Thoughts of the Day: July 13, 2021

A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning:

THE POLAR BEAR STRIKES AGAIN!

It was The Pete Alonso Show in Denver as the former Gator launched 74 homers in the annual Home Run Derby Monday night. Alonso hit a record 35 homers in the first round when his longest traveled 514 feet and average distance was 447. His hardest hit homer in the first round had an exit velocity of 115 miles per hour and traveled 453 feet.

After dispatching Salvatore Pena 35-28 in the first round, Alonso eliminated Juan Soto 16-15 in the second. Alonso still had 1:03 on the clock when he hit the homer that ended Soto’s night. His average second round homer went 450 feet with his longest going 498. His hardest hit homer had a 113 mile per hour exit velocity and traveled 458 feet.

In the third round, Baltimore’s Trey Mancini came up big with 22 home runs, but Alonso made it look easy, hitting 23 including all six of his bonus swings. His longest homer of the final round was on his first swing – 509 feet – and his average home run distance was 464 feet with a hardest hit of 117 miles per hour that went 495 feet.

This was Alonso’s second Home Run Derby crown. Shohei Otani, who leads the majors with 33 homers at the All-Star break, was eliminated in the first round by Juan Soto, although it took two tiebreakers to do it.

SEVEN GATORS DRAFTED IN ROUNDS 2-10

Starting with center fielder Jud Fabian going to Boston with the fourth pick of the second round of the Major League Baseball Draft, it was a very good day for the Gators. Six others were called by the time the 10thround concluded Monday – pitcher Tommy Mace, Cleveland (2), catcher Nathan Hickey, Boston (5), pitcher Christian Scott, New York Mets (5), outfielder Jacob Young, Washington (7), pitcher Jack Leftwich, Cleveland (7) and pitcher Franco Aleman, Cleveland (10).

Additionally, shortstop/second baseman Jake Fox (6-0, 185, Lakeland, FL Lakeland Christian) was taken by the Cleveland Indians in the third round. Fox was the only Gator signee drafted on Monday. Sunday night, three signees – pitcher Andrew Painter (6-7, 230, Pompano Beach, FL Calvary Christian), pitcher Chase Petty (6-0, 180, Somerset, NJ Mainland Regional) and center fielder Jay Allen (6-3, 190, Fort Pierce, FL John Carroll Catholic) – were taken in the first round.

From the fifth round onward, perhaps 75-85 percent of the draftees were fourth-year collegians. With the cutback in draft rounds (from 40 to 20) and the reduction in minor league teams (most teams have only six, some have seven) teams were going for collegiate players who will require less time to develop. That only four signees from Florida’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class were taken in the first 10 rounds bodes well for HBC Kevin O’Sullivan.

The bonus pool after the 10th round shrinks considerably (11th round money will dip below $100,000 and continue to drop from there), making it less likely high school kids will sign and more likely the trend to fourth-year players who figure to sign since their options are limited moving forward. In particular, the Gators figure to hold on to catcher Rene Lastres (6-3, 205, Hialeah, FL Calvary Christian), lefthanded pitchers Jac Caglianone (6-5, 210, Tampa, FL Plant), Pierce Coppola (6-8, 220, Verona, NJ) and Phil Abner (6-1, 220, Port Charlotte, FL Charlotte Christian), outfielders Ty Evans (6-2, 200, Lakeland, FL Lakeland Christian), Michael Robertson (6-1, 180, Venice, FL), Corey Robinson (5-11, 165, Port Orange, FL Spruce Creek) and Matthew Prevesk (6-3, 190, Apopka, FL), infielders Deric Fabian (6-4, 180, Ocala, FL North Marion) and Jorge De Goti (6-1, 180, Miami, FL Belen Jesuit Prep) and righthanded pitchers Kyle Larson (6-2, 225, Sanford, FL TNXL Academy) and Karl Hartman (6-4, 213, Rockledge, FL Merritt Island).

The draft concludes with rounds 11-20 today.

