Corbin & Raby

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Dorewithaflare
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Corbin & Raby

Post by Dorewithaflare »

Corbin just can't get over Raby. He has such feelings for this guy that he is willing to chance a game to get him some playing time. You can't score enough runs to put Raby in a game.


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Re: Corbin & Raby

Post by Commodoredave »

In all fairness, Raby won a school record 31 games and had a good statistical year. I do agree that he has been largely ineffective for the past month and shouldn't be used again. I'd go to Ethan Smith before Raby if we're looking for multiple innings from a bullpen righty to get to Brown.
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Re: Corbin & Raby

Post by commadore »

I know Corbs said he had hurt his back, but all at once Raby has just fallen apart. I just wonder if he is hurt in some other way, like his arm. He certainly isn't pitching like he did at the first 2/3 of the year.
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Re: Corbin & Raby

Post by roanoke »

I have a different take on Raby yesterday - although it was clear quickly that he was off and needed to come out long before he was pulled. I believe he actually arrived with a 5 run lead and let the tying run come to the plate.

He should have been pulled sooner.

But it is hard on a guy who has been a starter all year - a) not starting and b) because of the tourney format, not pitching much either. I get bringing him in for 2 good innings so he is sharp (er) if he needs to pitch in game 3 of the next round... if that happens. He did this against Duke (did not start but got a few innings in game 3 to stay sharp.)

You can't take a lay-off of a month between starts and expect to be sharp.

But the plan hit the skids immediately - and part of the problem is Rocker was throwing heat all day and then suddenly the MSU guys were looking at fastballs 5-10 mph slower and not missing them. Also, Raby was falling behind (a recurring nemesis) and when he had to go fastball that was a real problem.

Don't give up on him - we may need him in a big game soon and he is our all-time wins leader. The real mystery to me is where Jackson Gillis has been. He excelled in the tourney in the past - if he isn't hurt, I'd like to see him. Eder too could get called on in a big moment. Ethan Smith too... and Fisher. There could be a lot of games in a short time frame soon. We have been fortunate to get good starts - but it means a lot of our pen is rusty. Our pen has a bunch of guys who throw mid-90s - but you have to be sharp. Walks kill at this level... aside from Brown, we could use some consistency.

Perhaps to sum this up more directly, if you are replacing Rocker, better to do it with a flamethrower or an off-speed guy. A guy who focuses on a fastball, but with less movement and speed than Rocker's, can simply become batting practice. You may note we frequently face off-speed relievers - who can be pretty effective as a change of pace. Brown had a live fastball yesterday - and saved the day. But it was almost a self-inflicted wound.
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Re: Corbin & Raby

Post by EllistonVU »

Commodoredave wrote: Thu Jun 20, 2019 8:05 am In all fairness, Raby won a school record 31 games and had a good statistical year. I do agree that he has been largely ineffective for the past month and shouldn't be used again. I'd go to Ethan Smith before Raby if we're looking for multiple innings from a bullpen righty to get to Brown.
Ethan Smith should get a look at midweek starter next season since Hickman will obviously be a weekend guy. It will be interesting to see if Hickman finishes this season unbeaten, will he and Rocker both be pre-season All-American next year.
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Re: Corbin & Raby

Post by VandyFan888 »

I guess I'm crazy to be thinking next year but someone else did it first so I"ll chime in with my rotation for next year:
Rocker on Friday
Hickman on Saturday
Leiter on Sunday
Smith on weekdays

We could go undefeated. That's silly, of course, we'll likely lose at least one weekday game to somebody like Austin Peay.

I'll also throw in this line-up:
Outfield: Davis, Thomas, DeMarco (if he comes back which I think he will)
3B--Gonzalez
SS--Martin
2B--Ray
1B--many possibilities, maybe even a freshman
C--Duvall, Keegan (I think Clarke leaves)
DH--many possibilities

Next year could conceivably be better than this year overall.
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Re: Corbin & Raby

Post by Good2BGold »

VandyFan888 wrote: Thu Jun 20, 2019 11:52 am I guess I'm crazy to be thinking next year but someone else did it first so I"ll chime in with my rotation for next year:
Rocker on Friday
Hickman on Saturday
Leiter on Sunday
Smith on weekdays

We could go undefeated. That's silly, of course, we'll likely lose at least one weekday game to somebody like Austin Peay.

I'll also throw in this line-up:
Outfield: Davis, Thomas, DeMarco (if he comes back which I think he will)
3B--Gonzalez
SS--Martin
2B--Ray
1B--many possibilities, maybe even a freshman
C--Duvall, Keegan (I think Clarke leaves)
DH--many possibilities

Next year could conceivably be better than this year overall.
Good thoughts. I would add that it won't surprise me if Gonzalez makes the transition to first base, Martin remains at third, and one of the current frosh is at short.
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Re: Corbin & Raby

Post by geeznotagain »

roanoke wrote: Thu Jun 20, 2019 9:35 am I have a different take on Raby yesterday - although it was clear quickly that he was off and needed to come out long before he was pulled. I believe he actually arrived with a 5 run lead and let the tying run come to the plate.


