The Official Tennessee @ Cincinnati Knoxville Regional Game Thread (Sat. May 31 6PM EDT) (ESPN+)

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#1,701
#1,701
preacherman20 said:
Not National Championship coaches from guys who have never coached anything at that level.
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Natl CHSP coaches are Infallible - ok I get it.

As any great coach (including Tony V himself) will tell the media, their players, their parents and anyone else, they make plenty of mistakes. Some of which are costlier than others.
 
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#1,702
#1,702
Not to the point that UT fans seem to do. I know someone will say it happens on all teams but I'm not a FAN of all teams, just UT. I don't get all the second guessing of a very successful coach's decisions that 99% of the time come out to be true. Can you imagine if he coached like some of you have suggested in the last couple of weeks where we would be? I get the that is probably not what I would do but the comments that he has no clue are out of line. I know I am the minority "on here" and some of you have no one to talk baseball and especially UT baseball with so this is your outlet but I would never put it on an open forum. I know I am blessed to have 3 sons and a wife who know baseball and I can have independent conversations with so maybe it is just me. I trusted Marcus because his stuff is good. I also have a lot of personal trust in Tony and Frank's decisions when it comes to pitching.
We are not a small ball team and never will be. We are not a pitch to hold runners team and will not be as long as Frank is there. I get his mentality because I have talked with him personally. His logic is to create guys who are not only successful here but in the pros and that has worked out pretty good. He teaches them to pitch like they will pitch in the pros. He does not do makeovers but small tweaks in guys. I also realize Kirby was the freak for Frank because he did not throw hard but he let Kirby be himself and it worked out pretty good. I will take a break. Have fun talking UT baseball with each other. I apologize for my continuous harassment of those of you who need an outlet. Have fun. See you in Omaha.
 
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#1,703
#1,703
preacherman20 said:
Not to the point that UT fans seem to do. I know someone will say it happens on all teams but I'm not a FAN of all teams, just UT. I don't get all the second guessing of a very successful coach's decisions that 99% of the time come out to be true. Can you imagine if he coached like some of you have suggested in the last couple of weeks where we would be? I get the that is probably not what I would do but the comments that he has no clue are out of line. I know I am the minority "on here" and some of you have no one to talk baseball and especially UT baseball with so this is your outlet but I would never put it on an open forum. I know I am blessed to have 3 sons and a wife who know baseball and I can have independent conversations with so maybe it is just me. I trusted Marcus because his stuff is good. I also have a lot of personal trust in Tony and Frank's decisions when it comes to pitching.
We are not a small ball team and never will be. We are not a pitch to hold runners team and will not be as long as Frank is there. I get his mentality because I have talked with him personally. His logic is to create guys who are not only successful here but in the pros and that has worked out pretty good. He teaches them to pitch like they will pitch in the pros. He does not do makeovers but small tweaks in guys. I also realize Kirby was the freak for Frank because he did not throw hard but he let Kirby be himself and it worked out pretty good. I will take a break. Have fun talking UT baseball with each other. I apologize for my continuous harassment of those of you who need an outlet. Have fun. See you in Omaha.
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Go on SEC rant or r/collegebaseball. We’re not uniquely bad in any way.
 
#1,706
#1,706
preacherman20 said:
I’m not a message board Guy. This is the only one I go on in my very full life. The only reason I keep coming back to this one is the great relationships I have built over six years.
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It’s kind of mind boggling how many puff their chest out to being a “message board guy or girl”. It’s like the more you post, the cooler you are. Very weird.
 
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#1,707
#1,707
VolsLFC said:
It’s kind of mind boggling how many puff their chest out to being a “message board guy or girl”. It’s like the more you post, the cooler you are. Very weird.
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I don't get what you are saying, but in Preacherman20, he knows what he knows which is worth the read. Considering his opinions, information and knowledge hard to disagree with when it comes to Tennessee Baseball.
 
