Disconnected Foster Makes An Impact

August 13th, 2011

Raheem Morris is always saying his players must strive to play “fast, hard, smart, and consistent.” On Friday in Kansas City, rookie middle linebacker Mason Foster didn’t have to be as smart.

In a nod to Foster being greener than the honeydew Joe’s enjoying with his eggs this morning, Raheem snatched the playcalling duties and the headset from Foster and gave them to Quincy Black during last night’s game. Earlier in the week, and before that, Raheem — and Mark Dominik –had expressed confidence in Foster’s ability to handle all the traditional duties of the mike linebacker.

Roy Cummings of TBO.com penned the explanation from Raheem:

“I thought about it after a while and decided to give the head set to Quincy because he’s going to be out there on every snap,” Morris said of Black, who plays middle linebacker in the Bucs’ nickel defense.

“That takes something else off of Foster’s plate, which allows him to play a little faster and that was awesome. It allowed him to be more explosive and play faster and just play on instinct instead of calling the defense.”

Wise move by the head coach/defensive coordinator.

Without months of playbook study and OTAs, courtesy of the asinine lockout, there was ro reason to think a rookie would be ready to lead the defense after two weeks of practice. Foster must have felt like a huge leash was taken off his neck.

He responded with a fumble recovery and playing fast and physical along with the rest of the Bucs’ first-team defense.

Former Buccaneer Dave Moore marveled on the team’s radio network at the dimension Foster brings saying the rookie plays a style that’s necessary for success in Raheem’s defense. “He covers a lot of ground and he plays very physical,” Moore said.

In all, Joe was pleasantly surprised by Foster. Despite being heralded as a superstar-in-waiting and anointed starter, the guy was still a late third-round pick in a draft class that wasn’t considered exceptional. There’s a lot to prove, and a lot of hope.

54 Responses to “Disconnected Foster Makes An Impact”

  1. Mr. Lucky Says:

    I have to admit that Foster exceeded my expectations last night. I KNOW it’s only the first preseason game but I really like seeing a MIKE knowing how to deliver hard hits and stop a running back. For too many games I had grown accustomed to seeing the Bucs MLB dragging down opposing running backs 5 yards or more downfield. This was a refreshing change of pace instead of watching the former MLB play….Barnet Roof was it?? I’ve forgotten already!

  2. chrisfwc :) Says:

    I did take notice of #59 last night. Pretty darn quick. I also noticed he’s got a $ sign tattoo. I don’t trust guys with $ signs and praying hands tats.

  3. CharlieB Says:

    Foster wasn’t anywhere to be found when a real running back was in the game. I really don’t see how Thomas Jones running for 25 yards on 2 carries is a big improvement. I’m going to hope it has more to do with our second string DTs getting pushed around like they were tackling dummies.

  4. Pete Dutcher Says:

    He did good, but so did McKenzie. In fact, remove the fumble recovery and i wonder if their stats are similiar. We have a huge competition there.

    I like it. If thing remain this good we’ll have a great rotation there.

    @Mr. Lucky
    While I support the staff for letting Ruud go, Foster has only had one “preseason” game. He’s still a long way from being better than Ruud at this point. But it’s a good start.

  5. Pete Dutcher Says:

    On Quincy Black…I suspected either he or Barber would call the play in the beginning. I think I even suggested Quincy might start at mlb until Foster s ready.

    I don’t think that will happen though.

    One thing on McKenzie…I watched him make an adjustment on a play…he stepped into the left DEs spot and pushed him further out…it completely throught the opposing offensive play off, resulting in a hastily thrown ball that was almost picked off.

    So even though Quincy was calling plays for first team, it looked like McKenzie was doing some on the field as well, and doing well at it.

    Foster is the future starter, but I think McKenzie can do good too.

  6. Macabee Says:

    Did anybody notice what defensive scheme was primarily played last night? That tells loads about the personnel changes being made.

  7. Mr. Lucky Says:

    Pete – I was one who really thought the Bucs would bring Ruud back for another year via franchise tag. I really thought that having a rookie at MLB would be a disaster, just to set the record straight.

    From what I saw last night – Foster/Mckenzie are harder hitters than Ruud and THAT is a change that makes me hopeful. HOWEVER there are going to be busted plays due to inexperience. Overall I think it will be a wash with the defensive making lots of stops and giving up the occassional big play.

    And yes it’s ONLY the first preseason game but first impressions are important and I like what I see.

  8. Pete Dutcher Says:

    @Mr. Lucky
    /signed

  9. Architek Says:

    Both passed the eye test and our defense looks way more physical. Thanks Dominik and co.

