men on base and hit into 2 double plays.

Shocker hitters in the heart of the order seem to get vapor lock of the brain with RISP. Poor ABs when making solid contact would have forced LBS to make a play.

Do the Shox practice hitting sliders???

--'85.

[1972Shocker]

he apparently doesn't understand a force out at home. I would really like to see a replay on that one because I really don't see how the guy wasn't out. I wasn't going to say it but I did.

I was somewhat blocked by McQueen on that play also and could not tell if Arens had posssession or not, although Gene argued that he did. I will say that I am not sure Arens realized he had a force either the way he made the play or perhaps he just wasn't sure if he was on the base. Not really sure what McQueen saw in that instance but he waited until Arens could show him the ball and when he saw it on the ground he ruled safe.

As you said I would love to see a replay from a couple of different angles.

[shocker3]

It wasn't me but it could have been. I yelled some pretty nasty things to McQueen. He really should not be allowed to umpire here again (or anywhere for that matter).

I thought he was going to throw me out too. After he threw out the other guy he looked like he was glaring right at me as I yelled at him. I wasn't cussing just saying things like he was blind, needs to find a new job, he needs new glasses, he needs to stay awake if he's going to call balls and strikes, the last run was on him because he gave the guy 5 strikes, it was a FORCE OUT, THE CATCHER HAD THE BALL BEFORE THE PLAYER GOT THERE AND HE WAS STANDING ON THE BASE- IT IS AN OUT.

Stuff like that.

[Shocker85]

How and why can an umpire toss a fan from the game? Do your job on the field and if you're so insecure you have to toss fans, then it is time to give it up.

Speaking of OLD umpires, I couldn't believe Homolka has done a few WSU games this year.

--'85.

[1972Shocker]

Shocker hitters in the heart of the order seem to get vapor lock of the brain with RISP. Poor ABs when making solid contact would have forced LBS to make a play.

Do the Shox practice hitting sliders???

--'85.

Actually, the Shocks did do a pretty good job of making solid contact with RISP.

In the 3rd, with Bob Arens on 2nd and 1 out Garrett Bayliffe hit an absolute rocket just to the left of the 2B for an out. A foot more to the left and the 2B doesn't touch that ball.

In the 4th, the Shocks had runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out but A-Rea flied out to right field and Arens grounded out to short.

In the 5th, after the Shocks had scored their 2nd run, Bayliffe was on 3rd with one out and LBS had the infield in. Don Lambert his an absolutely screamer just to the right of the 1B who was just able to get his glove over for a backhanded stab. 6 inches further to the right and that ball is through. Gillaspie ended the threat with a grounder to short.

In the 7th with runners on 1st & 3rd and 1 out Don Lambert hit a sharp grounder to the 2nd baseman that was turned into an inning ending double play.

In the 8th Bob Arens did strike out on a slider to end the inning with runners on 1st & 2nd.

In the 9th, with Bayliffe on 1st after a 1-out single, Kevin Hall hit the ball very sharply on a hit and run but the location could not have been worse as it was right to the SS who standing on the bag at 2nd and resulted in the game ending double play.

OTOH, I would agree that a lot of the Shocker batters fail to adjust their approach to how they are being pitched and also maybe fail to adjust their approach depending on the game situation and how the defense is set up.

However, the Shocks did do a pretty good job of hitting the ball solidly with runners in scoring postion today. But we definitely hit a lot of those balls right at the LBS defense.

BTW, LBS had a couple of those also. I remember two line drives to 3rd, one of which resulted in a runner at 3rd being double up and also a sharp line drive to Harbutz at 2nd.

[1972Shocker]

How and why can an umpire toss a fan from the game? Do your job on the field and if you're so insecure you have to toss fans, then it is time to give it up.

Speaking of OLD umpires, I couldn't believe Homolka has done a few WSU games this year.

--'85.

If the fan had perhaps stayed in his seat and gave McQueen hell he may have been OK, although I have no idea what was said. But the fan was standing right at the netting, just to the 1st base side of home and pointing his finger through the net at McQueen. As I said, I have no idea what he was saying but McQueen looked at him a couple of times before giving him the boot. If he was threatening Mr. McQueen then he certainly deserved the boot at the very least. As others have said he was far from the only fan upset, but he probably took things a step or two too far.

[1972Shocker]

All-in-all I thought the guys competed pretty well today. Certainly light-years ahead of what they brought to the park yesterday. Mitch Mormann gift-wrapped a run for LBS in the 1st inning with a 2B throwing error (could have been a 3B throwing error if the ball had not gone into the Shocker bullpen) after fielding a bunt.

Mitch pitched 5 innings of 1-hit ball giving up only the unearned run in the 1st by his own doing. Still I was never super confortable with Mitch as he was pitching pretty much up in the zone throughout those 5 innings.

Still, there just seems to be something intangible missing from this team. Not sure how to describe it. Mental toughness? Swagger? Confidence? The ability to deliver in the clutch and to pick each other up? Not sure, I may be all wet on this observation.

I will say, considering the weather we had today I thought it was a very so-so crowd. But I don't go to a lot of games this time of year. So perhaps it was just fine.

[shox1989]

If the fan had perhaps stayed in his seat and gave McQueen hell he may have been OK, although I have no idea what was said. But the fan was standing right at the netting, just to the 1st base side of home and pointing his fingerthrough the net at McQueen. As I said, I have no idea what he was saying but McQueen looked at him a couple of times before giving him the boot. If he was threatening Mr. McQueen then he certainly deserved the boot at the very least. As others have said he was far from the only fan upset, but he probably took things a step or two too far.

