Marcus Mariota’s omission from the Heisman finalist group last season wasn’t the biggest travesty in world history, but he definitely should have been there. In fact, he played just as well as Heisman winner Johnny Manziel. Unfortunately, two things – both out of his control – prevented Mariota from getting the Heisman finalist spot he deserved: the team he played …
Why Kickers Deserve a Break
Kickers might be the most polarizing athletes in all of sports. Their only job is to kick the football between two goal posts, often during the fourth quarter when games are close, so the results of their kicks leave room for two possible narratives; If they make the field goal, they’re heroes. If they miss, they’re awful, disgraceful, should-be-playing-soccer scapegoats. …
The Overreaction to “Big Games”
A week after the Oregon baseball team got eliminated from the College World Series I went on Twitter with a question in mind: Were any Ducks fans angry at coach George Horton for this disappointing end to the season? I typed his name into the search bar and scrolled through the tweets, looking at the pages like I was watching …
Was This The Best Oregon Baseball Season Ever?
Don’t worry too much about Monday’s loss to Rice. The Ducks had a bad game. That’s it. Good teams have bad games. The difference between good teams and the ones that can’t even dream about the College World Series is that good teams have many more games like this one than like Oregon had Monday. The Ducks aren’t just a good team, …
Q&A with Baseball America’s Conor Glassey
I recently chatted with Conor Glassey, who is an MLB draft expert for Baseball America. He specifically focuses on prospects from the West, so he’s very familiar with the Ducks. While I had to ask him about his wild run-in with Paris Hilton, our conversation revolved around Oregon. Glassey talked about the players that will likely hear their names called …
The Two-Way Brilliance of J.J. Altobelli
Calling J.J. Altobelli the best defensive player on the Ducks is like calling Ryon Healy the best offensive player. It’s a reach to argue otherwise. Even though Oregon is a fantastic overall defensive team with basically zero weak spots among the eight positions, Altobelli stands out the most. He’s a wizard with the glove, he’s got a strong, accurate arm, …
Christian Jones’ Road to Recovery
One sentence can mean completely different things depending on who reads it. Take this one, for instance: “Jones entered the year looking like a potential top pick.” That is the first sentence in Christian Jones’ scouting report from this Baseball America article written last year, where author Conor Glassey listed the top MLB draft prospects from the state of Oregon. To …
Cole Irvin: The Commander
About a year ago, Cole Irvin had a decision to make: play for the Ducks or go to the minor leagues. The left-handed starting pitcher had already committed to Oregon, but when the MLB Draft rolled around in June, the Toronto Blue Jays decided to select him in the 29th round. We all know what happened next. Irvin rejected pro …
George Horton has All Bases Covered
Unfortunately, coach George Horton’s impact on the Oregon baseball team can’t be fully measured. He’s supposedly an excellent recruiter and I’m sure he motivates his players like General Patton, but there’s just no way of knowing what his effect in these areas truly is. Horton has so many tangible strengths, though, that figuring out if he’s a good coach is …
Ryon Healy is a Nightmare for Opposing Pitchers
Watch any Major League Baseball game when a fearsome hitter like Miguel Cabrera is batting, and you’re bound to hear announcers talk about how much fear he instills in opposing pitchers. Watch a Ducks game when Ryon Healy is at bat, and you’ll hear announcers say the same things. I can’t read pitchers’ minds, but it would honestly be a …
The Meteoric Rise of Oregon Baseball
My roommate worked at the Cape Cod Baseball League last summer, and he doesn’t hesitate to brag about the dozens of college baseball players he met there. Some of those players go to other PAC-12 schools, so he got a lot of grief when he told them he goes to Oregon. One of the players didn’t make fun of him, …
Jimmie Sherfy has Eliminated His Only Weakness
Ducks’ closer Jimmie Sherfy got the nickname “Wild Thing” because of his long blond hair, his animated demeanor, his follow-throughs on pitches … heck, maybe he howls at full moons. I don’t know the guy. But I think one of the biggest reasons he shares Ricky Vaughn’s nickname from Major League is because his pitches last year were often as unpredictable as …
