Steve Layman (WTVF) trashes Withrow on the air

[EllistonVU]

https://www.newschannel5.com/sports/lay ... in-context

And finishes it off with a microphone drop for emphasis. A thing of beauty.

I nominate Layman for local sports broadcaster of the year.

[Titans309fan]

At least I know who PK was arguing against yesterday. Rocker's performance was amazing, but it certainly wasn't the best pitched game in baseball history (though it might be the best college playoff game pitching performance).

The majors are just a different story. Every perfect game in the majors is better than what Rocker did (a MLB roster is an order of magnitude better than Duke's lineup). There are World Series games (like the Jack Morris game that was mentioned) that were better. You do have to judge by the quality of the opponent as well as the stakes, and Rocker's performance falls short of the best. But it might be close or in the top 10.

On the other hand, Withrow was just wrong trying to compare a little league game with this. College baseball has the same rules as the pros, and there are potential pros in Duke's lineup.

[HopsLikeHolwerda]

The majors are just a different story. Every perfect game in the majors is better than what Rocker did (a MLB roster is an order of magnitude better than Duke's lineup).

Sorry, but this is an incredibly obtuse statement. It depends on the era. As a baseball coach and someone who gives pitching lessons and has studied the game and its statistics closely, the blanket statement of "every perfect game" is completely off-base. The 1956 Brooklyn Dodgers, who got no-hit by Larsen in the World Series would lose to the 2019 Duke Blue Devils at least 90% of the time. Sure, nobody will ever know, but using blanket statements about the "history of baseball" is useless because the players were simply not as talented...in fact, not even close to as talented. I would even go so far as to say if you took Farragut High School's baseball team, sent them through a time portal, they would compete with "Murderer's Row" in the 20s. The game is exponentially harder today. The hitters are substantially stronger and more skilled. Walter Johnson's famous fastball that was so devastating...well, video evidence and analysis shows it was probably between 82 and 88 mph. Most middle schoolers today can handle that velocity, and at least put it in play now. Today's player is different. Was Rocker's game the "best ever pitched"? There's no way to know without a generational adjustment standard. But to simply say "every" MLB perfect game was more impressive is just an ignorant take.

[Titans309fan]

Fine, I will say that many perfect games were better than Rocker's.

[EllistonVU]

Kumar Rocker pitched the greatest game in college baseball history
https://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2019/6/9/1 ... tournament

[Jason94]

The majors are just a different story. Every perfect game in the majors is better than what Rocker did (a MLB roster is an order of magnitude better than Duke's lineup).

Sorry, but this is an incredibly obtuse statement. It depends on the era. As a baseball coach and someone who gives pitching lessons and has studied the game and its statistics closely, the blanket statement of "every perfect game" is completely off-base. The 1956 Brooklyn Dodgers, who got no-hit by Larsen in the World Series would lose to the 2019 Duke Blue Devils at least 90% of the time. Sure, nobody will ever know, but using blanket statements about the "history of baseball" is useless because the players were simply not as talented...in fact, not even close to as talented. I would even go so far as to say if you took Farragut High School's baseball team, sent them through a time portal, they would compete with "Murderer's Row" in the 20s. The game is exponentially harder today. The hitters are substantially stronger and more skilled. Walter Johnson's famous fastball that was so devastating...well, video evidence and analysis shows it was probably between 82 and 88 mph. Most middle schoolers today can handle that velocity, and at least put it in play now. Today's player is different. Was Rocker's game the "best ever pitched"? There's no way to know without a generational adjustment standard. But to simply say "every" MLB perfect game was more impressive is just an ignorant take.

Not to mention the fact that college uses alloy bats.

The only time Withrow talks about Vandy baseball is to note how unpopular he believes it to be, and to crap on the Whisters. First class jerk when it comes to Vanderbilt overall.

[EllistonVU]

He crapped on the whistler(s)?

Whistler (A)...


or Whistler (B)...


?

[geeznotagain]

Kumar Rocker pitched the greatest game in college baseball history
https://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2019/6/9/1 ... tournament

Nice article, but near the end it says Rocker could be drafted in 2020. That's not right is it? He would be just 20.

[Good2BGold]

Kumar Rocker pitched the greatest game in college baseball history
https://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2019/6/9/1 ... tournament

Nice article, but near the end it says Rocker could be drafted in 2020. That's not right is it? He would be just 20.

Yeah, that's wrong. 2021.