Hey everyone. So you were really up on the Tigers after they won the Western Division and pounded Ole Miss into pieces last weekend.Now you're looking at that same team, fresh off a 7-1 loss to Alabama in the SEC Tournament, and you're thinking: What just happened?
Baseball just happened.
It's the least predictable major sport. A great day from an opposing pitcher means you have almost no shot. That's what Auburn experienced today.
KEY ELEMENTS:
- Alabama starter Jimmy Nelson was really good today. That was his third consecutive complete-game win. He knew even Auburn, the league's most homer-prone team, would struggle to bop the ball out of spacious Regions Park. So he threw good strikes and dared the Tigers to hit it deep. They didn't.
- Auburn starter Cory Luckie was not as good as Nelson.
- Auburn's relievers pitched poorly for the most part.
- Alabama played excellent defense ... particularly at first base.
- Auburn played imperfect defense. An error at second base early in the game created drama that shouldn't have existed.
And that, HOTTIES, comprises every known reason for the Tigers' struggles.
Auburn plays South Carolina tomorrow morning in an elimination game. The Gamecocks are better than Alabama, but the Tigers will be throwing de facto ace Grant Dayton against them.
Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University
Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.
Sad substance.
ReplyDeleteC'mon, Scottie, Get some!
ReplyDeleteColorado hellos
ReplyDeletei hang my head in shame Seanzie.
ReplyDeleteI leave town and put y'all in charge of one small task! :) Hate we lost but I am admitting to the same bad feeling Eddie had. I just kept trying to deny it. I do feel good about the next game though.
ReplyDeletelol.
ReplyDeleteDayton better bring it tomorrow. gotta have it.
Air Force Acadmey graduations are unbelievably cool. Very long, but so worth it. Started at 10 am, over about 1:15 pm. The hat toss with the Thunderbirds flyover at the exact same time is one of the most impressive things I have ever seen. Then the TBs put on about a 30 min show. Awesome!!!
ReplyDeleteIf you ever get the chance to attend you should definitely do so.
Nice blog, but it is much simpler to just say it was Eddie's fault and leave it at that.
ReplyDeleteIt appears that the stock market isn't just tied to the performance of Auburn football.
ReplyDelete"Dow ends below 10,000"
Y'all got any good news?
ReplyDeleteHow do you think we do against USCe tomorrow?
Depends on how Grant pitches. The guy he's going against is really good. Has a 3.08 ERA...if he pitches like homeslice did today, it may be a really quick trip for Les Tigres.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that's a fair assessment of Luckie.
ReplyDeleteI was talking about Bama's and USCE's pitcher, Pete.
ReplyDeleteI was talking about the one on the front page, Seanzie.
ReplyDeleteIf we don't start to hit, we can start the bus.
ReplyDeleteLuckie ... when he's out of gas, he's really out of gas.
ReplyDeleteAh, gotcha. Didn't meant to assume everything is about me.
ReplyDeleteAll of Bama's runs came with 2 outs. Auburn had the worst hitting performance of their entire season today.
ReplyDeleteGiven this team's lack of slumps this year, I don't think a repeat performance is in order. I'm not saying it's not possible to lose tomorrow, but it is unlikely to happen like today.
Well, off to get ready for the "gradulations" dinner to commemorate gladulation. Please pull us through the game tomorrow!!
ReplyDeleteJay G,
ReplyDeleteI agree with that, but his line doesn't scream average to me.
Check thisout. Selection party show with all you can eat wings. Cool.
ReplyDeleteOK. I'll rephrase to placate you.
ReplyDeleteThat should not read in that order.
ReplyDeleteBeat the cocks
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever seen a wing buffet.
ReplyDeleteWell, they had one at HEWVUR today ... but it wasn't exactly AYCE.
I know, I know.
ReplyDeleteThe travesties of being a bloggist. Free wings ... but not AYCE.
For the record, I ate four and was happy about it. The limit was 6.
I don't need to be placated; Just disagreed with what I read. I understood why you wrote it. So it goes.
ReplyDeleteALL YOU CAN EAT WINGS???!!!!
ReplyDeletethat's LOCOS!
I've never eaten wings at Loco's.
ReplyDeleteThe service is so slow ... I always assumed they'd be ice cold by the time they arrived at the table.
I order salads only there. I don't mind them being cold.
You should have stopped by Patera's Pizza in Pelham on your way out. It is good stuff with a Bubba atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteJay G, love the rephrasing. Hard to take issue with that statement.
ReplyDeletenever been to Locos.
ReplyDeleteif i ever eat wings in auburn now it's at the Buffalo Connection. used to visit every monday nite back in college.
And Pete's right, he's a serial malcontent. I bet he disagrees with your decision to use italics.
ReplyDeleteThe longest 3600 seconds of a HOTTIEs life will always be the first Puppet Hour after a loss to Bama.
ReplyDeleteIf Faker were here I might have to smack him around a little to ease the pain.
Scottie, Buffcon was a regular on the dining rotation for us back in the day. Love the Honey BBQ and they have some of the best tasting "Hot" wings. Most of the time the sauce is just hot for hots sake but not theirs.
ReplyDeletefunny, but when i refreshed i was back at the top spot Seanzie. GET SOME of that. ha!
ReplyDeleteat least we can agree on the BuffConn.
