Rainbow Warrior baseball: No short cuts

Ethan Lopez celebrated his inside-the-park home run with teammates in a win over Longwood on Tuesday. / Photo by Bruce Asato, Star-Advertiser

The late, great Ferd Borsch once noted that baseball, as a sport without a clock, could conceivably have a game that never ends.

Well, we have a clock and we noticed that UH games involving video-review options take longer — much, much longer — than games without. According to our abacus and moon dial, the four games allowing reviews averaged 3 hours, 56 minutes. Games without the reviews averaged 3 hours, 14 minutes.

There are some factors. The replay monitors are a huff and a puff away for the umpires at third and home. Whether it’s the bright lights or the camera’s red lights, visiting pitchers seem to take longer in games involving reviews. In the opener, Portland’s starter pitcher took up to 40 seconds between pitches while grooming the mound. My cats spend less time cleaning the litter box. And the umps don’t seem to be in any rush to break up team meetings on the mound. Yes, candlesticks and place settings make nice gifts, but can we hurry this along? Opposing coaches should be like Mike Trapasso, who sprint walks to the mound, reminds a struggling pitcher to throw to the cup, and sprint walks back to the dugout.

But … but … but … and here’s the justification, with replays, the umps make sure the call is correct. And, darn it, you can’t put a time limit on getting something right.

* * * * *

The Rainbow Warriors will have updates on catcher Dallas Duarte (sprained ankle), center fielder Adam Fogel (sore shoulder) and pitcher Aaron Davenport (shoulder) today. Trapasso said Fogel and Davenport will meet with the doctor after undergoing MRIs today.


In Duarte’s absence last night, Tyler Murray received well in his first start this season following a wrist injury. Daylen Calicdan showed his range in patrolling center field. And Dominic DeMiero and Logan Pouelsen might have regained their pitching groove.

* * * * *


The ‘Bows have won five in a row and are 7-5 entering tomorrow’s series opener against Oregon. The Ducks entered the week No. 2 in the NCAA’s RPI. But Portland beat Oregon yesterday.

Trapasso, who makes the UH schedule, appears to have assembled another strong one this year.

The late-night ballpark. / Photo by Stephen Tsai

COMMENTS

  1. wafan March 6, 2019 7:49 am

    A long time between pitches could lead to some short cat naps. But, they could lead to some powerful snoring sessions.


  2. islandman March 6, 2019 8:46 am

    The UH baseball team is up to RPI rank of 116. Portland is now #30. Iowa #20,
    Oregon #3, Ohio St. #93.
    UC Irvine #15 and Fullerton #25.


  3. Stephen Tsai March 6, 2019 9:03 am

    Thanks, Islandman, for the updates.


  4. burro sabio March 6, 2019 11:43 am

    Even knuckle-ball pitchers take performance enhancing drugs. Unfortunate.


  5. cappie the dog March 6, 2019 2:10 pm

    burro sabio: (sigh)


  6. cappie the dog March 6, 2019 8:05 pm

    During the Les Murakami reign, I remember there was a 30(?)-clock in right-center field. It must have been used during the Easter Tournament. An experiment, like how Big East basketball would employ a conference-only 6 fouls as the metric for disqualification.

    Or that stupid rule they tried in a four-team tournament that gave the team the option to take the ball out instead of shooting free throws after a foul. I remember Hawaii played Bowling Green, and the game ended with three or four consecutive fouls and the Bee Gees chose the former each time, so Hawaii never got the ball back.

    And Nicole Lopez is close to hitting .500.


  7. cappie the dog March 6, 2019 8:07 pm

    It’s Longwood. But Hawaii looked reasonably dominant. One season, they played New York Tech and each game was a struggle. I still wish Dylan Thomas was the closer, but Coach Trapasso has no choice, I guess.


  8. islandman March 7, 2019 6:50 am

    cappie…..Wahine basketball team has clinched at least a #4 seed for the Big West tournament and a 1st round bye.


  9. Na Alii Pride March 7, 2019 10:57 am

    Why do pitchers that come in from the bullpen still get 8 warm up pitches when they’ve thrown at least a complete inning in the pen? That’s why games take so damn long.


  10. burro sabio March 7, 2019 2:10 pm

    #9 – so they can figure out who the new pitcher is, announce his/her name, and let the home crowd heckle them. But 5 pitches might make more sense, that’s all they used to give us in Little League.

    There shouldn’t be a different set of rules just because the game is on TV. This year’s College World Series will end in July.


  11. cappie the dog March 7, 2019 6:53 pm

    islandman: First of all: Who told Myrrah Joseph to shoot with one hand? And second of all, why is she on the court when the game is relatively in doubt? Put in somebody who shoots free throws with two hands.

    suckabooya: The theory is working. Mediocre team beats the more mediocre team. There is no analogue to the UC-Irvine men’s team. Very doable. NCAAs. 52 points can win a game in this conference.

    UC-Riverside announcers were very unprofessional.


  12. cappie the dog March 7, 2019 9:05 pm

    That double play grounder to first base with the bases loaded was disappointing, but I’m okay with the first pitch swinging approach. Hawaii batters take so many pitches. I like the aggressiveness.