RANKING THE SEC QUARTERBACK COACHES/OFFENSIVE COORDINATORS

1. Dan Mullen, Florida: He won national championships with Chris Leak and Tim Tebow as his quarterbacks when he was Florida’s offensive coordinator from 2005-08. Tebow won the 2007 Heisman and should have won it in 2008 when he was actually a better QB than the year before. Alabama wanted Dak Prescott as a linebacker. Mullen turned him into a stud QB and turned Nick Fitzgerald from nobody into the SEC’s all-time leading QB rusher. As Florida’s head coach he made Feleipe Franks respectable and turned Kyle Trask into a second round draft pick. His next project is Emory Jones.

2. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss: Here is everything you need to know about Lane Kiffin as a quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator. He turned Jonathan Crompton into an NFL draft choice at Tennessee in 2009 and won a national championship with Jacob Coker as the offensive coordinator at Alabama. Matt Corrall averaged more than 10 yards a pass attempt and threw for 3,307 yards and 28 touchdowns last year at Ole Miss. You make not like him personally, but Lake Kiffin does know how to coach up quarterbacks and call plays.

3. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M: Jimbo has a strong history with quarterbacks dating back to LSU where he won a national championship with Matt Mauck and turned JaMarcus Russell into the top draft pick in the NFL. He won a national championship as the head coach at FSU with Jameis Winston winning the Heisman in 2013 and he turned Kellen Mond into a respectable, draftable quarterback at Texas A&M. Haynes King is his 2021 project.

4. Mike Leach, Mississippi State: The Pirate does things like turn East Carolina transfer Gardner Minshew II into the nation’s leading passer (Washington State, 2018). At every stop in his coaching career, year one has speed bumps but year two the offense takes off and the QB has a really big year. This is year two at MSU with Will Rogers and Southern Miss transfer Jack Abraham as his quarterbacks.

5. Josh Heupel, Tennessee: In his three seasons as the UCF head coach McKenzie Milton and Dillon Gabriel routinely lit up opponents. When he coached QBs at Missouri he turned Drew Lock into a second round NFL Draft choice. He may prove to be a mediocre head coach but he does know how to get the best out of his quarterbacks and offenses. The Vols will likely score points and Virginia Tech QB Hendon Hooker will probably have a good season, but even so it will be a long year in Knoxville.

6. Bill O’Brien, Alabama: He was Tom Brady’s quarterback coach with the New England Patriots in 2009-10 and the offensive coordinator in 2011. He had good offenses as Penn State’s head coach in 2012-13. He spent 2014-20 as the head coach of the Houston Texans. O’Brien will be working with first-year starter Bryce Young this year.

7. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri: Last year he turned Connor Bazelak into a respectable SEC quarterback. Before that he coached Scott Satterfield at Appalachian State and he turned Ryan Finley into an NFL Draft choice QB at North Carolina State. Drinkwitz is a real rising star.

8. Todd Monken, Georgia: In 2018 he coached Jameis Winston to a forgettable season with the Tampa Bay Bucs. In 2019 he made Baker Mayfield an interception machine at Cleveland. To his credit, in 2011-12 his Oklahoma State quarterbacks lit up the Big 12 but doesn’t everyone? Georgia fans expect Monken to make a Heisman candidate out of JT Daniels.

9. Mike Bobo, Auburn: Bobo had good success with David Greene, Matt Stafford and Aaron Murray when he was coaching quarterbacks for Mark Richt at Georgia. He took South Carolina’s offense in the wrong direction last year and that got Will Muschamp fired. Bryan Harsin hired him to fix Bo Nix. Right.

10. Kendal Briles, Arkansas: He ran his dad’s offense at Baylor and Lane Kiffin’s offense at Florida Atlantic in 2017. He didn’t exactly light it up working for Willie Taggart at FSU in 2019. Last year Briles did a very good job with Feleipe Franks who threw 17 TDPs and rarely completed a pass to the other team. This year’s project will be more difficult – KJ Jefferson.

