In light of the whole Rene Lyst situation, ASU has finally hired a new head coach to replace her. Lyst was hired after the retirement of John Spini, coming over from a position at Arkansas. Ever since then, it has gone downhill from there, and there were so many injuries and transfers that they couldn't even fill up whole lineups for a time. While they had a freshman class coming in that seemed like it could turn around, the injuries continued, and, eventually, she was placed on administrative leave, and it was safe to say this meant she would not return as head coach next season. For the rest of the season, their assistant coach served as interim head coach, and just in that time period it was obvious that the girls seemed a lot happier when they were not being coached by Lyst.
Elite and NCAA Gymnastics | Baseball
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Analysis: 2016 Rockies (May 2016)
The 2016 Rockies may not be amazing, but they are nowhere near as bad as people thought they would be. This piece aims to analyze the 2016 Colorado Rockies.
Now these Rockies, they aren't your typical Rockies, they aren't what people expected them to be. This team is different. I'm not saying they are the best team, but they are nowhere near the level people thought they would be playing at. No one expected them to be a .500 team. We have lived in the times of the bad Rockies, but reform is coming. And it is visible.
The offense, well what can I say. The Rockies always seem to have a solid offensive team. They will go through tough times, but they are usually solid. In recent years, they have struggled against lefties, but that's where guys like Ryan Raburn come into play, guys who typically crush southpaws. Raburn was a late sign, but Bridich and company definitely did a great job hunting the free agent market. Add to that other additions, Mark Reynolds and Gerardo Parra. And calling up Trevor Story. Yeah, that kid is gonna be something. Heck, he is something. Trevor has already made history in just the first month of the season offensively, and that is just the start of things for him. Yeah, he's struck out a fair share (not at all helped by the umpires at times), but I'm sure he'll adjust (much like Nolan Arenado has over the years in terms of strikeouts), and he's also had a number of great at bats that have resulted in walks. Add the newbies to the usuals, like Nolan, Carlos Gonzalez, DJ LeMahieu, and Charlie Blackmon, and you have a good offensive team.
The starting pitching, that has definitely improved as well. Tyler Chatwood is back after recovering from Tommy John surgery, and he has dominated, especially (and one could say mostly) on the road, where he has a 0.33 ERA. Those numbers have been inflated at home, but he has still been very good overall. Chad Bettis has also shown his share of great starts and has generally fared very well. Jon Gray has definitely come into the pitcher we thought he would be all along. At times he has struggled, but the stuff has always been there, and he has finally put it all together and gained confidence. This guy will be exciting to watch for years to come Eddie Butler was brought up once again from AAA Albuquerque, thoroughly impressing fans with what he's done. Ever since he first came up in 2014, he has struggled, contrary to the hype, but he has looked impressive in what we have seen of him thus far. Chris Rusin had a great first start, and he has suffered a bit since then, but serviceable. When he is on, he's on, but when he's not spot on, he struggles (somehow he gave up 7 runs against the Giants and still got the win due to a massive offensive turnout that burst out for 17 runs), yielding way to inconsistency (as if we didn't already see this last year). Butler and Rusin replace Jorge De La Rosa, who is on the DL with a groin injury, and Jordan Lyles, who initially made the rotation but struggled and was optioned to AAA.
They have also made additions to the bullpen. The bullpen has seen its up and downs, per usual, but there is promise there. For example, Carlos Estevez, who has been called up and shows poise, and despite some struggling outings, has shown great stuff and had great outings. Christian Bergman has been great in long relief, as expected of him. Scott Oberg has suffered from what he did last year, that is the home run, some, but there is promise and improvement there as well. Justin Miller has also performed in line with last year, until he is extended over an inning. Yeah, don't extend him over an inning, or else he will fall apart. End of story there. Just don't do it. Boone Logan has been Boone Logan, showing his veteran presence, generally good against lefties, and somehow managing to keep a low ERA thus far by means of inherited runners. But I do think this is the best we've seen him since he's been with the Rockies. Chad Qualls has been a solid pickup, but has had hiccups & not so sharp outings here and there (accounting for his 5.40 ERA, aka why ERA is not the best measure for bullpen guys). So far, Gonzalez Germen looks solid and better than last year, and closer acquisition Jake McGee has not dazzled as much as expected (the blown save against the Dodgers especially comes to mind). His strikeout rate has been down, and he still makes me nervous ever since the Dodger incident, but he seems to be good when he is on his game and into a groove. Adam Ottavino is still recovering from Tommy John, and when he returns it will be interesting how they slot him in if McGee is still around. Oh, and Miguel Castro also impressed until he went on the 15-Day DL, and acquisition Jason Motte has yet to see action, as he has been on the 15-Day DL since Opening Day.
