Doug’s four-point stance: Competitive? Not really
Apr 8, 2013, 5:36 PM | Updated: Jul 26, 2024, 1:15 pm
LINDSEY HUNTER
Alvin Gentry was fired. Although not the main reason, he was fired because the Lon Babby and Lance Blanks felt like the collection of talent should have won more games. They thought the Suns should be competitive. The Suns lost a lot under Gentry, but they were almost always competitive in every game.
Right now, the Suns have lost 13 of their last 14 games. The average loss is by 15 points. Some of the losses in this streak aren’t to the great teams like Miami and San Antonio. Phoenix has lost by 27 to Toronto, 30 at Houston, 22 at Washington, 31 to Minnesota and 25 to a good but injured Clippers team. Is that competitive?
CLIFF PENNINGTON
In innings 1-9, he’s 3-for-20 batting .150.
In extra innings, he’s 4-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and one RBI — which was a game-winner.
STEVE BERTHIAUME
Full disclosure, I prefer Daron Sutton’s style of broadcasting local TV games. That doesn’t mean Berthiaume is bad at his job, just a personal preference. Daron seemed like he was sitting on your couch having a beer with you while Steve is a little more stoic. There is nothing critical there because I completely understand if you prefer a little more “straight-laced” local broadcast.
Having said that, Berthiaume provided an amazing tidbit of information at the beginning of Sunday’s broadcast. Paul Nauert was the plate umpire. Before the first pitch, Berthiaume gave a scouting report that was highly critical of Nauert. “His strike zone at the corners will expand and contract throughout the game.”
Berthiaume nailed it. Calls were questionable all night long. In crucial situations, both teams got robbed by terrible calls. In the bottom of the ninth, J.J. Putz clearly hit the corner for strike three against Jonathan Lucroy, which should have been the second out of the inning. Lucroy was granted new life by Nauert and tied the game with a single. With one out in the bottom of the 11th, Heath Bell threw a pitch 2 inches off the inside corner to Rickie Weeks which was, somehow, strike three. That decision dramatically affected the game because Kyle Lohse batted next.
JOHN BEILEIN
It’s amazing what well-coached teams can do against the Syracuse zone. Beilein beat Syracuse, but he embarrassed Buzz Williams and Tom Crean in the process.
