A strong showing last week at the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama, was enough to restore the confidence of most folks in the Razorbacks' baseball team. Three straight series defeats to close the season surely had even the most devout Hogs' believers a little bit on edge, but all appears right again---for now---in the land of Pig Sooie. Amazing how easy it all looks when your starting pitching is on its game though, isn't it? In consecutive fashion, Arkansas' Nick Schmidt (9 IP, 2 H, 0 R), Jess Todd (8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 17K) and Duke Welker (7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER) were dominant against SEC foes and the Diamond Hogs got back to their winning ways in Alabama.
A loss to Vanderbilt in the title game wasn't enough to diminish the important strides made by the Razorbacks during the week. In addition to tremendous pitching, Arkansas' offense hit its way out of the doldrums. CF Jake Dugger, LF Casey Coon, 3B Logan Forsythe and 1B Danny Hamblin are clearly the four key hitters on this team, and all found the stroke in Alabama. If the Razorbacks' starting pitching is even ordinary in the next couple of weeks, all this team needs is some consistent life out of its premier bats to make a deep run.
Now the honus is on skipper Dave Van Horn, who's made some adjustments to both the staff and the lineup. Pitchingwise, he'll go with third starter Duke Welker in the first regional game against Albany. Clearly, the fourth-seeded Great Danes are the weakest of the four clubs in a Baum Stadium Regional that also includes #2 Creighton and #3 Oklahoma State. Starting Welker gives Arkansas a chance to have staff aces Schmidt and Todd on the ready for the semifinal and championship games. But it also presents Arkansas with the risk of not even using Schmidt if the Hogs don't advance to Sunday. It's a risk that Van Horn has calculated and I think he's chosen correctly: even a halfway decent start from Welker should be enough to start the weekend with a win against Albany.
The lineup shuffling is a bit more confusing. Why choose now to dump season-long leadoff man Jake Dugger all the way down to #9 in the lineup? Just a hunch? Or is there something more to it that we don't know about yet? Whatever the case, Dugger swung a good bat in the SEC Tournament, and I thought more than justified keeping his spot in the order. Instead, it will be 2B Ben Tschepikow leading off, with Forsythe moving up from five to two in the order. Coon and Walker will stay at three and four, while Hamblin finally gets moved back to the five hole. (Batting him at seven was a bit of a waste, as most teams had the option of pitching around him whenever he came up.) Answers to the shuffling don't easily present themselves, but sometimes keen managerial maneuvers can make all the difference. We'll just have to trust that Dave Van Horn knows several things we don't.
Ultimately, the Diamond Hogs have all the makings of a team that could not only get to Omaha this year, but win there as well. The College World Series has been a goal for this squad all year long, and now is the time to go and get it. With a national #7 seed in hand and an opportunity to host a Super Regional staring them right in the face, the Razorbacks' have got as nice a set-up as they could've realistically hoped for before the year. And there's no doubt the success of this team in the postseason has emerged as the main sports storyline to follow for Arkansas fans this June.
The fact remains, this baseball team is as well-balanced as a good Division I college club should be. As long as the Hogs collectively swing the bats, I have no doubt they'll play through to the end of the month.
-JAB
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Late May's Pontifications
Boxing's Middleweight Division Taking Shape
There aren't really many options left for Jermain Taylor at this point. The Little Rock native can either fight undefeated Kelly Pavlik (Youngstown, Ohio) in the middleweight class, or step it up eight pounds to junior middleweight for a challenge with southpaw Joe Calzaghe, who's also undefeated.
"We'll fight whoever's got the most money!" Taylor hollered after his split decision win over Cory Spinks.
And who's to blame him for that? Still, it's easy getting the feeling that Taylor's camp is stretching his reign at the top for all it's worth, a sign potentially he knows himself it's not going to last for long.
Pavlik ripped up #2 contender Edison Miranda in the undercard on Saturday, in a fight where the two fighers consistently engaged each other. It was far more entertaining than the supposed "main" event between Taylor and Cory Spinks. Spinks danced and then dance some more, forcing Taylor to methodically track him into corners for his limited punch opportunities.
Exciting stuff it was not, but Taylor scored better on two of three judges' cards, ensuring he would keep his middleweight crowns for at least another boxing season.
But it may not be for much longer than that. Both Kelly Pavlik and Joe Calzaghe present serious challenges for Taylor. They are sturdy, upright punchers with stalking styles, and Taylor would have trouble avoiding heavy exchanges with either man. You can only take on the Kassim Oumas and Cory Spinkses of the world for so long. Eventually, Taylor's going to have to fight someone who actually has the ability to hurt him.
"Bore-ing! Bore-ing!" was the FedEx Forum chant at Taylor on Saturday night.