The defense is still the defense. Nolan still has 10,000,000 Nolan being Nolan plays, DJ shines, and CarGo still has an arm, and Charlie makes good plays. Story, the rookie, has impressed as well, as have new additions Mark Reynolds and Gerardo Parra. Reynolds has proven to be a great defensive first baseman, and don't run on Parra either, or bad things will happen.
The Rockies may not be an amazing team, but they have definitely made improvements and are nowhere near as bad as some thought they would be (not to mention the prospects coming up, though their major league ability unknown, that have been doing well). This team will be great. Soon. Very soon.
Now these Rockies, they aren't your typical Rockies, they aren't what people expected them to be. This team is different. I'm not saying they are the best team, but they are nowhere near the level people thought they would be playing at. No one expected them to be a .500 team. We have lived in the times of the bad Rockies, but reform is coming. And it is visible.
The offense, well what can I say. The Rockies always seem to have a solid offensive team. They will go through tough times, but they are usually solid. In recent years, they have struggled against lefties, but that's where guys like Ryan Raburn come into play, guys who typically crush southpaws. Raburn was a late sign, but Bridich and company definitely did a great job hunting the free agent market. Add to that other additions, Mark Reynolds and Gerardo Parra. And calling up Trevor Story. Yeah, that kid is gonna be something. Heck, he is something. Trevor has already made history in just the first month of the season offensively, and that is just the start of things for him. Yeah, he's struck out a fair share (not at all helped by the umpires at times), but I'm sure he'll adjust (much like Nolan Arenado has over the years in terms of strikeouts), and he's also had a number of great at bats that have resulted in walks. Add the newbies to the usuals, like Nolan, Carlos Gonzalez, DJ LeMahieu, and Charlie Blackmon, and you have a good offensive team.
The starting pitching, that has definitely improved as well. Tyler Chatwood is back after recovering from Tommy John surgery, and he has dominated, especially (and one could say mostly) on the road, where he has a 0.33 ERA. Those numbers have been inflated at home, but he has still been very good overall. Chad Bettis has also shown his share of great starts and has generally fared very well. Jon Gray has definitely come into the pitcher we thought he would be all along. At times he has struggled, but the stuff has always been there, and he has finally put it all together and gained confidence. This guy will be exciting to watch for years to come Eddie Butler was brought up once again from AAA Albuquerque, thoroughly impressing fans with what he's done. Ever since he first came up in 2014, he has struggled, contrary to the hype, but he has looked impressive in what we have seen of him thus far. Chris Rusin had a great first start, and he has suffered a bit since then, but serviceable. When he is on, he's on, but when he's not spot on, he struggles (somehow he gave up 7 runs against the Giants and still got the win due to a massive offensive turnout that burst out for 17 runs), yielding way to inconsistency (as if we didn't already see this last year). Butler and Rusin replace Jorge De La Rosa, who is on the DL with a groin injury, and Jordan Lyles, who initially made the rotation but struggled and was optioned to AAA.
They have also made additions to the bullpen. The bullpen has seen its up and downs, per usual, but there is promise there. For example, Carlos Estevez, who has been called up and shows poise, and despite some struggling outings, has shown great stuff and had great outings. Christian Bergman has been great in long relief, as expected of him. Scott Oberg has suffered from what he did last year, that is the home run, some, but there is promise and improvement there as well. Justin Miller has also performed in line with last year, until he is extended over an inning. Yeah, don't extend him over an inning, or else he will fall apart. End of story there. Just don't do it. Boone Logan has been Boone Logan, showing his veteran presence, generally good against lefties, and somehow managing to keep a low ERA thus far by means of inherited runners. But I do think this is the best we've seen him since he's been with the Rockies. Chad Qualls has been a solid pickup, but has had hiccups & not so sharp outings here and there (accounting for his 5.40 ERA, aka why ERA is not the best measure for bullpen guys). So far, Gonzalez Germen looks solid and better than last year, and closer acquisition Jake McGee has not dazzled as much as expected (the blown save against the Dodgers especially comes to mind). His strikeout rate has been down, and he still makes me nervous ever since the Dodger incident, but he seems to be good when he is on his game and into a groove. Adam Ottavino is still recovering from Tommy John, and when he returns it will be interesting how they slot him in if McGee is still around. Oh, and Miguel Castro also impressed until he went on the 15-Day DL, and acquisition Jason Motte has yet to see action, as he has been on the 15-Day DL since Opening Day.
