[batted balls]

Max Mercy, Jr. here again, folks . . .

Those of you ready to blame Arizona State manager Bobby Winkles for the Sun Devils' putrid performance in the recent College World Series had better point your focus in many different directions.

Sure, this is the guy who gave way too many chances to Sean Lowe. Sure, some of his game decisions and lineup tinkering may have been a little questionable. But tell me why everyone wants to blame the manager in the face of failure? Don't the players have a big hand in the losing?

Let's examine the evidence: While many of the Sun Devils swung their bats well in the CWS (eg. Pat Listach, Hubie Brooks, Bob Horner, Mike Colbern), so many more were just plain awful. Let's run down the numbers: Reggie Jackson (.063), Barry Bonds (.167), Rick Monday (.182), Gary Rajsich (.222) and Oddibe McDowell (.235).

How about that atrocious defense? It virtually gave away game one. Game two wasn't all that much better. Bob Horner made errors at such key times that Winkles felt compelled to move him across the diamond from third to first for game four. That meant putting iron glove Hubie Brooks at the hot corner. ASU's defense was so bad it made France's Maginot Line look like the '85 Chicago Bears.

The starting pitching wasn't exactly stellar either. Sure, Floyd Bannister pitched well in game four but his Series-opening performance was lousy. Eddie Bane and Paul Moskau didn't exactly such down Ivy in games two and three. The bullpen just wasn't there at all. In fact, take away usual starters Gary Gentry and Craig Swan and what's left is a big pile of dirt.

So before you bemoan Bobby Winkles and point your finger in his direction, take a good long look at the players. After all, they're the ones who truly performed like Devils.

This is Max Mercy, Jr. signing off for the season . . . see you next spring.