11. Jake Peetz, LSU: Peetz may prove to be this year’s Joe Brady, who can go from obscurity to a household word in a single season, but nothing in his coaching history screams quarterback guru/ offensive genius at you. Two years ago he was coaching running backs with the Carolina Panthers. The year before he was an offensive analyst at Tennessee. At LSU, Peetz will have to decide between Myles Brennan and second year Max Johnson at QB.

12. Liam Coen, Kentucky: Coen spent the last three years as an assistant to the assistant with the Los Angeles Rams, wide receivers from 2018-19 and quarterbacks last year. Not exactly the kind of resume’ to write home about. None of his three QBs – Joey Gatewood, Beau Allen or Penn State transfer Will Levis – have ever started a game.

13. Joey Lynch, Vanderbilt: To his credit, Lynch actually played quarterback in college. He was the offensive coordinator at Ball State (his alma mater) from 2014-19. His offenses never averaged more than 27 points per game and he never had a QB throw for more than 16 touchdowns. His quarterback will be second year Ken Seals.

14. Marcus Satterfield, South Carolina: The last time he coached quarterbacks was 2013-14 at Temple. Since then he’s coached running backs, head coach at D1AA Tennessee Tech, tight ends and offensive line. Yep, just what you need to turn your quarterback into a difference-maker. Luke Doty is the expected starter at QB.

THE SEC AND THE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL DRAFT, ROUNDS 2-10

Alabama: Peyton Willis, 2B, Kansas City (2); Dylan Smith, P, Detroit (3). Chase Lee, P, Texas (6). Sam Praytor, C, Miami (6).

Arkansas: Kevin Kopps, P, San Diego (3). Christian Franklin, OF, Chicago Cubs (4). Ryan Costieu, P, Los Angeles Angels (7). Casey Opitz, C, Chicago Cubs (8). Patrick Wicklander, P, Tampa Bay (8). Lael Lockhart, P, Los Angeles Dodgers (9).

Auburn: Ryan Bliss, SS, Arizona (2). Richard Fitts, P, New York Yankees (6). Tyler Miller, 3B, Boston (9).

Georgia: Ryan Webb, P, Cleveland (4). Ben Harris, P, Los Angeles Dodgers (8).

Kentucky: John Rhodes, OF, Baltimore (3). Austin Schultz, SS, Detroit (10).

LSU: Jaden Hill, P, Colorado (2). Landon Marceaux, P, Los Angeles Angels (3).

Mississippi State: Tanner Allen, OF, Miami (4). Eric Cerantola, P, Kansas City (5). Christian MacLeod, Minnesota (5).

Missouri:

Ole Miss: Doug Nikhazy, P, Cleveland (2). Taylor Broadway, P, Chicago White Sox (6).

South Carolina: Kerry Brett, P, Los Angeles Angels (5). Thomas Farr, P, Cleveland (5). Brady Allen, OF, Miami (5). Brannon Jordan, P, Milwaukee (9). Andrew Peters, P, Los Angeles Angels (10). Wes Clarke, 1B, Milwaukee (10).

Tennessee: Chad Dallas, P, Toronto (4). Liam Spence, SS, Chicago Cubs (5). Max Ferguson, 2B, San Diego (5). Connor Pavolony, C, Baltimore (7). Jake Rucker, 3B, Minnesota (7).

Texas A&M: Dustin Saenz, P, Washington (4). Bryce Miller, P, Seattle (4). Will Frizzell, 1B, Washington (8).

Vanderbilt: Luke Murphy, P, Los Angeles Angels (4). CJ Rodriguez, C, Oakland (5). Hugh Fisher, P, Arizona (10).

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Team USA went down in flames for the second straight game, dropping a 91-83 decision to Australia in an exhibition game in Las Vegas. Going back to the 2019 World Cup where the United States finished seventh, Team USA has lost four of its last five games including two straight to Australia. Team USA coach Greg Popovich said, “I thought we got better tonight.” Oh really? I find it hard to fathom that an American team made up of NBA players can lose to Nigeria and Australia back-to-back. This does not bode well for the US team at the Tokyo Olympics. I’ll be shocked if the US makes it to the gold medal game much less wins it.