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#1,708
#1,708
Cincinnati was suppose to be one of those steal base/small ball teams, and Marcus shut them down. Tony made mention that he was frustrated with the base stealing,, and since he said that, Marcus has kept them in check and runners have been thrown out.

In other news, Vandy and Texas are in the loser bracket. That makes things so much harder.
 
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#1,709
#1,709
Sudden Impact said:
I don't get what you are saying, but in Preacherman20, he knows what he knows which is worth the read. Considering his opinions, information and knowledge hard to disagree with when it comes to Tennessee Baseball.
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Oh I know! Preacherman is a good dude. He sat with my father a few years ago at a SEC tournament game. Anytime he posts, I listen.

I was just echoing his comment that he isn’t a message board guy, which I take to be a good thing. There are some one here that literally must spend most of their days on here, and it seems they think that somehow makes them “cool” and right on all fronts.
 
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#1,710
#1,710
vol_smoothie said:
Good Lord, we just gotta make games interesting with our shaky defense,
Coach Vitello's teams have never had defense as their strong suit, but this season has been worse.
How much does the coaching staff stress defense for this program or is it just, "we'll outscore everybody" ?
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They don't care about defense. Guys like Antigua are on the team because of the ability to mash. Chicks dig the long ball.
 
#1,711
#1,711
patrick said:
Serious question --- do you really think/believe that Coaches are beyond criticism/critique?
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Serious Answer:

I think the coaches are beyond "Criticism," but not discussion. When my children make bad decisions, I give them a chance to explain their thought processes. Sometimes, what I thought was a bad decision is actually rooted in good thought process that are missing steps. Sometimes, the decision is just plain wrong. I can criticize the "just plain wrongg", but not until I know why they did what they did.

Too many times fans make conclusive statements without any regard for information coaches have: who is sick, who has a blister, who has been up and warming in the pen, if we pitch this guy today, who do we pitch tomorrow?

It is easy to piss and moan and say "take him out," but there is no consequence to a fan for their impatience with the players on the field.

How many posters wanted Phillips pulled in the 3d yesterday. That could have put us in a bad spot rotation/depth wise, especially if we lose tonight and have to go again tomorrow.

How many wanted Dean pulled and said he should not play again? Without him, and some clutch RBIs, we may not win as comfortably yesterday, if at all.

Who knows, maybe without Phillips and Dean we blister people 15-0, I don't know.

What I do know is that in order to make decisions our fans make, coaches have to make decisions wayyyyyy earlier - getting guys up in the pen, considering what happens if a game goes into extra innings, considering matchups, player psyches, planning for the following day's game, etc.

I have no problem with a fan making suggestions about what they would have done, I just find it more interesting when they can give me their reasons why they make those decisions, or tell me about what they expect to do at the time a coach has to make that call (eg, getting guys up ion the pen,or making the defensive replacement BEFORE the error, etc)

Doing otherwise is just bellyaching, and doesn't really add to the conversation. So, when posters want to make those suggestions, I am going to ask for their reasoning. That's not me policing the board; I recognize there are a lot of folks on here who have a lot of knowledge about the game, and about this team, specifically. I am not too proud to learn.

If fans don't want to be questioned about what they think the coaches should do, perhaps they shouldn't be questioning the coaches.

JMO.
 
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#1,716
#1,716
Ritzwatch said:
Serious Answer:

I think the coaches are beyond "Criticism," but not discussion. When my children make bad decisions, I give them a chance to explain their thought processes. Sometimes, what I thought was a bad decision is actually rooted in good thought process that are missing steps. Sometimes, the decision is just plain wrong. I can criticize the "just plain wrongg", but not until I know why they did what they did.

Too many times fans make conclusive statements without any regard for information coaches have: who is sick, who has a blister, who has been up and warming in the pen, if we pitch this guy today, who do we pitch tomorrow?

It is easy to piss and moan and say "take him out," but there is no consequence to a fan for their impatience with the players on the field.