  10. Thomas 2.2 Says:

    We r going to the super bowl! We shut the chiefs out with Tyler Palko! Lol. It was like deja vu, another meaningless game against the oppositions third string qb. Listen girls, you do realize that you learned absolutely nothing about this team last night. Todd Haley reportedly told his players that it was a “dress rehearsal.” One team had a coach that didnt understand that the game meant absolutely nothing.

  11. Mr. Lucky Says:

    @Thomas – ABSOLUTELY DISAGREE WITH YOU on this one. Last year and in 2009 it was the 2nd and 3rd stringers that killed the Bucs.

    I for one was glad to see Raheem had a plan and stuck to it. I’d have given the Bucs a B+ and the Chiefs a D+ last night.

  12. FLBoyInDallas Says:

    Except for Jones’ single run the Chiefs looked dismal. The Bucs on the other hand looked really good on both sides of the ball. Raheem was obviously using this preseason game as a way to extend training camp reps for his starters and get them ready. If Haley understood this he would’ve left his own starters in much longer, because his starters looked in disarray much of the time.

    You can’t expect the Bucs run defense to stonewall every single run overnight. They allowed one big run, but everything else was handled very nicely. Big improvement over last year and they still have a couple more preseason games, along with practices, to get even better. I like what I saw from them.

  13. gotbbucs Says:

    thomas, what you witnessed from the chiefs last night was a disaster. that was one of the most unprepaired teams i have ever seen. two 10 win teams from a year ago, one of which was a fluke.

  14. BigMacAttack Says:

    The dumbass disease strikes again. Not a clue.

    The Chiefs are a good team, and so the Bucs allowed 2 decent, not great runs. They stopped and blew up a lot of plays as well. The point is they are getting better. Are they there yet? Probably not, but the key here is improving and from what I saw, as a unit, the defense is better, faster, and stronger than last season.

    The Pats will be the real test and they can put up the points, big time. If they rush the Pats like they did tonight, Brady will be out quick and things should get to out of hand. The Bucs are a deep team of good young players and the Pats are too. It should be a fun game, even for preseason.

  15. nick Says:

    One team had a coach that didnt understand that the game meant absolutely nothing.

    ======================

    Yeah, that’s what I want. A coach to tell his players this game means nothing. Don’t let the 20 something yr. old kids hear that. They have to make a living and make the team. You’re such a douche Thomas. This is the dumbest comment ever.

  16. FLBoyInDallas Says:

    No matter how 2.2 spins it, the Bucs allowed a good 10-win team to only rush for 49 yards in the first half and pass for only 28 yards. In just the first half the front seven had 3 tackles for no gain, 1 tackle for loss and 1 sack with several QB pressures and a safety. The Chiefs, on the other hand, mostly looked like a blundering fiasco of unpreparedness. I like our chances this season.

  17. admin Says:

    Joe here,

    @GringoDave/Miguel Grande — Look, Joe gets that you’re passionate about your non-football opinions. That’s very nice. But take it somewhere else. Start your own blog/website, participate in someone else’s. There’s a whole world out there for you. Joe’s given you many chances to stick to football and not delve into long and deep political/social issues. Hell, Joe was kind enough to let it go when you bombed his YouTube account with hate.

  18. ac3 Says:

    I don’t post much, but thomas, this is blatantlly you taking something positive and trying to make it negative for no reason…nothing about last night should be truly upset bucs fans except maybe penalties. Do you think TRUE lions, saints, falcons, and patriots fans posted garbage like that after their dominating win? Sad man…idk why you even bother.

  19. FLBoyInDallas Says:

    Gary Shelton put it perfectly today:

    “The Tampa Bay Bucs could have looked as wretched as the Kansas City Chiefs.

    They did not. The Bucs opened Friday with a tidy, promising little 25-0 victory, which, we can all agree, is better than the other way around. Winning is always better than losing, and playing well is preferable to playing poorly, and youngry is better than yugly.”

  20. Capt.Tim Says:

    FlBoy- exactly! It was a poised and confident performance last night. The Bucs showed which 10-6 team was the contender, and which was the pretender. It was fun to watch!

    Surprising was the timing between Josh( and Josh!) and the receivers. Pretty amazing co-ordination for first pre season game! Offense looked dangerous across the Board. Everything there looked improved from last year.