The defense is still the defense. Nolan still has 10,000,000 Nolan being Nolan plays, DJ shines, and CarGo still has an arm, and Charlie makes good plays. Story, the rookie, has impressed as well, as have new additions Mark Reynolds and Gerardo Parra. Reynolds has proven to be a great defensive first baseman, and don't run on Parra either, or bad things will happen.
The Rockies may not be an amazing team, but they have definitely made improvements and are nowhere near as bad as some thought they would be (not to mention the prospects coming up, though their major league ability unknown, that have been doing well). This team will be great. Soon. Very soon.
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Making Sense of the New Vault Code
Ahh, NCAA season is upon us. Meets every weekend, how glorious it is. This year, the vault code has been revised, and the infamous yurchenko full has been degraded to a 9.95 start value, instead of a 10.0 SV as in years past. The idea behind this is that it would reward the girls who do perform harder vaults like yurchenko 3/2s and other creative vaults. Additionally, it would reward those who do exceptional fulls (a la Alex McMurtry), as well as create variety amongst vaults being competed. Now, will this happen? It's only 2 weeks into the season (well 3, counting the Cancun Classic weekend), as we all try to make sense of these new rules and how they have affected teams in these first few weeks of the season, which is exactly what I'll do here.
In the first week, scoring amongst the 9.95 vaults (the fulls & such) seemed very tight and strict, however the girls doing 10.0 vaults seemed to be rewarded for their difficulty. When judging these vaults, it's important to note that a 9.8 vault would have been a 9.85 vault had it started from a 10, like in previous years. This is where it gets real interesting. The "what if?" hypotheticals begin to come into play, questioning the harsher scores such as 9.75s as "would this really have scored a 9.8 last season?". Emma McLean, for example, performed a gorgeous yurchenko full, complete with a stick, but only scored a 9.75, which I definitely think would have scored 9.85+ last season and in seasons past when the full started from a 10.0 (see: somewhere around 18:)), but my replay was being weird, here, if it doesn't work, be patient and mess with it). There are exceptions to this, as some scores were definitely just, and some meets seemed particularly generous, such as Kentucky's first meet and UCLA versus Bama.
In the last week, it seemed as if the judges got themselves under control. The scoring seemed just for the most part. See: See: Olivia Karas' vault from the Ohio State meet, which at the angle given in the stream seemed as if it warranted a higher score, but upon other angles it is seen that the just deduction was taken on her yurchenko 3/2.
But, judges will be judges and go crazy at some point. See: one judge giving Brandie Jay a 10 when she clearly had leg separation. Yeah there's the whole building on scores and judges trapping themselves scenario, but that definitely shouldn't have warranted a 10. There's always gonna be extremes. That's just how it's gonna be with judges. One meet, generous scoring, the other tight. And epitomizing generous is Florida home scoring in Gainesville. Ahh, the ever so famous Gainesville scoring. Those vault scores were whacked out. Some were higher than deserved, some were lower, and they definitely didn't seem to properly rank the vaults. The judges did a good job at distinguishing the different vaults, thus far seemingly sending a message that big scores will be given for properly executed 10.0 vaults, but they're not afraid to score an exceptional yurchenko full high or take deductions, though time will tell if it is actually worth it to upgrade vaults.
As of now, it's hard to formulate if it will be worth it, but by season's end we should know, especially if Super Six comes down to it. Being a new rule, some girls chose to stick with fulls, especially seniors who didn't want to learn something new, if they hadn't done it before (of course there's the Sloan exception and others), and if it proves to be worth it I'm sure others will follow. But for now, we'll just have to wait it out.