Boring it was, but maybe---unfortunately---that's just Jermain Taylor's way.
First Interleague Baseball Weekend Wrapped
Over the weekend, three clear-cut diamond observations dawned:
#1: The Yanks are sunk this year---already---for real. What do you get when you add the following four players together: Bobby Abreu, Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Jason Giambi? Answer: Really, really, really old. New York's offense is so lifeless, A-Rod's monster numbers don't nearly make up for it. By the time the Rocket gets here, it may be too late. On that note, it's probably already too late to save Joe Torre.
#2: The Mets are good, legitimately. The offense is deep and speedy, with Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and David Wright as serious anchors. And the starting pitching ain't half as bad as originally advertised. Youngsters John Maine and Oliver Perez have found their major league grooves, while Tom Glavine is bearing down hard on three hundred wins. If Pedro Martinez comes back anything like his old self in July, be very afraid. Barring a spat of major injuries, it's hard to see how the 'Mazins won't have a place in October.
#3: The Cardinals are down and out, with a thud. It's too bad, considering St. Louis has the ability to be so much better than this. But the bat struggles of Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen have revealed a lineup with not nearly enough pop in it behind King Albert. Honestly, there's no reason any other team should even pitch to him right now. And what club can survive season ending injuries to its #1 and #2 starters? Not many. Chris Carpenter and Mark Mulder could have help stabilize this thing, but that's crying over spilled milk. They say all things even out in the end. Maybe this is the baseball gods' way of making up for last year's Redbird postseason magic. it's getting late early for Tony LaRussa's crew.
-JAB
There aren't really many options left for Jermain Taylor at this point. The Little Rock native can either fight undefeated Kelly Pavlik (Youngstown, Ohio) in the middleweight class, or step it up eight pounds to junior middleweight for a challenge with southpaw Joe Calzaghe, who's also undefeated.
"We'll fight whoever's got the most money!" Taylor hollered after his split decision win over Cory Spinks.
And who's to blame him for that? Still, it's easy getting the feeling that Taylor's camp is stretching his reign at the top for all it's worth, a sign potentially he knows himself it's not going to last for long.
Pavlik ripped up #2 contender Edison Miranda in the undercard on Saturday, in a fight where the two fighers consistently engaged each other. It was far more entertaining than the supposed "main" event between Taylor and Cory Spinks. Spinks danced and then dance some more, forcing Taylor to methodically track him into corners for his limited punch opportunities.
Exciting stuff it was not, but Taylor scored better on two of three judges' cards, ensuring he would keep his middleweight crowns for at least another boxing season.
But it may not be for much longer than that. Both Kelly Pavlik and Joe Calzaghe present serious challenges for Taylor. They are sturdy, upright punchers with stalking styles, and Taylor would have trouble avoiding heavy exchanges with either man. You can only take on the Kassim Oumas and Cory Spinkses of the world for so long. Eventually, Taylor's going to have to fight someone who actually has the ability to hurt him.
"Bore-ing! Bore-ing!" was the FedEx Forum chant at Taylor on Saturday night.
Boring it was, but maybe---unfortunately---that's just Jermain Taylor's way.
First Interleague Baseball Weekend Wrapped
Over the weekend, three clear-cut diamond observations dawned:
#1: The Yanks are sunk this year---already---for real. What do you get when you add the following four players together: Bobby Abreu, Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Jason Giambi? Answer: Really, really, really old. New York's offense is so lifeless, A-Rod's monster numbers don't nearly make up for it. By the time the Rocket gets here, it may be too late. On that note, it's probably already too late to save Joe Torre.
#2: The Mets are good, legitimately. The offense is deep and speedy, with Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and David Wright as serious anchors. And the starting pitching ain't half as bad as originally advertised. Youngsters John Maine and Oliver Perez have found their major league grooves, while Tom Glavine is bearing down hard on three hundred wins. If Pedro Martinez comes back anything like his old self in July, be very afraid. Barring a spat of major injuries, it's hard to see how the 'Mazins won't have a place in October.
#3: The Cardinals are down and out, with a thud. It's too bad, considering St. Louis has the ability to be so much better than this. But the bat struggles of Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen have revealed a lineup with not nearly enough pop in it behind King Albert. Honestly, there's no reason any other team should even pitch to him right now. And what club can survive season ending injuries to its #1 and #2 starters? Not many. Chris Carpenter and Mark Mulder could have help stabilize this thing, but that's crying over spilled milk. They say all things even out in the end. Maybe this is the baseball gods' way of making up for last year's Redbird postseason magic. it's getting late early for Tony LaRussa's crew.