    Defensive line looked much better, even without McCoy. With him – huge improvement!! Secondary looked really sound, even without Talib or Lewis
    Mason Foster played very welll. Not having to call the plays seemed to free him up. He did good

    Only real concern is our OLBs. Still see RBs running behind Hayes every Play. Still see Quincy on his belly, watching every play, with some lil Fullback mounting him. That has to change to improve our run defense

    But the team looked great, and you can just feel their confidence. It was a fun game to watch!!

  21. jvato24 Says:

    Sure Thomas 2.2 the preseason means absolutely nothing about the quality of our depth. Riiiight.

    Shutting them out isnt a big deal doesnt mean much in preseason but the overall play of the younger guys does. The D-Line was firing off the Ball too.

  22. MOBucs Says:

    Off the mark about Black Capt. Tim. Quincy forced a fumble and was flying around the field! He was the best looking LB on the field in my opinion.

  23. FLBoyInDallas Says:

    Capt.Tim…exactly. As Raheem has been saying all offseason, all 32 teams in the league are in the same boat. They’ve all had the same amount of time to prepare so they’re all competing under the same circumstances.

    It was an apples to apples comparison last night, and the Bucs looked a hell of a lot readier than the Chiefs’. I’ll take it.

  24. Thomas 2.2 Says:

    A shutout vs the chiefs in preseason game 1 without matt cassell mens ZERO! Nothing! Zilch! Nada! If I remember correctly, the bucs had a 4-0 dominating preseason years ago and proceeded to go 2-14.
    I remember a player, maybe Vinny, saying that the public doesnt realize the approach that teams take to the preseason – avoid injury and condition. That is it until 1 or 2 drives of game 3 or 4.

  25. Capt.Tim Says:

    MoBucs- rewind the broadcast footage of last nights game to Thomas Jones first big run. Black is rushing from the strong side. The shot changes to a side/ backfield shot. There’s Quincy, almost on the ground- boom- with either the TE or Fullback on top of him. Jones slides right to that spot, and he’s off!
    Quincy is watching from behind the line , on his belly.

    Next long run. Jones hits the strong gap off the TE. Quincy is 3 yards back, Meybe a yard to the right of the TE. Boom! Fullback leads in the hole- a Quincy Pancake! Jones is off! Thank god for The Reaper back there.

    Hes either gotta fight thru those blocks, are start wearing stockings and a Teddy- cause he gets mounted more than a porn star.

    He’s big, strong, and Young. And we’ve invested so much, we are stuck with him. I’m sure he can improve. Meybe slide him to Mike, and let Foster really be a run stopper at the Sam spot.

    Anyway, my only gripe on a great Buc game!’ loved it!
    I think Josh will overcome a lot of defensive issues! The offense looks great, and Olsen is really creating a dangerous scheme.

    Everyone has an opinion- but I swear the team reminds me of the 70’s Steelers. Bradshaw,Swann,Stallworth, and Harris!

    Did anyone else notice that Clayborne was pushing that LT into the Chiefs backfield every play?

  26. FLBoyInDallas Says:

    Hey 2.2…if the circumstances were reversed and the Bucs looked bad last night and lost 25-0 you’d be giving all sorts of reasons why it DOES matter. Your opinion is not respected around here because you have no objectivity. People like you can’t be taken seriously. So keep going on and on about how nothing matters and how playing well is somehow meaningless and we’ll keep giving you the response you deserve…disrespect. Enjoy.

  27. Architek Says:

    The one thing that I noticed that the Bucs D-line was firing off the ball literally every snap as a unit. It was good to see that the effort was there and the fire. I do realize it’s a preseason exibition game but the fact of the matter is that the Bucs has the youngest team in the league and they have tons of young talent. I don’t know what to think about the RB position after Blount because Lumpkin looks slow and Bradford looks ineffective. If anyone looks somewhat explosive was the young RB out of Notre Dame.

  28. FLBoyInDallas Says:

    Agreed Architek…Armando Allen looked explosive and shifty, while Lumpkin simply looked serviceable. We’ve had enough of serviceable with Caddy & Graham the last few years. We need more dynamic ability at that position.

  29. blountforce27 Says:

    If only instead of Thomas Jones running against the bucs last night it was Thomas 2.2.Did anyone else see the block to the back on Black on the long thomas jones run?

  30. bucsalltheway Says:

    We actually looked like we could bring an explosive pass rush and the blitzes was very swift and we had a lot of dropped balls if you factor in the other players who was out and factored them in the missed opportunities we looked great. One thing I noticed last night desmon briscoe looked Sharp but he needs to attack the ball in the air more or freeman int ratio will increase trying to feed him the ball.

