Anyone else questioning the coach on sitting Jake and Ben??

[351hog]

I understand that sometimes you have to punish a player if they are loafing around in the pregame...maybe get in their face and yell at them, but you dont sit them during a huge series against Bama.  I mean we are talking about the pregame here.  Especially two players like Dugger and Chep, who we needed out there. 

[Knot2brite]

Wake up calls are sometimes very costly but if they work out in the end then they are worth it. Sometimes a player needs to be put on the bench to get their heads right. This not only sends a message to the two players but to the rest of the team that no group of players are better than the whole team.

[351hog]

Wake up calls are sometimes very costly but if they work out in the end then they are worth it. Sometimes a player needs to be put on the bench to get their heads right. This not only sends a message to the two players but to the rest of the team that no group of players are better than the whole team.

I see what you are saying, but do you feel that a series against Bama when we are 1 game from Vandy for the SEC crown is the right place for it?

[Knot2brite]

yes. There is no time table for making sure that the TEAM is first and foremost.

[demonHOG1013]

I think its a great statement. Van Horn is saying I dont care who you are, you are gonna do things the right way or you wont play. Its as simple as that.  Thats the way it needs to be done. Van Horn should be the next AD

[champ]

I would like to see a rotation of Willard at second Smalling at short, Chep at second Smalling at short then Chep at second and Willard at short during a three game series that way we get three good players in for two games a piece. Dugger has to be the Center fielder though

[Juboar]

He has done it before and it seems to pay dividends.

My faith in Van Horn remains.. Go hogs.

[WhenPigsFly]

Did you check out the averages of Dugger and Tschep for SEC play?   They are the lowest hitting of the regulars.......around .240.   I don't think benching them hurt that much.

[DOGALUM]

Great to see some discipline on the hill.  That's how you build a team.

[TuckFexas]

Did you notice the game they played in we didn't score any runs? Saturday we scored 12 runs. Thus, it made sense to go with the same lineup.

[PintailKiller]

You do it when it happens.  Seems like the suspensions by Holtz before the Orange Bowl worked out OK.  I have faith that DVH knows what hes doing and it will pay off.

[chiefsfan]

Wake up calls are sometimes very costly but if they work out in the end then they are worth it. Sometimes a player needs to be put on the bench to get their heads right. This not only sends a message to the two players but to the rest of the team that no group of players are better than the whole team.

I see what you are saying, but do you feel that a series against Bama when we are 1 game from Vandy for the SEC crown is the right place for it?

Winning isnt everything.

What does that tell everyone, well we would normally bench you, but because we are playing for the SEC title, we'll give you a free pass.   it basically says, you know what, winning is more important then team discipline

If this happens again and we are playing for the National Title, I would still say to bench them.   sorry those are the rules, and thats the breaks.  Its not like our offense didnt respond, we scored 17 runs in the last 2 games...   our pitching is what hurt us Sunday

[BigDave70]

sometimes you just need to sit a player and I think its time to sit Nutt he went 0 for 13 this weekend, I hope to see Julius or Murphree

[TuckFexas]

sometimes you just need to sit a player and I think its time to sit Nutt he went 0 for 13 this weekend, I hope to see Julius or Murphree

I'd like to see Julius get a few more AB's, but it seems as though he's most productive coming off the bench at this point.

[WilsonHog]

Absolutely the right thing to do.

Regardless of who the player is, the message from DVH is the same: do it my way or you won't do it at all.

[hogman64]

Not questioning it at all........I saw Friday nights game and it looked like Dugger wasnt going all out in centerfield and Tschep has had his problems in the field all year.......

[BigDave70]

Not questioning it at all........I saw Friday nights game and it looked like Dugger wasnt going all out in centerfield and Tschep has had his problems in the field all year.......

Thats why they got benched

[rudebaker]

dugger has fallen off here of late and i'm fairly certain that chep couldn't hit the broad side of a barn when he has to hurry a throw.  i like willard and smalling for our middle infield.  another thing, if walker fails to touch the ball (which he often has) the first game against ole miss, i say put nutt at catcher and let julius dh.

[litmachog]

Great to see some discipline on the hill.  That's how you build a team.

Agreed!!!  Keep it up Van Horn.  I respect him for that.

[3kgthog]

Personally, I like the discipline. It shows the other players that no one is above the team. It would've been nice to see that in basketball with Darian Townes as well as in football with all the lawbreakers that Nutt has given less than a slap on the wrist.

Look at it this way though. At least DVH didn't order a code red.

[wholehog92]

I completely agree with DVH.  Would you have preferred he wait until the tournament or CWS?  We had a strong position in the west and were pushing Vandy for the conference title and are still doing so with a team that has been shown who calls the shots.  It's a legit question though.

[zebra]

I am glad and proud to have a coach who will sit his players to gain their attention. 

Darian Townes, got a slap on the wrist when he walked out on a game, Stan Heath had no backbone. 

Playing time is the biggest motivator for effort! 

Thank you DVH!

[WhenPigsFly]

dugger has fallen off here of late and i'm fairly certain that chep couldn't hit the broad side of a barn when he has to hurry a throw.  i like willard and smalling for our middle infield.  another thing, if walker fails to touch the ball (which he often has) the first game against ole miss, i say put nutt at catcher and let julius dh.