How many posters wanted Phillips pulled in the 3d yesterday. That could have put us in a bad spot rotation/depth wise, especially if we lose tonight and have to go again tomorrow.

How many wanted Dean pulled and said he should not play again? Without him, and some clutch RBIs, we may not win as comfortably yesterday, if at all.

Who knows, maybe without Phillips and Dean we blister people 15-0, I don't know.

What I do know is that in order to make decisions our fans make, coaches have to make decisions wayyyyyy earlier - getting guys up in the pen, considering what happens if a game goes into extra innings, considering matchups, player psyches, planning for the following day's game, etc.

I have no problem with a fan making suggestions about what they would have done, I just find it more interesting when they can give me their reasons why they make those decisions, or tell me about what they expect to do at the time a coach has to make that call (eg, getting guys up ion the pen,or making the defensive replacement BEFORE the error, etc)

Doing otherwise is just bellyaching, and doesn't really add to the conversation. So, when posters want to make those suggestions, I am going to ask for their reasoning. That's not me policing the board; I recognize there are a lot of folks on here who have a lot of knowledge about the game, and about this team, specifically. I am not too proud to learn.

If fans don't want to be questioned about what they think the coaches should do, perhaps they shouldn't be questioning the coaches.

JMO.
Click to expand...

Tony V himself has admitted that he has made and will continue to make mistakes.

Interestingly the Cambridge Dictionary defines criticism as “writing or speech that expresses opinions or judgments about the good or bad qualities of something or someone”. Based upon that definition, this chat board could be classified as “criticism”. But I’m sure you are speaking more towards “negative” criticism. I just have a differing opinion on this subject and think that these coaches are not and should not be immune of criticism - everything is not candy and nuts and all things great all the time - even roses have thorns that can prick your finger.

Tony V makes 3 million a year and receives loads of accolades, positive critiques and “pats on the back”. Criticism comes with the territory. Otherwise this board will just become an echo chamber.

Taking Dean C as an example that you mentioned above. He has had a pretty abysmal season in the field but as you noted he has come through at the plate with a number of crucial RBIs. I would never have been benched him but I did believe that just having him DH could have been a good and serviceable decision. I really think Tony V’s decision to move him all over the infield added to Dean’s fielding woes and put a ton of pressure on him. On a side note Dean is probably an outfielder at the next level, but I digress.

Anyway to each their own. Perhaps for me - it is a product of my profession wherein my work is critiqued with great frequency.
 
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#1,717
#1,717
VolsLFC said:
It’s kind of mind boggling how many puff their chest out to being a “message board guy or girl”. It’s like the more you post, the cooler you are. Very weird.
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…cf: @SNAFU ‘s recent thread regarding the 2026 roster construction. Even has a secret invitation for the “initiated”.
 
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#1,718
#1,718
Ritzwatch said:
Serious Answer:

I think the coaches are beyond "Criticism," but not discussion. When my children make bad decisions, I give them a chance to explain their thought processes. Sometimes, what I thought was a bad decision is actually rooted in good thought process that are missing steps. Sometimes, the decision is just plain wrong. I can criticize the "just plain wrongg", but not until I know why they did what they did.

Too many times fans make conclusive statements without any regard for information coaches have: who is sick, who has a blister, who has been up and warming in the pen, if we pitch this guy today, who do we pitch tomorrow?

It is easy to piss and moan and say "take him out," but there is no consequence to a fan for their impatience with the players on the field.

How many posters wanted Phillips pulled in the 3d yesterday. That could have put us in a bad spot rotation/depth wise, especially if we lose tonight and have to go again tomorrow.

How many wanted Dean pulled and said he should not play again? Without him, and some clutch RBIs, we may not win as comfortably yesterday, if at all.

Who knows, maybe without Phillips and Dean we blister people 15-0, I don't know.

What I do know is that in order to make decisions our fans make, coaches have to make decisions wayyyyyy earlier - getting guys up in the pen, considering what happens if a game goes into extra innings, considering matchups, player psyches, planning for the following day's game, etc.

