But hey, as per our conversation last night, Michigan Baseball IS on the front page of espn.com, even if it is really just in the title of the piece (but the celebration of the hr is also the accompanying picture). AND there is a link to an article that is about the game, instead of just a recap of Vandy's season. While it doesn't have much about Michigan as a team, it's not nearly so Vandy-centric.
Normally, I don't give a crap about baseball at any level, but I suddenly find myself compelled to the bandwagon! Video can be found here. That's video of the game, not me jupming on the bandwagon...
watched the game last night on comcast local. you can't leave out pelusi's (SP) twisting, diving, over the shoulder grab with a man on second in the 9th to preserve the victory. Awesome game
Let's see here...Vandy won the SEC regular season AND tournament titles, right? Well, I guess that means the Big Ten is far superior to the SEC in baseball now.
I watched the game, too. Quite simply the best baseball game at any level in the last 5 years. Just awesome. Of course, we're talking about an elimination game, so my heart was in my throat the last 5 innings and I was totally, miserably nervous. But yeah.. WOW.
Brian (and any other Michigan fans who missed it): you have reason to be kicking yourself.
Damn you CSTV for not carrying it
The greatest moment was when the play-by-play guys announce this kid who will be pinch hitting for Michigan, Alan Oaks. Freshman. Hasn't played at all in the post-season. They tell us he's had only 48 at bats all season, but are TOTALLY impressed that he had 8 home runs in those 48 at bats. My wife and I perk up, too, saying to each other "wow, that really IS impressive, maybe this kid can do something here!"
So as Oaks is just getting into his at bat, the play-by-play guy chimes in with an embarrassed correction: Oaks has 8 RBIs in his 48 at bats, with only 1 homer. And just as the air is being let out of our bag of optimism...
BOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!
We both let out an impulsive "Whoa!" because anyone who was watching knew immediately that baby was CROOOSHED, and would left any MLB park in the country.
I mean, if that was a movie script I would've thought it was corny.
Man, that was great.
Thank you real life.
What about all that southern speed?
Whoooo Hoooo! I was almost literally glued to my GameTracker since I couldn't get the game on TV in Wisconsin. I wish I could have seen it live. What a thing of beauty that must have been.
I have a new neighbor who is a big SEC fan and he is forever running his mouth about the fictional superiority of the SEC. I absolutely cannot wait to go outside and talk some serious shit to him. In fact, I think I'll do it now. Nothing like a little smack after lunch. :)
I think we might be on to something with this baseball team. Two games away from Omaha, baby!
Goooooo Bluuuuuue!
my local cable had all three vandy games, and all were entertaining, especially the finale.
i'm gonna ask - are vanderbilt fans complete assholes? i mean, all weekend long, they booed every single ball-strike call that didn't go their way, booed our manager when he went to the mound, booed when we tried a pickoff throw (several of which worked, by the way, so maybe you should be booing your dumbassed runners instead)...honestly, i thought the game was in columbus. aaaaaaassholes.
interesting on the announcers, too - they said oaks had 8 homers in 48 at bats and accepted it without question - quick, name a player who has that kind of hr ratio and can't get on the field more often...wouldn't you even wonder out loud? then they showed a graphic with his season stats - .188, 1 hr, 8 rbi - and they STILL didn't catch on. can't complain too much - at least it was on.
and other andrew - i don't follow michigan baseball much, either, but i'm right there on the bandwagon with you...same as i was for the softball team. i guess fisher stadium has picked up, huh?
Great game from starting pitcher Chris Fetter. The pick off play in the fourth was fantastic.
I have no problems with the Vandy fans being loud on every pitch. They reminded me of a Yost crowd, and from what I hear, that is pretty standard for college baseball in the south where students go to games on a regular basis.
I live in Nashville, so I was at all the games. I was probably one of two Michigan fans in the whole outfield sections. I'm not sure I'd say Vanderbilt fans were a-holes, but there was definitely a lot of "this ain't like playing Northwestern" during Sunday night's game. I even had little kids harassing me. Which made last night even sweeter.
But it was really spirited. Starting at the bottom of the 8th last night, the crowd got super loud to try and start a rally. No prompting from a scoreboard, just everyone on their feet and screaming. It was a good crowd, though.
And seriously, that was a BOMB that Oaks hit. There are few better feelings than being the only person screaming after a home run, and everyone else looking at you.
fair enough, guys - nothing wrong with loud, certainly, and the comparison to yost is apt.
that said, booing poor officiating or general assholery is one thing, though - booing the other team's strategy or their efforts to actually, you know, WIN is another. but you were there, jonny - i believe your impressions over mine...
gunk
Not only missed the game, but also lost at trivia.
Dammit.
I posted a similar comment on bigtenhardball, but basically Oaks .188 average and single HR is somewhat deceptive. In 48 AB, he struck out a full third of the time. In the remaining 32 AB, he had 9 hits and of those 9 hits, 7 went for extra bases. He's a 6-3 230 lb freshman, which fits perfectly into his All Or Absolutely Nothing approach at the plate.
Mike Martin commits. Forget 'Fat Charlie' and his new buddy 'Fat Omar'.
mike martin just committed..
Great win, i was able to catch the very end, was worth every moment!!
And yes FAt Charlie can suck it, we got our DT, Mike Martin. Kinda funny how ND trolls decided to invade our message boards yesterday to stand up for Fat Charlie after it was said in some circles that he used negative recruiting to get Omar Hunter. Imagine their reaction if a life long ND fan commits to us after just a visit!!i am pretty sure that they would have their panties in a bunch!!
@#$%ing tools, they are getting worse by the day!!
yayyy for Mike Martin! Let's land Hoover and Perry and we got ourselves quite the in-state recruiting list. Even better if we could actually offer Gray!
Also of note, a lot of people are saying Hunter is way better than Martin, but why is Martin in the Rivals 250 and Hunter isn't? I'm not saying Hunter isn't a great player, but it's just a little bit strange. May it have something to do with his injury or is Mike just better?
Do you think Lloyd and Red can sit down with Coach Maloney and pick his brain on this mysterious concept of "overachieving"
Its nice to see a Michigan team do that for once.
Just wanted to say I laughed out loud when I read the headline...and...
I live in Charlottesville so I was pretty disappointed to see OSU win that game. It would have been nice for UM to come to me for once even if it is baseball. Oh well, maybe next year.
tim, i believe the kid who caught that blooper is named Cislo.
also, game is on comcast sports southeast again for those of you with comcast that missed it, assuming it's televised in your area. it is in atlanta. their probably around the 7th inning right now (ie, it's just about to get really good).
My congratulations go out to the Wolverines baseball team. As the Diamond Dogs lost to the Commodores twice during the regular season (including one absolutely brutal beat-down), I know how impressive a feat it was.
I wish Michigan the best of luck in the super regional and in Omaha.
(Nice work on the communism headline, Brian. See . . . there are some things I can take a joke about!)
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