-JAB
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Round the Razorback Horn
Arkansas Baseball Into Last Half-Dozen
Losing two of three to LSU last weekend wasn't enough to diminish Razorback fans' enthusiasm for their baseball team right now. With six games left, the Hogs are likely to win the SEC West outright, barring a collapse in the final road series against Alabama or the last home series against Ole Miss.
Dave Van Horn's team is well-balanced: offensively, defensively and especially in the pitching staff, this team has very few kinks in the armor.
Still, the big question has to be: when this team needs a big hit, who's the guy who comes through with it? I believe Danny Hamblin is the guy most Arkansas fans want to offer up as the answer, but he needs to up his game to an even higher level down the stretch to make that a reality.
Ahmad Carroll on the Ropes
I'll close with the boxing stuff, but Ahmad Carroll's NFL career is now officially knocked out. Arrested in Atlanta on Saturday morning for carrying a concealed weapon, police officers search Carroll's car and reportedly found eleven pills of ecstasy, a potent designer drug.
For a guy who was already fortunate enough just to get a second chance with the Jaguars, you've got to wonder what was going through Ahmad Carroll's mind with this one. Jacksonville quickly released the former Razorback cover man, citing NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's new zero tolerance policy. (I still prefer to call it the "Guilty Until Proven Innocent Rule.")
With Ahmad Carroll, NFL life just didn't work out. He was torched on a regular basis for the Packers, then barely made the field with Jacksonville. The ecstasy incident brings a likely conclusion to Ahmad's NFL career, but fret not, Batman faithful, but look on the bright side: Carroll could still probably get a job starting for someone in the Arena Football League.
Boxing All But Finished
The Floyd Mayweather/Oscar De La Hoya fight was a decent one on Saturday night, but not nearly enough to "save the sport" as so many pre-bout promos would've had you believe. The fact of the matter is the sport of boxing has been dead for a while now.
Too much mismanagement and greedy, unfocused non-work by promoters like Don King and Bob Arum left the average boxing fan without the big fights for most of the past twenty years, and it's far too late to fix it all now.
More importantly, the once great sport---arguably the most popular in America at several points---is now nothing more than an afterthought. You're telling me if Muhammad Ali were 17 years old again, in this day and age, that he'd want to be a heavyweight fighter? Yeah, right. He'd be angling for a scholarship to go play tight end at a place like USC or Miami.
The youth of today has no appreciation for boxing, because the people in charge of the sport have helped to kill it off. Sad, but utterly true.
-JAB
Losing two of three to LSU last weekend wasn't enough to diminish Razorback fans' enthusiasm for their baseball team right now. With six games left, the Hogs are likely to win the SEC West outright, barring a collapse in the final road series against Alabama or the last home series against Ole Miss.
Dave Van Horn's team is well-balanced: offensively, defensively and especially in the pitching staff, this team has very few kinks in the armor.
Still, the big question has to be: when this team needs a big hit, who's the guy who comes through with it? I believe Danny Hamblin is the guy most Arkansas fans want to offer up as the answer, but he needs to up his game to an even higher level down the stretch to make that a reality.
Ahmad Carroll on the Ropes
I'll close with the boxing stuff, but Ahmad Carroll's NFL career is now officially knocked out. Arrested in Atlanta on Saturday morning for carrying a concealed weapon, police officers search Carroll's car and reportedly found eleven pills of ecstasy, a potent designer drug.
For a guy who was already fortunate enough just to get a second chance with the Jaguars, you've got to wonder what was going through Ahmad Carroll's mind with this one. Jacksonville quickly released the former Razorback cover man, citing NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's new zero tolerance policy. (I still prefer to call it the "Guilty Until Proven Innocent Rule.")
With Ahmad Carroll, NFL life just didn't work out. He was torched on a regular basis for the Packers, then barely made the field with Jacksonville. The ecstasy incident brings a likely conclusion to Ahmad's NFL career, but fret not, Batman faithful, but look on the bright side: Carroll could still probably get a job starting for someone in the Arena Football League.
Boxing All But Finished
The Floyd Mayweather/Oscar De La Hoya fight was a decent one on Saturday night, but not nearly enough to "save the sport" as so many pre-bout promos would've had you believe. The fact of the matter is the sport of boxing has been dead for a while now.
Too much mismanagement and greedy, unfocused non-work by promoters like Don King and Bob Arum left the average boxing fan without the big fights for most of the past twenty years, and it's far too late to fix it all now.
More importantly, the once great sport---arguably the most popular in America at several points---is now nothing more than an afterthought. You're telling me if Muhammad Ali were 17 years old again, in this day and age, that he'd want to be a heavyweight fighter? Yeah, right. He'd be angling for a scholarship to go play tight end at a place like USC or Miami.
The youth of today has no appreciation for boxing, because the people in charge of the sport have helped to kill it off. Sad, but utterly true.
-JAB
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