In the first week, scoring amongst the 9.95 vaults (the fulls & such) seemed very tight and strict, however the girls doing 10.0 vaults seemed to be rewarded for their difficulty. When judging these vaults, it's important to note that a 9.8 vault would have been a 9.85 vault had it started from a 10, like in previous years. This is where it gets real interesting. The "what if?" hypotheticals begin to come into play, questioning the harsher scores such as 9.75s as "would this really have scored a 9.8 last season?". Emma McLean, for example, performed a gorgeous yurchenko full, complete with a stick, but only scored a 9.75, which I definitely think would have scored 9.85+ last season and in seasons past when the full started from a 10.0 (see: somewhere around 18:)), but my replay was being weird, here, if it doesn't work, be patient and mess with it). There are exceptions to this, as some scores were definitely just, and some meets seemed particularly generous, such as Kentucky's first meet and UCLA versus Bama.
In the last week, it seemed as if the judges got themselves under control. The scoring seemed just for the most part. See: See: Olivia Karas' vault from the Ohio State meet, which at the angle given in the stream seemed as if it warranted a higher score, but upon other angles it is seen that the just deduction was taken on her yurchenko 3/2.
As of now, it's hard to formulate if it will be worth it, but by season's end we should know, especially if Super Six comes down to it. Being a new rule, some girls chose to stick with fulls, especially seniors who didn't want to learn something new, if they hadn't done it before (of course there's the Sloan exception and others), and if it proves to be worth it I'm sure others will follow. But for now, we'll just have to wait it out.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
8 NCAA Gymnasts to Watch in 2016
Tis the season to be jolly, with NCAA gymnastics that is. Every year there's bound to be new girls rising up to the scene, whether they be returners or freshmen that are new to the scene. Oh what fun it is to speculate and predict these girls. Especially if you're playing fantasy gym, it's good to be weary of girls up and coming, like I did last year with Nicole Artz. That was a good move, if I do say so myself. So, without further adieu, I present to you gymnasts to watch for this season.
1. Sabrina Schwab, Utah
Sabrina is a freshman at Utah who hails from WOGA (do I need say more?). From first glance you immediately notice her elegance, poise, and lines. Her bars are absolutely gorgeous (those lines though), and also usually pretty well executed. While her beam seemed nervy at the Red Rocks Preview, I expect her to emerge once season starts, as she's been a good beam worker in the past. She has great presence on floor. Her tumbling is solid and her dance elements are great and poised with that WOGA elegance and grace. With the senior class that Utah lost this year, I expect her as well as the other freshmen to emerge and take on roles on the team. (Note: I tried to find videos from the more recent Red Rocks Preview, but Utah, or anyone else haven't posted any of her)
2. Lizzy LeDuc, Illinois
The "I'm going to LSU, wait nevermind, I'm going to Illinois" girl has arrived on the scene. Previously a highly touted LSU commit, something went wrong and there was a miscommunication, so she changed her commit to Illinois. This is wonderful for Illinois, as I (as well as many other gymnerds) see her as a star in the making, and at Illinois she should shine brighter than ever. She had a stint as a junior international elite in the US from 2009-2010, but dropped down to level 10 after an elbow injury in 2011. More recently, she trained and competed internationally for the Philippines from 2014 until she came to Illinois in 2015. That alone is the makings of a great NCAA gymnast. Lizzy has a solid skillset, hailing from WOGA, though she switched to Metroplex. She could easily contribute to the Illini on all four events, especially beam, which is beautiful. Her floor is solid as well, going back to her US elite days, and it should just improve. I'm excited to see all she can contribute to the Illini these next 4 years. It should be great!