  13. islandman March 7, 2019 11:22 pm

    Amazing comeback by basebows.
    cappie, we forgive Myrrah
    for the one handed FT’s since she made 6 of 9 FG’s


  14. suckkabooya March 7, 2019 11:37 pm

    Cappie

    I was listening to the game at work and when Davis scored (sounded too easy like UH was in give up mode) the two baskets to open the second half 40-25 down I shut the radio. When I checked the score after I finished work I was shocked they came back to win. I missed the adjustments by Ganot. Glad they figured stuff out though. Women too.


  15. islandman March 8, 2019 4:36 am

    Brocke 10 pts in 2nd half, also Green ,10. Eddie and Drew 9 pts each 2nd half, Carper 5 and Avea made a big 3 PtFG.
    UC Davis was 0 for 5 on 3’s in the 2nd half


  16. islandman March 8, 2019 4:47 am

    15. Brocke had 12 pts in the 2nd half


  17. cappie the dog March 8, 2019 6:50 am

    suckabooya: I was bouncing back and forth between Big West TV webcasts. I stopped when the margin of victory reached 15. Total shock. I have to watch it. See how it stacks up against the Butler comeback victory.

    islandman: My first thought was: She is setting women’s basketball back twenty-five years.
    I am on record of being adamantly pro-Brocke. But it kind of worries me that
    your walk-on player is sometimes your best player.
    I like Colin Ashworth’s closer hair. Coach Trapasso knows what he is doing. It’ll work.


  18. Inyoface March 8, 2019 9:31 am

    Good win for the BasketBows. I like Stepteau coming off the bench for added energy down the stretch.


  19. islandman March 8, 2019 10:32 am

    Pardon if Stephen doesn’t post for awhile , TV showed him in the press box at 9:59 pm last night. Then he had to get his article out for the morning paper


  20. suckkabooya March 8, 2019 10:58 am

    Cappie , Islandman, and Inyoface

    I agree. I too am uneasy that Stepteau (small defender, walk-on) is depended on so much to “drive the bus” (absolutely no affront to his abilities and the rationale for Ganot) and have to shoulder such an, at times “burdensome” duty. I’d like to see others share that burden. Would be nice to see him maximized as bench player (force adjustments by opponents) and used similar to how Clippers use Lou Williams. I (my opinion) would rather start the game with defense (Drammeh) to set a tone and then bring in some offense and energy. It seems as Stepteau stumbles UH loses. Shouldn’t have that much burden on a walk-on. Share the responsibility. BTW good to see Green contribute. 3 star guy. Time to step up.


  21. burro sabio March 8, 2019 12:03 pm

    If a walk-on is the best guy to drive the bus, what does it matter? Under other circumstances, he would be on scholarship. That’s like saying you’re uneasy that Colt Brennan or Bryant Moniz is driving the bus just because they were walk-ons. It is what it is.


  22. DaveLetterMan March 8, 2019 12:39 pm

    Believe Stepteau is on scholarship this year. In previous years his parents told Ganot that they were willing to pay his tuition if Ganot needed the scholarship.


  23. clyde March 8, 2019 12:54 pm

    Stepteau long ago shed his walk-on status and, in fact, is on scholarship this year and was for part of last year (or the year before). Frankly, he deserved a scholarship long before he got one and likely was put on hold because his family could afford the tuition.

    Yes, he might be limited on defense but he brings stability, consistency and leadership, and is clutch in crunch time. His presence was particularly needed against Davis because Sheriff struggled and Buggs seemed to aggravate his ankle injury, playing just 20 minutes.


  24. suckkabooya March 8, 2019 1:31 pm

    I get it. He does bring stability. He is a critical piece. My point was that he is too critical a piece. When I watched them lose to CSUN it looked like he was pressing and made some bad mistakes down the stretch. I would like to see some of the “stability” shared so he can maximize in an explosive way. Brennan and Moniz had much less burden (they had more shared blame) than Stepteau has right now. They win or lose because of him. Shouldn’t be that way. He is definitely not a walk on player anymore. Somebody help him.


  25. cappie the dog March 9, 2019 5:18 am

    burro sabio: Winning is all that matters. Point taken. I forgot that Moniz was a walk-on. Only the total offense leader, right?

    Beat CSUN: 2 games.

    UH: FG% 40.7 FT% 69.7 3PTFG% 32.9
    CSUN: FG% 37.8 FT% 66.9 3PTFG% 30.3

    Rebounding is the Matadors’ edge: CSUN: 43.4 UH: 32.9
    Tim Shepherd once went toe-to-toe with Shawn Bradley and played him even.
    Put Myrrah Joseph on Channon Fluker.

    Hawaii can win this game. And they will.


  26. islandman March 9, 2019 7:38 am

    25. They may try to run fast sometimes, to tire Fluker out. Also, Lauren can bother her, at times

    Fogel is out for the season probably.


  27. Stephen Tsai March 9, 2019 9:36 am

    New post: http://www.hawaiiwarriorworld.com/?p=49080


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