But the plan hit the skids immediately - and part of the problem is Rocker was throwing heat all day and then suddenly the MSU guys were looking at fastballs 5-10 mph slower and not missing them. Also, Raby was falling behind (a recurring nemesis) and when he had to go fastball that was a real problem.

I think a guy with a fastball in the mid-to-upper 80's is going to get shelled whether he starts a game or follows Rocker (unless he has another pitch or 2).
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Re: Corbin & Raby

Post by vandy05 »

Dorewithaflare wrote: Thu Jun 20, 2019 7:57 am Corbin just can't get over Raby. He has such feelings for this guy that he is willing to chance a game to get him some playing time. You can't score enough runs to put Raby in a game.
I gotta say, I strongly disagree with this. No way our excellent coach (best in the country) would risk a victory to give a player playing time with the outcome in doubt. With baseball, because there is no clock, the game is always in doubt. Coaches pretty much always have to play to win. If coach is playing him its because he thinks its going to help the team. He isn't playing him because he likes him. Coach could be wrong, and I would accept that criticism, but he isn't playing him for some sort of feel good reason.
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Re: Corbin & Raby

Post by roanoke »

You realize he is 10-1 with a 3.04 ERA this year? With more strikeouts than innings pitched?

The problem has been walks. And there have been a lot of them.

It was a very bad "situation" yesterday - he fell behind, grooved some and MSU is good and his ball probably looked like a beachball after Rocker.
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Re: Corbin & Raby

Post by charlestonalum »

I agree it is absurd to think that Corbin pitched Raby because of sentiment. Raby has well earned the trust Corbs has in him - for four years.
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Re: Corbin & Raby

Post by commadore »

geeznotagain wrote: Thu Jun 20, 2019 12:34 pm
roanoke wrote: Thu Jun 20, 2019 9:35 am I have a different take on Raby yesterday - although it was clear quickly that he was off and needed to come out long before he was pulled. I believe he actually arrived with a 5 run lead and let the tying run come to the plate.


But the plan hit the skids immediately - and part of the problem is Rocker was throwing heat all day and then suddenly the MSU guys were looking at fastballs 5-10 mph slower and not missing them. Also, Raby was falling behind (a recurring nemesis) and when he had to go fastball that was a real problem.

I think a guy with a fastball in the mid-to-upper 80's is going to get shelled whether he starts a game or follows Rocker (unless he has another pitch or 2).
Yeah, I mean look at Maddox when he played. They killed him. Ha.
It isn't speed, it is location and movement. If ROCKER throws a 99 mph fastball and it is straight, it will get killed. That is part of the problem with our bull pen guys right now (and the inability to throw strikes).
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Re: Corbin & Raby

Post by HarpoMarx »

If you remember, by this point in the 2014 season, nobody wanted Tyler Beede to throw not even one more pitch in his Commodore career. Corbs started him in game 2 of the finals and the crowd sighed. He actually pitched a good game and left the game with runners on base in the 6th or 7th. The bullpen fell apart and those runners and others scored to turn a close game into a rout.
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Re: Corbin & Raby

Post by Versus75 »

Any one of our bullpen guys can mow down an opponent 1-2-3, but they can also have an off day and walk three straight batters.

We have enough of them, I say have another guy ready and if the first reliever puts two men on base pull him before he can make it three.
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Re: Corbin & Raby

Post by Commodoredave »

We still likely need somebody else to step up out of the bullpen. Even if we win tomorrow and the rotation guys have 4+ days rest, we can't use Brown for 7 outs every night. Who do you trust? Brown is easy, after that????
Fisher was the setup guy most of the season and has gone absolutely wild since he mowed down 8 straight Missouri hitters. If he was throwing like that, the next week would be a lot easier to calculate.
Smith picked up a lot of slack lately and has given some solid innings. He had a tendency to be wild early this year.
Eder has one of the best fastballs on the team and I think he is ahead of Fisher for one out vs a lefty.

To touch on the topic of next year's rotation, I fully expect Ethan Smith to be the #4 at worst. He is a draft eligible soph and has been in the first round of a few mocks. Also making appearances on first round mock draft board are Fisher and Eder. I suspect Eder will be the closer next year, while Fisher is in the mix for the 3/4 spot with Smith, Leiter, and Austin Becker. That is an insane amount of talent we're working with.
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Re: Corbin & Raby

Post by MountainDore »

I’m always concerned about using starters in relief- the mindset is different and the warmup is different. Some can adapt easily, and others, not so quickly. I think Raby is a great pitcher who’s had mixed relief appearances because he wasn’t always at that sweet spot mentally and physically when he came in. Doesn’t mean he can’t be a valuable asset to the team, starting or not.
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