Please Stop the Second Guessing – From the Bird’s Nest

Stop the madness, already.

Will people please quit second guessing LSU coach Paul Mainieri for his decision to start Jared Poche in the Tigers' first game of the College World Series....

Because if he did what you wanted him to do, the Tigers are probably headed home right now.

After freshman Alex Lange pitched eight masterful innings after a rough first inning against Cal St. Fullerton, the brilliant fans of LSU decided Mainieri was an idiiot.

I think he was crazy like a fox.  Everyone seems to forget in their game against TCU, the Tigers' offense looked the same as it looked during most of the post season.

Anemic.

TCU's Preston Morrison absolutely and totally cut up the Tigers in Sunday's game.  He allowed just one run over seven innings and the only reason he was taken out was the Horned Frogs had a commanding lead.  Otherwise, he probably finishes LSU.  And, if not, their closer (who struck out the side in the ninth) does.

Had Lange pitched exactly as he did against Cal State Fullerton, the Tigers still would have lost to TCU.

And, that means LSU could very well be headed home right now.

So, stop, already.  LSU's offense finally woke up against the Titans on Tuesday. But there's no proof that would have been good enough with Poche on the mound on Tuesday.

Mainieri said his decision to start Poche against TCU was because of the plethora of left handed hitters the Frogs would send to the plate.  And, no one questioned his decision at the time.

It was only after the sophomore from Lutcher struggled that the questions starting flying.  And those questions got even more pointed after Lange dominated CSF after the first inning.

Reality is, LSU could be headed home right now.

DON'T MESS WITH THE BASEBALL GODS--In the Tuesday night game, ESPN sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung mentioned a no hitter to TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle and the coach of the Horned Frogs looked pained.

With good reason.

The next inning, Vandy hit a homer for the only run of the game.

ESPN's Karl Ravetch  and Kyle Peterson were quick to say the mention of the no hitter had no bearing on the homer.  It was obvious they were trying to protect Hartung.

But they knew what we knew.

You never mess with a no hitter.  That unwritten rule of baseball has held true over the years.  And, while, why logic will state the mention wasn't related to reality, those who follow baseball know better.

If you mention how quickly a game is moving, it will go extra innings.  If you talk about how a pitcher is pounding the strike zone, he will walk the next hitter. If you say "no hitter" it will end the following inning.

It's just the way it goes.

Ravech and Peterson did the best they could covering for Hartung.  But they knew it too.