  31. Capt.Tim Says:

    Allen was fun to watch- exciting lil guy. But every year we have an exciting lil guy( Kareem Huggins?). Sooner or later some big 350lb fatass catches them and squashes them.

    I think the secret to being an NFL back isn’t how many guys you can dodge, it’s surviving the ones you can’t. Lol.

    It’d be fun to see Allen as a change of pace to Blount- who looked great last night! Can’t change much more than that!

  32. FLBoyInDallas Says:

    I think our only real weakness on offense is the depth behind Blount. I really want to see Allen make the squad just as Huggins was prepared to do a year ago before his season-ending (and maybe career-ending) knee injury.

    It seemed every time a defender touched Lumpkin he lost balance or was slowed significantly and started to go down. He didn’t look like he could run through arm tackles whatsoever. And he had absolutely no burst. I was disappointed given all the hype coming out of camp about him making a run at the third down RB job.

  33. BennySaxon Says:

    If anyone saw Foster and Clayborn standing next to each other on the sidelines during the 3rd quarter, it looked like the movie Predators with tattoos and Bucs jerseys. Hope they play like it this year!!

  34. BigMacAttack Says:

    Thomas, again, you’re such a dumbass.
    Cassell started the game, unless someone else was wearing his jersey. Not.

    Your not only stupid, but you’re blind, and ignorant. The Chiefs pulled Cassell early because the Bucs were stuffing the Chiefs O line and Haley didn’t want to lose his QB for the season.

    As for anyone else hating their performance. The Bucs gave up 2 decent run plays. What the hell do you want. Some people really need to wake up and get over the Ruud loss and no big FA signings. First game after 8 months I’d expect a little rust and a few missed assignments. The Chiefs on the other hand missed almost every assignment. WTF?

  35. SRQBucFan Says:

    Raheem already said that they were not game planning to play Kansas. They were going to just run a script they’ve already been working on. It was also reported at half time. That Morris was going to run the exact same script from the first half for the second half. Saying that players should be able to run the same plays and execute, no excuses. Which i personally think is a great way to compare tiers on your team. Anywhoo, this goes to show. That the Bucs are just hungrier young team and playing well together. That is a good sign seeing as they’ve only “officially” had practice time together.

    With that in mind, now compare both teams and their ” dress rehearsal “. It’s nice to see some of the players picking up where they left off last year. Like freeman.

  36. bucsalltheway Says:

    @ thomas….your missing the whole point last nights game was to evaluate the young players and watch them compete for a spot on the roster we looked damn good at every position. Rb looked shaky but we executed all 90 men almost out of all of our talent its gonna be harder to make cuts because everyone is youngry…maybe we all watched a different game than you. Lol stop hating so hard. I know its just pre season but this is the younger rookies OTA’S…our 90 men vs their 90 men we shut em out.

  37. MOBucs Says:

    @ Capt. Tim… Blounttrauma is right. If you watch the big run by Jones, Black is blocked in the back. Should have been a penalty. I’m not saying he played mistake-free ball, but he was flying around the field and forced a fumble. I agree though, overall the team looked prepared and played sound football. Rah and the coaching staff deserve a lot of credit for getting the youngest team in the league ready to play in such a short amount of time.

  38. Mr. Lucky Says:

    The thing to keep in mind about this preseason game is this – the Bucs DID look good because the Chiefs were really rotten!

    The Bucs were hungry and fighting for spots you could see it in how hard they played whereas the Chiefs looked to be going thru the motions. In fact the only KC player that looked like they cared as Thomas Jones.

    The offense, in my opinion, look ahead of schedule. I think a ‘true test’ will be next Thursday against the Pats. If Josh Freeman continues to lead the team like this our team is gonna really make the Falcons and Saints sweat.

  39. Hawaiian Buc Says:

    Look, everyone hear knows this game meant very little, actually nothing. Yes, the Chiefs played horrible, and certainly didn’t try to win. In that regard, Thomas is absolutely correct (damn that hurts to say). Nobody here is saying we are going to the Super Bowl. However, the preseason is a good way to get a glimpse of the new players and backups, and what they can bring. We all read about who does great and who is not doing well in training camp, so it’s nice to see it with our own eyes. For me, it’s just nice to see the Bucs back on the field, as the offseason is always painfully long for me.

    What I don’t understand is why Thomas has to go out of his way to bring about negativity, when it is totally unnecessary. How does that make you get off? That’s a pretty sad life. We all know how meaningless the game is. It’s just a rehearsal for the players, but it’s also a rehearsal for the fans. Why does it bother you so much if we are happy with how we looked? Are you getting nervous we may actually have a good season? Don’t be scared little girl, that would be a good thing. Right?