1. Sabrina Schwab, Utah
Sabrina is a freshman at Utah who hails from WOGA (do I need say more?). From first glance you immediately notice her elegance, poise, and lines. Her bars are absolutely gorgeous (those lines though), and also usually pretty well executed. While her beam seemed nervy at the Red Rocks Preview, I expect her to emerge once season starts, as she's been a good beam worker in the past. She has great presence on floor. Her tumbling is solid and her dance elements are great and poised with that WOGA elegance and grace. With the senior class that Utah lost this year, I expect her as well as the other freshmen to emerge and take on roles on the team. (Note: I tried to find videos from the more recent Red Rocks Preview, but Utah, or anyone else haven't posted any of her)
2. Lizzy LeDuc, Illinois
The "I'm going to LSU, wait nevermind, I'm going to Illinois" girl has arrived on the scene. Previously a highly touted LSU commit, something went wrong and there was a miscommunication, so she changed her commit to Illinois. This is wonderful for Illinois, as I (as well as many other gymnerds) see her as a star in the making, and at Illinois she should shine brighter than ever. She had a stint as a junior international elite in the US from 2009-2010, but dropped down to level 10 after an elbow injury in 2011. More recently, she trained and competed internationally for the Philippines from 2014 until she came to Illinois in 2015. That alone is the makings of a great NCAA gymnast. Lizzy has a solid skillset, hailing from WOGA, though she switched to Metroplex. She could easily contribute to the Illini on all four events, especially beam, which is beautiful. Her floor is solid as well, going back to her US elite days, and it should just improve. I'm excited to see all she can contribute to the Illini these next 4 years. It should be great!
Balance Beam - Lizzy Leduc ---- WoW!
Posted by Asia Gymnastics on Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Six Fantasy Gym Tips!
It's that glorious time of year again. Fantasy gymnastics is here!
If you haven't already, you can sign up here. Then you're set to get your drafting on!
Drafts are open and the fun has begun. I look forward to this time of year. Finals suck but knowing there's fantasy gym always cheers me up. I've participated for the past 2 years, and I've definitely done my share of learning strategies, as marked by a great average team score increase. So, I figured, why not share my tips. Let's get to it!
1. Do Your Research
Research, research, research! Know the strengths of each gymnast and plan accordingly.This is where Road To Nationals comes into play as a great resource to use. You'll need 5 slots minimum per event, so make sure you find a decent deal of all arounders and multi-event gymnasts who could contribute to your team. Preferrably, she should be able to consistently reach 9.8 or better, and if she is consistently scoring 9.875+, then that's excellent. And, while you may have heard of a gymnast, she may not be as good as you thought or as good as other girls as well.
2. Branch Out
That being said, branch out. Broaden your horizons. Just because a team is a lower ranked school, chances are there's at least one gymnast on their team that could be more useful to your team than a girl from a top school that doesn't compete. Not only that, but those girls are less likely to be picked by as many people, so you'll have more of a shot at getting her versus a girl who everyone will pick such as Bridget Sloan. Feel free to draft the top girls (the "Bridget Sloans"), but hidden gems will be very important to your success in the regular season.
3. Don’t Draft All of the Same Team
While you may be a fan of a certain team, it's important to selectively choose who to draft from each team, not just your favorite team or the team that’s the reigning national champion. Not everyone on each team will put up a great score or even compete. In addition, if that team happens to be one of the ones that has a bye week, you will be screwed in terms of scores if the majority of your team is composed of girls from a specific team.
4. Be Careful with Freshmen
Reigning Junior Olympic National Champion? Past renowned elite? Another girl in the Junior Olympic program? With varying backgrounds, all freshmen are different. While some freshmen do excel, it's important to note the issues that come with entering college. You never know how long it will take a girl to get acclimated to college and competing in college. You also never know what lineups they'll actually make, especially on teams returning the majority of strong lineups. That's where freshmen previews come in, courtesy of Balance Beam Situation. Pairing these with your own research, draft only the ones you think are likely to make a huge impact.
5. Be Aware of Injuries
Whether it's an injury from last season or a preseason injury, take note of it when you draft your team. You never know how they might respond compared to their previous selves, so be vigilant of this when drafting, but if you're willing to risk it then place as need be. You also don't want to draft a girl and when season comes you get her on your team and find out that she's out for the season with an injury such as a torn ACL. Stay up to date with new season ending or significant injuries and modify your draft as need be.
6. Use All 150 Spots
150 spots are provided for a reason! It can be hard to find enough satisfactory girls to draft, but it is necessary to draft all 150 girls in order to avoid getting a random gymnast on your team who may be no good whatsoever. With the increase in players last year, it became more necessary. My team last year went into the deepest part of my draft, slot 142, than it had gone in my previous year due to the increase in conference size. While they may not be your top choices, they will at least be sufficient to your needs as backups.
With all that said, good luck, and happy fantasy gymming!
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