I have no problem with a fan making suggestions about what they would have done, I just find it more interesting when they can give me their reasons why they make those decisions, or tell me about what they expect to do at the time a coach has to make that call (eg, getting guys up ion the pen,or making the defensive replacement BEFORE the error, etc)

Doing otherwise is just bellyaching, and doesn't really add to the conversation. So, when posters want to make those suggestions, I am going to ask for their reasoning. That's not me policing the board; I recognize there are a lot of folks on here who have a lot of knowledge about the game, and about this team, specifically. I am not too proud to learn.

If fans don't want to be questioned about what they think the coaches should do, perhaps they shouldn't be questioning the coaches.

JMO.
Click to expand...
Well composed response. I agree 💯
 
#1,719
#1,719
patrick said:
Tony V himself has admitted that he has made and will continue to make mistakes.
Click to expand...
Agreed. I have never asserted the coaches are infallible in their judgment, just that expressing negative opinions of those decisions without discussion is not enlightening or productive.
patrick said:
Interestingly the Cambridge Dictionary defines criticism as “writing or speech that expresses opinions or judgments about the good or bad qualities of something or someone”. Based upon that definition, this chat board could be classified as “criticism”. But I’m sure you are speaking more towards “negative” criticism.
Click to expand...
Close, I think you actually come really close to my answer with your further reply:
patrick said:
Perhaps for me - it is a product of my profession wherein my work is critiqued with great frequency.
Click to expand...
Ah, that is what I am looking for! “Critique”
Following your lead, I checked the definition of “critique”:
IMG_5370.jpeg

I like this much better than “criticize.”

I think I will revise my initial expression: People criticizing coaches is boring; most of the time, it adds nothing to the conversation.

I am, however, all for a critique. Give me your evaluation: the what, the when, the why.

I suspect at your work, hearing someone’s *opinion* of your performance or work is far less valuable to you than hearing a detailed analytical assessment of your work. That is what you can actually use to better your performance.

That is what I was striving, apparently poorly, to articulate.

Critique > Criticism. 👍🏾.

This discussion, as an example, helped me refine my argument and improved it by challenging me to be better in my use of vocabulary to be more precise in my meaning. I appreciate that. I have gained something from this where I wouldn’t from snarky back and forth.

Thank you for the opportunity to grow together and be better.

See you in the game thread, P. 😉

GBO!
 
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#1,722
#1,722
Ritzwatch said:
Agreed. I have never asserted the coaches are infallible in their judgment, just that expressing negative opinions of those decisions without discussion is not enlightening or productive.

Close, I think you actually come really close to my answer with your further reply:

Ah, that is what I am looking for! “Critique”
Following your lead, I checked the definition of “critique”:
View attachment 745760

I like this much better than “criticize.”

I think I will revise my initial expression: People criticizing coaches is boring; most of the time, it adds nothing to the conversation.

I am, however, all for a critique. Give me your evaluation: the what, the when, the why.

I suspect at your work, hearing someone’s *opinion* of your performance or work is far less valuable to you than hearing a detailed analytical assessment of your work. That is what you can actually use to better your performance.

That is what I was striving, apparently poorly, to articulate.

Critique > Criticism. 👍🏾.

This discussion, as an example, helped me refine my argument and improved it by challenging me to be better in my use of vocabulary to be more precise in my meaning. I appreciate that. I have gained something from this where I wouldn’t from snarky back and forth.

Thank you for the opportunity to grow together and be better.

See you in the game thread, P. 😉

GBO!
Click to expand...

I have to admit that Im in agreement with this. And yes my work is thoroughly analyzed. This past week my Summary Judgment brief was subjected to “brutal” assessment - lol - and I’ve been practicing for almost 30 years. It’s a tough process but it improves and refines the product and my skills. Do I like the process - not really but I accept it, because work and life are IMO about improvement.
 
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