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batted balls · 07-28-2006, 02:41 PM

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

As you know Ole Max loves to watch his baseball. As you know Ole Max also loves to watch the ladies--lovely ladies, that is.

So just as Ole Max doesn't like to waste his time looking at homely women, Ole Max doesn't care to watch awful baseball teams. So while clubs like Michigan, Ivy, Cal and USC appear to be this year's bathing beauties, Oklahoma State stands the best chance of being left home on prom night.

Manager Gary Ward's Cowboys ain't ridin' so high this season. OK State isn't okay. The Cowpokes have the worst record in the AABL at 9-27. They're already 15 games behind USC and Cal, the two teams tied for first in the West.

This is a team that went a respectable 79-83 record and sixth-place finish just a season ago. How did things go south so fast? Ole Max is here to tell you.

1) Pitching--The Cowboy staff ranks last or near the bottom of every category. OSU pitchers have the worst ERA (4.49) and have given up the most home runs (36) and runs (190) of any staff in the league. Take away Tom Borland's 3-1 record and the OSU starters are a miserable 3-17. Closer Scott Williamson has just one lousy save.

2) Hitting--While the pitching deserves much of the blame, the offense clearly isn't what it was a year ago. Let's start with outfielder Pete Incaviglia. This "slugger" was an All-Star last season and even garnered some Golden Spikes votes at season's end. So far this year, Big Pete is batting an anemic .181. While he is among the West leaders with five home runs, Incaviglia has driven home just 12. Moreover, he has struck out 36 times in 144 at-bats. Don't blame it all on Big Pete however. Catcher Mickey Tettleton is batting .211; short stop Gary Green is at .193 and center fielder Doug Dascenzo at a buck twenty-five.

3) Injuries--Green, who hit 13 homers and knocked in 56 last season, has been bothered by shoulder problems. It's affected his swing but more concerning, it's hampered his defense. Green has already matched his error total (8) of a season ago. Pitchers Dave Mlicki and Mike Henneman have missed time with arm ailments as well.

4) Lack of Team Speed--Oklahoma State has yet to steal a base. Let Ole Max repeat that, Oklahoma State has yet to steal a base. That's right, folks, the Cowboys have yet to lasso one measly stolen base through 36 games. Sure this team is full of plodders like Incaviglia, Tettleton, Jeromy Burnitz and Robin Ventura. But manager Gary Ward has to take a few chances and try to create runs with guys like Dascenzo or even Chris Richards. Station-to-station baseball only works when all the locomotives are running smoothly. Take it from Ole Max, this railroad is full of broken tracks.

5) No Help from the Minors--Oklahoma State's farm system is ranked 17th out of 20. Its "top prospects" are more like suspects. Infielder Jay Canizaro and catcher Robbie Wine are rated 75th and 77th best on the top 100 list. That's pretty far down the pecking order, gang.

There you have it, folks, not much to cheer about in Stillwater. Gary Ward and the Cowboys are in for a long season. So if you are an Oklahoma State fan or alum, pull your Cowboy hat down low. That's where you'll find your team in the standings--low. So low, in fact, you can only see up.

This is Max Mercy, Jr. signing off until my next at-bat . . .

07-28-2006, 02:41 PM	#192 (permalink)
batted balls All Star Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: White Sox Country Posts: 1,319 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 posts	Oklahoma State Cowboys Ain't Ridin' So High--Max Mercy, Jr. Max Mercy, Jr. here again, folks . . . As you know Ole Max loves to watch his baseball. As you know Ole Max also loves to watch the ladies--lovely ladies, that is. So just as Ole Max doesn't like to waste his time looking at homely women, Ole Max doesn't care to watch awful baseball teams. So while clubs like Michigan, Ivy, Cal and USC appear to be this year's bathing beauties, Oklahoma State stands the best chance of being left home on prom night. Manager Gary Ward's Cowboys ain't ridin' so high this season. OK State isn't okay. The Cowpokes have the worst record in the AABL at 9-27. They're already 15 games behind USC and Cal, the two teams tied for first in the West. This is a team that went a respectable 79-83 record and sixth-place finish just a season ago. How did things go south so fast? Ole Max is here to tell you. 1) Pitching--The Cowboy staff ranks last or near the bottom of every category. OSU pitchers have the worst ERA (4.49) and have given up the most home runs (36) and runs (190) of any staff in the league. Take away Tom Borland's 3-1 record and the OSU starters are a miserable 3-17. Closer Scott Williamson has just one lousy save. 2) Hitting--While the pitching deserves much of the blame, the offense clearly isn't what it was a year ago. Let's start with outfielder Pete Incaviglia. This "slugger" was an All-Star last season and even garnered some Golden Spikes votes at season's end. So far this year, Big Pete is batting an anemic .181. While he is among the West leaders with five home runs, Incaviglia has driven home just 12. Moreover, he has struck out 36 times in 144 at-bats. Don't blame it all on Big Pete however. Catcher Mickey Tettleton is batting .211; short stop Gary Green is at .193 and center fielder Doug Dascenzo at a buck twenty-five. 3) Injuries--Green, who hit 13 homers and knocked in 56 last season, has been bothered by shoulder problems. It's affected his swing but more concerning, it's hampered his defense. Green has already matched his error total (8) of a season ago. Pitchers Dave Mlicki and Mike Henneman have missed time with arm ailments as well. 4) Lack of Team Speed--Oklahoma State has yet to steal a base. Let Ole Max repeat that, Oklahoma State has yet to steal a base. That's right, folks, the Cowboys have yet to lasso one measly stolen base through 36 games. Sure this team is full of plodders like Incaviglia, Tettleton, Jeromy Burnitz and Robin Ventura. But manager Gary Ward has to take a few chances and try to create runs with guys like Dascenzo or even Chris Richards. Station-to-station baseball only works when all the locomotives are running smoothly. Take it from Ole Max, this railroad is full of broken tracks. 5) No Help from the Minors--Oklahoma State's farm system is ranked 17th out of 20. Its "top prospects" are more like suspects. Infielder Jay Canizaro and catcher Robbie Wine are rated 75th and 77th best on the top 100 list. That's pretty far down the pecking order, gang. There you have it, folks, not much to cheer about in Stillwater. Gary Ward and the Cowboys are in for a long season. So if you are an Oklahoma State fan or alum, pull your Cowboy hat down low. That's where you'll find your team in the standings--low. So low, in fact, you can only see up. This is Max Mercy, Jr. signing off until my next at-bat . . . __________________ White Sox fan since 1972 Last edited by batted balls; 07-28-2006 at 02:53 PM.