It didn't sound like he was saying anything bad or using foul language. But he kept on him from the time of McQueen making a bad strike call until the bad call at home plate, he didn't let up. When he first started he was in his seat and he was plenty loud from there. He started by saying that "HiT IS ON YOU BLUE" THAT HIT IS ON YOU!" and then when the guy scored is when he decided to move down to the net and kept yelling "THAT RUN IS ON YOU BLUE" "THAT RUN IS ON YOU!"

He didn't get thrown out until after McQueen blew the force out at home. At that point, I couldn't hear if he was still repeating the same thing or if he had switched to something else. Once McQueen blew the call at home hundreds of people starting yelling at him and I couldn't hear the guy that ended up getting thrown out anymore.

[shox1989]

Gene hired him, take it up with Gene.



why is a catcher trying to tag a runner on a force out?

I don't know why the catcher was trying to tag the runner unless he wasn't 100% sure it was a force out and he wanted to make sure the runner was out. But it shouldn't have made any difference. It appeared to me that Elam flipped the ball to Arens in plenty of time and Arens was standing on the plate. So the guy should have been out at that point.

The fact that Arens later tried to tag the runner out at the plate and the ball came loose at that point is inmaterial. The runner should have already been called out. I think McQueen blew the call big time. And so did all the people sitting in the blue seats that could see the play clearly as they were all yelling it was a force out to the ump.

If Gene is the one who hired McQueen, I don't think he should hire him anymore.

[KC Shox]

I'm driving to Texas and before losing radio reception, Foster finishes the inning and we are up 2 -1. I finally get in, check into my hotel and now read this crap. Am I surprised no, but something was telling me the longer we allowed the Beach to hang with us and as we continued to fail to get timely hits something was going to happen. Oh well.

[shox1989]

I'm driving to Texas and before losing radio reception, Foster finishes the inning and we are up 2 -1. I finally get in, check into my hotel and now read this crap. Am I surprised no, but something was telling me the longer we allowed the Beach to hang with us and as we continued to fail to get timely hits something was going to happen. Oh well.

I keep having the same bad feeling as inning after inning we kept getting runners on base but couldn't bring them home. But I will say we were competing at the plate. We weren't standing there taking strike outs, we were hitting the ball but unfortunately right at or near their fielders.

But then in the bottom of the ninth, after Elam had got that second out with no harm done- I said to myself we are going to be okay and hold on to win this thing after all. That is when everything all of sudden seemed to go wrong. I guess I should have stayed worried.

[shox1989]

Actually, the Shocks did do a pretty good job of making solid contact with RISP.

In the 3rd, with Bob Arens on 2nd and 1 out Garrett Bayliffe hit an absolute rocket just to the left of the 2B for an out. A foot more to the left and the 2B doesn't touch that ball.

In the 4th, the Shocks had runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out but A-Rea flied out to right field and Arens grounded out to short.

In the 5th, after the Shocks had scored their 2nd run, Bayliffe was on 3rd with one out and LBS had the infield in. Don Lambert his an absolutely screamer just to the right of the 1B who was just able to get his glove over for a backhanded stab. 6 inches further to the right and that ball is through. Gillaspie ended the threat with a grounder to short.

In the 7th with runners on 1st & 3rd and 1 out Don Lambert hit a sharp grounder to the 2nd baseman that was turned into an inning ending double play.

In the 8th Bob Arens did strike out on a slider to end the inning with runners on 1st & 2nd.

In the 9th, with Bayliffe on 1st after a 1-out single, Kevin Hall hit the ball very sharply on a hit and run but the location could not have been worse as it was right to the SS who standing on the bag at 2nd and resulted in the game ending double play.

OTOH, I would agree that a lot of the Shocker batters fail to adjust their approach to how they are being pitched and also maybe fail to adjust their approach depending on the game situation and how the defense is set up.

However, the Shocks did do a pretty good job of hitting the ball solidly with runners in scoring postion today. But we definitely hit a lot of those balls right at the LBS defense.

BTW, LBS had a couple of those also. I remember two line drives to 3rd, one of which resulted in a runner at 3rd being double up and also a sharp line drive to Harbutz at 2nd.

I agree. We did compete much better at the plate today. We didn't just stand there and take strikes, we put the ball in play unfortunately many times it was right at or near one of their fielders. I will add that we also got 10 hits today, so while we couldn't get enough of the timely hits to give us a comfortable lead, overall our hitting was much better than it has been for most of the year.

Hopefully that will continue and pay off in the long run.

[SB Shock]

I agree. We did compete much better at the plate today. We didn't just stand there and take strikes, we put the ball in play unfortunately many times it was right at or near one of their fielders. I will add that we also got 10 hits today, so while we couldn't get enough of the timely hits to give us a comfortable lead, overall our hitting was much better than it has been for most of the year.

Hopefully that will continue and pay off in the long run.

They faced a guy (Johnson) who not had to much success (5+ ERA) coming into the game.

[ShockerFever]

I will say, considering the weather we had today I thought it was a very so-so crowd. But I don't go to a lot of games this time of year. So perhaps it was just fine.

You aren't gonna get a lot of people coming out unloading hard-earned money for a mind-numbing baseball team. I'm sure it's like fingernails on a chalkboard out there. It's too bad because as you said, the weather this year has been STELLAR for WSU baseball. But the product on the field can't deliver. I know I've had a few opportunities to go out with beautiful weather this year, but passed because the team is just not meeting expectations. I don't like getting pissed at things. I really don't like paying money and getting pissed at things.

This result doesn't surprise me at all and further proves how fluky of a win Friday's game was.

[ShockerFever]

The spin by a certain few in these baseball threads is absolutely brutal. And I mean BRUTAL.