Have you seen Nutt catch and throw?   He struggles to get the ball accurately back to the pitcher (not an exaggeration).  Walker needs to play for his defense and he will help on offense occasionally.

[hogman64]

dugger has fallen off here of late and i'm fairly certain that chep couldn't hit the broad side of a barn when he has to hurry a throw.  i like willard and smalling for our middle infield.  another thing, if walker fails to touch the ball (which he often has) the first game against ole miss, i say put nutt at catcher and let julius dh.

Everytime Tschep makes a throw from  second base I hold my breath, he really has problems getting it over to first...reminds me of the Dodger second baseman many years ago that all of a sudden couldnt throw the ball to first base without throwing it away half the time... was it Steve Sax?  not sure.... but anyway you just shouldnt have throwing errors from second base , it kills you............

[hogman64]

dugger has fallen off here of late and i'm fairly certain that chep couldn't hit the broad side of a barn when he has to hurry a throw.  i like willard and smalling for our middle infield.  another thing, if walker fails to touch the ball (which he often has) the first game against ole miss, i say put nutt at catcher and let julius dh.

Have you seen Nutt catch and throw?   He struggles to get the ball accurately back to the pitcher (not an exaggeration).  Walker needs to play for his defense and he will help on offense occasionally.

Walker has to play, correct.

[zebra]

dugger has fallen off here of late and i'm fairly certain that chep couldn't hit the broad side of a barn when he has to hurry a throw.  i like willard and smalling for our middle infield.  another thing, if walker fails to touch the ball (which he often has) the first game against ole miss, i say put nutt at catcher and let julius dh.

Everytime Tschep makes a throw from  second base I hold my breath, he really has problems getting it over to first...reminds me of the Dodger second baseman many years ago that all of a sudden couldnt throw the ball to first base without throwing it away half the time... was it Steve Sax?  not sure.... but anyway you just shouldnt have throwing errors from second base , it kills you............

It was Steve Sax, he totally forgot how to throw

[TuckFexas]

dugger has fallen off here of late and i'm fairly certain that chep couldn't hit the broad side of a barn when he has to hurry a throw.  i like willard and smalling for our middle infield.  another thing, if walker fails to touch the ball (which he often has) the first game against ole miss, i say put nutt at catcher and let julius dh.

Everytime Tschep makes a throw from  second base I hold my breath, he really has problems getting it over to first...reminds me of the Dodger second baseman many years ago that all of a sudden couldnt throw the ball to first base without throwing it away half the time... was it Steve Sax?  not sure.... but anyway you just shouldnt have throwing errors from second base , it kills you............

Don't forget Chuck Knoblauch (sp?)

[HogChic14]

I was out of town all weekend.  I was able to get scoring updates while gone but I had not heard anything about Dugger and Chep being benched for some pregrame antics???  What did they do???


:razorback: :razorback: :razorback: :razorback: :razorback:

[chiefsfan]

I was out of town all weekend.  I was able to get scoring updates while gone but I had not heard anything about Dugger and Chep being benched for some pregrame antics???  What did they do???


:razorback: :razorback: :razorback: :razorback: :razorback:

Not really pre game antics, just a lack of hustle in Friday's blowout loss.  Didnt seem like they really cared either way.    Next day they were benched and we won big,  So Sunday DVH decided to leave both on the bench as well.

[HogChic14]

ahhhh i see!  thanks chiefs!
It is good to see DVH take a stand in the discipline department.
That is surprising about Dugger though.  He always seems to be the one who is trying to pump everyone up when we are behind in games, and I always see him over there talking to whoever's on deck, like he's trying give them advice.
Maybe he's over there saying "hey, if you pop up or strike out, who cares?  just look good doing it."  lol

[Arkapigdiesel]

I understand that sometimes you have to punish a player if they are loafing around in the pregame...maybe get in their face and yell at them, but you dont sit them during a huge series against Bama.  I mean we are talking about the pregame here.  Especially two players like Dugger and Chep, who we needed out there. 

I don't question a GD thing Van Horn does because he's a winner and I put my trust in him.  We need someone like him running the athletic dept.

[BigDave70]

dugger has fallen off here of late and i'm fairly certain that chep couldn't hit the broad side of a barn when he has to hurry a throw.  i like willard and smalling for our middle infield.  another thing, if walker fails to touch the ball (which he often has) the first game against ole miss, i say put nutt at catcher and let julius dh.

Why Nutt catching and not Walker who is a better player?

[PrescottHog]

Why not sit Nutt he is O'fer it seems like at the plate these last two series give him a break and then see what he can do

[rudebaker]

i agree with sitting nutt for a little bit.  he went 0 for 13.  walker makes me mad when he takes that huge, slow (but powerful when he hits it) swing at a ball that doesn't even make it to home plate.  he is a great defensive catcher though.  whatever happened to hrozek, he did a decent job at dh earlier...i hope duggar comes back with a fire under his butt, we need him to be a freshman again.

[BigDave70]

i agree with sitting nutt for a little bit.  he went 0 for 13.  walker makes me mad when he takes that huge, slow (but powerful when he hits it) swing at a ball that doesn't even make it to home plate.  he is a great defensive catcher though.  whatever happened to hrozek, he did a decent job at dh earlier...i hope duggar comes back with a fire under his butt, we need him to be a freshman again.

I agree, Hrozek got to the plate 1 time this last weekend in the 9th on sunday and K'd