MROD92 said:

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Moss was left in too long and TK should be leading off, but sure

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Duer needs to sit and Farr playing.

MROD92 said:

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Moss was left in too long and TK should be leading off, but sure

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I have it on good authority that close losses are still loses, no matter how well a team plays or what good decisions a coach makes.

Meaning wins are wins, right?

Sean98 said:

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bulverdeaggie93 said:

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Earley is the same coach tonight as he was last night

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Proven by Kiel batting in the 6 hole.

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What are your thoughts that with Kiel leading off, it negates his ability to steal? You don't want Kiel taking the bat out of Grahovac, Sorrell, and Hacopian by chancing a caught stealing. By having him down in the order, it gives him more freedom to use his speed to put himself in scoring position without risking that.

12th Man Ag said:

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That was way too level-headed for this board!

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This board was WAY more even keeled prior to Schlossnagle.

Kiel was 1-2 with 3 walks. I would say that's a pretty good on base %. Makes no sense to me.

Mr.Ackar07 said:

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Sean98 said:

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bulverdeaggie93 said:

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Earley is the same coach tonight as he was last night

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Proven by Kiel batting in the 6 hole.

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What are your thoughts that with Kiel leading off, it negates his ability to steal? You don't want Kiel taking the bat out of Grahovac, Sorrell, and Hacopian by chancing a caught stealing. By having him down in the order, it gives him more freedom to use his speed to put himself in scoring position without risking that.

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Seems we discourage anyone from running anyway. Even if he doesn't steal he occupies some attention of the pitcher and can still score from 1st on a double. It just makes no sense to me to throw a gun on base immediately after all of our best hitters.

Mr.Ackar07 said:

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Sean98 said:

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bulverdeaggie93 said:

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Earley is the same coach tonight as he was last night

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Proven by Kiel batting in the 6 hole.

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What are your thoughts that with Kiel leading off, it negates his ability to steal? You don't want Kiel taking the bat out of Grahovac, Sorrell, and Hacopian by chancing a caught stealing. By having him down in the order, it gives him more freedom to use his speed to put himself in scoring position without risking th

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Be like MJ not wanting to lead off Tyner because he didn't want to take the bat out of Holt, Scheschuk, or Truitt's hands.

Mr.Ackar07 said:

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Sean98 said:

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bulverdeaggie93 said:

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Earley is the same coach tonight as he was last night

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Proven by Kiel batting in the 6 hole.

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What are your thoughts that with Kiel leading off, it negates his ability to steal? You don't want Kiel taking the bat out of Grahovac, Sorrell, and Hacopian by chancing a caught stealing. By having him down in the order, it gives him more freedom to use his speed to put himself in scoring position without risking that.

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Or put the pitcher's head on a swivel and take his focus off solely making his pitch to Grahovac, Sorrell, and Hacopian.....or maybe even see more fastballs

Luke The Drifter said:

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Friday night's game didn't make him a bad coach.

Saturdays game didn't make him a good coach.

We'll know one way or the other in about 2 months. He has a lot of making up to do after the 2025 debacle. Maybe he can pull it off…maybe he can't. Let's talk again around mid-May or so.

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A sensible post….

I think Earley catches way too much heat. But I also think TK leading off is the best bet for this team.

It's one decision. I don't think that substantially changes analysis of his coaching acumen one way or the other. There's probably valid numbers to support either choice.

There is a lot of truth to this. And if the results were there no one would care about the process.

However, I would say this strikes me as an instance of the adage in tech that "no one ever got fired for using IBM…" TK at leadoff is definitely the safe choice and aligns with 100 years of baseball history which is why it's something g lots of folks are going to point out.

Yeah true. It's like the argument about going for it on fourth down or kicking the field goal. Analytics vs feel.

Here's the problem with your argument: none of it lines up with how the modern game actually works. The idea that sliding a firstround bat down a spot suddenly creates a big RBI advantage just isn't supported by the numbers. The difference in runnerson situations between hitting 1st, 2nd, and 3rd is minimal, but the difference in total plate appearances is real. Over a season, the leadoff spot still produces the most total run value because it simply comes up more. That's why staffs who follow the data keep their best hitters at the top not because they 'don't understand RBI chances,' but because maximizing opportunities wins over time.
And on the pitching side, the old clich you're leaning on doesn't hold up either. Modern TrackMan and pitchusage data show pitchers don't throw more fastballs with runners on; they actually go heavier breaking ball and offspeed in traffic because those pitches are harder to elevate and limit damage. Nobody in today's game is saying, 'runner on second, better challenge him with a heater.' SEC arms are coached to avoid barrels in leverage spots, not feed hitters more fastballs.
So this isn't a case of anyone misunderstanding you especially the coach. He I'm sure understand exactly what you're saying it just doesn't match the way the sport is played in 2026. You're arguing from assumptions that died a decade ago, and the modern metrics don't back you up.

Sean98 said:

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As is, "you don't agree with my thought so you simply don't understand."

Moving those guys down 1 spot in the lineup will barely impact their total ABs at all. It's not like we're suggesting you put them at 8. But it will give them a lot more opportunities to hit with guys on base. Turns out it's really hard to hit a SF, or even an RBI double if the bags are empty.

Let's not pretend that either side of this debate doesn't understand what the other side is saying. It's just that we patently disagree with the impact.

If it's just about getting your best hitter more ABs then why the hell is Gavin leading off instead of Hacopian or Sorrell? They're both better hitters with more power based on any metric you want to look at. So why aren't you demanding that he be a slave to his own theory?

I realize I'm at (past?) the point of looking like an Earley hater, and I'm not. I think he will be a fine coach one day, and he's a serviceable coach now. But he's young and arrogant to the point where it appears he'd rather double-down on his opinion instead of considering changes lest he look undecided. That's a sign of inexperience which is fair because he IS inexperienced. But the SEC is no place to learn on the job. Maybe D1 has one, but I'd love to see a non-maroon tinted glasses ranking of the baseball coaches in the SEC. Where do you legit think he'd fall in a ranking like that today?

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I eschew everyone who thinks they are smarter than the person with weight on his shoulders.

Best hitters at the top - makes sense. Of players on the team having played more than ten games, TK leads in BA and OB and is tied for lead in SB. Anyway, just win.

I eschew more than normal because I'm a ph agophobiac.. Not that there is anything wrong with that…

Edit: TA - Ph a go phobia is a word, and one to be taken seriously. Not censored. You don't censor medicine