Loss to Vandy ALL on McDonnell...like Don Zimmer
- Thread starter ULSports
- Start date
I’d say that elimination games count as big ones. They (he) won 5 just this year. I get that it was a bitter defeat but, you’re out of your depth with your comments.
McAvene and Kirian haven't exactly been un-hit-able lately.
No one on this team has clearly outdistanced everyone else on balance. Smith IMO has had among the best starts in the postseason, along with Miller. You can't predict the future, and I was fine keeping Smith in there in the 9th inning...
No one on this team has clearly outdistanced everyone else on balance. Smith IMO has had among the best starts in the postseason, along with Miller. You can't predict the future, and I was fine keeping Smith in there in the 9th inning...
Last edited:
Our furthest advancement ever in the CWS. Literally only 2 other teams left playing. Once again, didn’t end with the NC we all wanted, but our best finish ever is still a pretty awesome season.
Luke reaction to Vandy player mouthing off with a FY wasn’t smart. You don’t use your energy & emotions in these situations. Vandy set out to rattle his cage and they succeeded. I thought for sure the pitching change would happen for the start of 9th. But what do I know. I’m just a fan. Great run by the Cards. Omaha Four is huge success. I expect a trip to Omaha next year and plan to check it off the bucket list then.
That may have been the best pure pitching performance I have seen at Louisville. I like that he was emotional, but I never like mouthing off to the other team. Celebrate with your team, love that.
He earned the ninth inning. No problem at all with him getting the ball. He gets Martin then walks Leday now that is where you can question the decision. I think it is a legit question. Normally McDonnel sticks his philosophy lefty on lefty for some reason he decided to stay with Smith. I have no issue either way. Their lefties handle left on left matchup's and Kiren hasn't been very good lately.
The game really was lost on the botched relay and bad offense. They get the guy at home with a good throw not great throw from Leavy. Then they get two bleeders to go through. Tough break. Offensively they just didn't get much from their 2-5 hitters all tournament long. Hard to win games when your best hitters are completely shut down.
This is a really good Vandy team and Lousivlle stood toe to toe with them just came up short.
He earned the ninth inning. No problem at all with him getting the ball. He gets Martin then walks Leday now that is where you can question the decision. I think it is a legit question. Normally McDonnel sticks his philosophy lefty on lefty for some reason he decided to stay with Smith. I have no issue either way. Their lefties handle left on left matchup's and Kiren hasn't been very good lately.
The game really was lost on the botched relay and bad offense. They get the guy at home with a good throw not great throw from Leavy. Then they get two bleeders to go through. Tough break. Offensively they just didn't get much from their 2-5 hitters all tournament long. Hard to win games when your best hitters are completely shut down.
This is a really good Vandy team and Lousivlle stood toe to toe with them just came up short.
Smith was at 107 pitches to start the 9th. Against a team like Vandy, you have to go with your closer in a one run game. It wasn’t like the starter was trying for a no hitter or even a shutout at that point.
I do agree that McAvene had not been pitching lights out lately. Had he been throwing like Nick Burdi, the decision in favor of going with the closer would have been more clear cut.
I do agree that McAvene had not been pitching lights out lately. Had he been throwing like Nick Burdi, the decision in favor of going with the closer would have been more clear cut.
Snyder sending the runner with a hit to the short stop cost us dearly.
Neither of the Burdi kids were terribly reliable in situations like those.
AND Vandy had no hand in this?!? No worse than this big mouth post of yours! I for one can do without the likes of you pulling for us. Screw you & SC.
Like we care what a fan of a program that has been to one super regional in its history cares. Go back to your own Board.
Shore up your program and maybe we get to smack you fellas around again in next year's Super...again.
It's easy for us to second guess the coach I guess. It's not hard to understand why he sent Smith back out there though. He was pitching great. He poked the bear though after the 8th and that made the bear angry. It cost him, and it made his coach look bad in hindsight.
It's the subtle distinction between has-been football program and never-been football program...
I don’t think the Vandy player (Julian Infante) was mouthing off. Infante isn’t wired like that and videos show no such incident.
Smith just got too fired up.
The Vandy dugout looked like a boy scout troop as well. Apparently Dan McDonnell thought so...
Last edited:
Not a great take. This was an outstanding baseball season, and the furthest they’ve ever been in the post season. Vandy is just better. It’s not like we lost to a team we were expected to beat. I’m really proud of the team.
Why do you think Vandy is culpable here? From everything I’ve seen, Infante was just going back to the dugout.
Have your heard otherwise?
I do know VU was chirping when they tied the game (which I didn’t love).
It is very common for teams to try to get in a hitters or pitchers head. There are reports the Vandy players were saying things throughout the game that were typical in baseball. Lets just say a camera caught the one Vandy player calling Smith a fagot in the ninth and that wasn't the first time that was said. Again that just happens in a game. Smith unfortunately forgot he was the center of attention. He will learn from it.
Lol - please post video of VU player calling Smith a fagot.
I hope that's not true but if so, kid needs to be disciplined imho.
I’d also like to add Louisville won 5 elimination games. That’s gutsy. Those were 5 potential season ending games and the Cards prevailed. Can’t win the big game? Just stop it.
So, you think our guy said FU out of nowhere? He was entirely unprovoked? Talk about Lol.
Unfortunately there is no way around this. If you get beat you want your best out there. Kind of like buck showalter in a one game playoff and he never got his closer Britton in the game. McDonnell stayed with Luke too long but he did it out of loyalty. I don’t have a problem with the decision but it’s shouldha couldha, wouldha.
I think it’s major fan homerism to try and defend Smith’s behavior all night, much less the FU stuff. If that type of behavior is ok with you, more power. I know I would be embarrassed if a VU player acted like that.
Im a little surprised to read people defending that or deflecting saying it was somebody else’s fault.
Just to be clear, one of my best friends is a UofL grad and he texted this morning saying he was embarrassed, so I’m guessing only a few feel like it was acceptable.
Not defending. Just saying it takes two to tango. There’s a zero percent chance Luke went off for nothing. This is the same guy who was at a children’s hospital offering support hours before the game.
This is what I'm having trouble wrapping my head around. Why???? He just went off?? In charge??
That’s fair. I bet he’s a better young man than he showed last night. I was actually impressed with his post game comments. Unlike a few fans, he just owned that he let his emotions get the better of him and was respectful to VU and his team as well.