FREEP.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen you in a minute.
Sean: We must all do our part to make Peter happy.
ReplyDeleteCock wings?
ReplyDelete"We must all do our part to make Peter happy."
ReplyDeleteAh, so that's what the Peter Principle is.
Screw you guys; I'm happy. Look. : -D ...see, if you tilt you head sideways and pretend that that's a representation of me, you can clearly see that I am very happy.
ReplyDeleteThis just in - Willie Nelson got a haircut.
ReplyDeleteDidn't Janet Jackson sing something about the Peter Principle?
ReplyDeleteSC tells the truth. That's a shocker.
ReplyDeleteI mean, Willie cutting his hair, not Scott Calvin telling the truth.
ReplyDeletePrepare yourselves for Thursday morning King Kong Ding Dongs.
ReplyDeleteWhatever Willie does is cool, you dig?
ReplyDeleteI am looking at some video of the start of the top kill process BP is attempting. This thing has a bunch of metal pipes and stuff on it. It looks like someone would have built in a stop button or vavle or something.
ReplyDeleteI think that part blew up.
ReplyDeleteThere are some strange looking fish down there, too.
ReplyDeleteThere appears to be a lot of the thing that didn't blow up. It is a big contraption at the bottom of the ocean. I had pictured it as a pipe. It is much more than just a pipe.
ReplyDeleteThis Willie Nelson haircut story is all over the place. What's next, Don King combs hair?
ReplyDeleteOkay, here is what is next. A train hit a baby in a stroller.
ReplyDeleteSteve,
ReplyDeleteIs any of that Michael's containment dome?
Hmmm, you may have something there PF. I haven't seen Michael today.
ReplyDeleteUF having a time with LSU...Looks like at least the top 3 seeds will fall.
ReplyDeleteUF and USC always seem to choke in those situations. It's just part of them being UF and USC.
ReplyDeleteSad but predictable day. As said Monday good pitching beats good hitting most of the time. Put good pitching in a big ball park and you have big hitting team in deep do do because ding dongs are warning track popups.
ReplyDeleteI still don't buy Auburn as a true big hitting team. They just hit so much that a good bit go out.
ReplyDeleteAmerican Idol death match is now on. I still say the show would be better with a gong and a hook.
ReplyDeleteThe Gong Show was far more entertaining.
ReplyDeleteGene Gene The Dancing Machine
ReplyDeleteLSU fans are loud.
ReplyDeleteLSU 9 UF 6 in the 9th
No Megan Fox in the next Transformers movie. Apparently she said no acting is involved. Just running and screaming. She has been replaced by a Victoria Secret's model with no acting experience.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLSU beats UF 10-6...
ReplyDeleteWow, rough day on the top seeds today.
ReplyDeleteIf Vandy can upset Arkansas, all top seeds will be playing in the loosers (sic) bracket.
ReplyDeleteSomething about that seems familiar.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: I don't recall ever seeing this happen so I don't know if there's a rule covering/preventing it or not; in baseball, if you're a switch hitter, can you change sides of the plate during the same at bat?
ReplyDeleteI'm now ready to predict the Braves will win tonight after batting around and putting up 5 in the 7th. I'm also not going to do any more work for "the man" tonight and I'm way past tired so I'm going to bed.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNow they've put up 6 in the 7th.
ReplyDeleteNorm,
ReplyDeleteNo. You can't do that. You really wouldn't want to, anyway.
A related topic,This caused a bunch of stink a few years ago as to how early you have to establish which way you're batting. Rules were made as a result.
Braves
ReplyDeleteOh, wait. It appears you can. Just not for a single pitch once the pitcher is in the ready position (rule 6.02(b)). Nevermind.
ReplyDeleteBandwagoneers, it's not too late to hop on board. Better hurry, after they're in first, sorry no new fans allowed.
ReplyDeleteI heart the baseball rule book.
ReplyDeleteThis is apparently the 5th straight year an 8 seed beat the 1 seed on day 1 of the tourney. SEC_Chuck said so.
ReplyDeleteAnybody heard which song won for the intro or do we have to wait until the 1st game?
ReplyDeleteWow, so I didn't actually get the first post? Scottie, what type of black magic dost thou have?
ReplyDeleteKathy, this is from the official site:
ReplyDelete"The winning song will debut at the Arkansas State game on Saturday, September 4."
All four lower seeds move on to winner's bracket. Geez.
ReplyDeleteGood morning, Hotties!
ReplyDeleteRise and shine!
GO TIGERS!!! BEAT USCe!!!
before we start the long commute, let's have a shout for...
ReplyDeleteBEASLEY!!!
ReplyDeleteand for Scottie B...
ReplyDeleteHELLOOOOOO KENNESAW, GA!!!
...where everyone, by law, packs heat.
Morning Hotties. Last day of work before a five day holiday. Looking forward to it. Business to attend to first, though. Mainly, South Carolina.
ReplyDeleteVamos!!
I consulted with Miss Cleo and she said a Big Cat Weekend post will appear at precisely 7:14 a.m. CDT.
ReplyDeleteLet's see if she was worth the $4.99.
Oh, and GOOD MORNING.
ReplyDeleteThe anticipation is killing me.
ReplyDeleteIs it 7:14 yet?
ReplyDeleteIt's like Chinese Water Torture!