  40. Hawaiian Buc Says:

    * should be “here” not hear.

  41. BamBamBuc Says:

    I wouldn’t go so far as saying that our “only” weak spot was back up RB. Our backup O-line was pretty shaky as well. JJ was running, not just to make a play, but to avoid being sacked continuously.

    On the other hand, I must say the CB spot looked pretty good. With Talib not even dressed and Ronde pulled early in the game, Biggers/Mack/Gaitor/Johnson were really pretty effective. Of course, Lewis didn’t play due to injury. In a regular game, with Talib and Barber, I think the depth for Nickel and Dime situations is looking pretty good. Could it be even better with Jonathon Joseph? I’m sure it could, but the guys we got look pretty darned good.

  42. BamBamBuc Says:

    Hawaiian,

    I must disagree to an extent. It’s a rehearsal for any starter with a “lock” on their position. For the other 70 to 75 guys, this is far from a rehearsal, it’s a job interview that they really want to go well. Not just for the Bucs, but the Chiefs as well. Players are fighting to make rosters, and they do care how well they perform in these “meaningless” games. If I were some of the Chiefs players, I’d be fearing for my job right about now. If I were one of the many Bucs players that did well, I’d be thinking “I got a shot at this”…

  43. Brandon Says:

    Wow, I just can’t stop being right. First I said that the Bucs would re-sign Joseph, Black, Hayward, Crowder, and not re-sign Williams or Trueblood (ok, I was wrong about Trueblood) and THEN I said that Black would play a much larger role, which he is, then I said that somehow Quincy will find his way to being the defensive signal caller. That’s pretty damn impressive if I do say so myself… but then again, I did go on record saying we’d go 10-6 last season… so what can I say?

  44. SRQBucFan Says:

    I am not surprised they looked pretty sharp tho. A. Freeman an co. worked hard on gathering the team during the lock out. B. it seems Raheem Morris really does have a Rosetta Stone way of teaching and getting guys ready to play ball.

  45. SRQBucFan Says:

    Freeman vs Brady. JJ vs Mallet… this should be a interesting preseason game also.

  46. Joe Says:

    SRQBucFan:

    Raheem already said that they were not game planning to play Kansas.

    Joe would hope not. If an NFL team can’t beat a crappy Big XII team, they need to hang it up.

  47. Hawaiian Buc Says:

    @BamBam,

    I’m not by any means saying the preseason is not important. I don’t think there’s a better way of evaluating the talent on your team than letting them play with the lights on. And like you said, it means the world to the bubble players. My point is that you can’t take too much one way or the other from the preseason as far as how good (or bad) your team is going to be. If we went 0-4 in the preseason, I wouldn’t be concerned, just like I’m not booking a trip to the Super Bowl if we go 4-0. However, Thomas doesn’t care how good we look, he will always post nothing but negativity. And he wonders why he hasn’t scored a woman since the 80s?

    I thought we looked a lot better than I thought we would, especially with our youth and the shortened offseason. However, it’s hard to say because Kansas City looked like they belonged in the Big 12. The rookies looked very good (except Bradford), and the veterans looked very sharp. I can’t wait for the real deal on September 11!

  48. Thomas 2.2 Says:

    Listen: is it negative to say that the game meant nothing? No, it is the obvious truth. Fanatics forget that preseason games arent designed to pursue victory. Read the kansas city newspaper post-game article. The chiefs rested almost all studs (dorsey, hali, berry, charles and many more). Cassel was pulled before throwing a pass (which was the gameplan) because he had a new center. This ridiculous allegation that Haley pulled Cassel bc of the Bucs D Line proves how unreliable your comments are bigmac.
    Hawaaian very reasonable comments. I never argue that preseason games have value other than to make roster decisions.

  49. Thomas 2.2 Says:

    This whole “looking good” theory is a myth. Read the Star article. The Chiefs did not try. Haley didn’t admit it publicly but the journalist suggests that he knew Haley wasnt competing – which I think is smart given the offseason (or lack thereof). There is a real fear for increased season-ending injuries like (acl, achilles, hamstring tears) etc right now and experienced coaches like Haley believe (and have told their guys) not to push it yet. Rah isnt experienced enough to analyze things this deeply. First time he loses a stud, like Free, he will learn to not unnecessarily expose his key guys.

  50. Hawaiian Buc Says:

    Really, Haley is more experienced? How many years has he been a head coach in the NFL now? If he was that experienced, he would probably know that you are supposed to shake the hand of the opposing coach after the game, not point your finger at him like a tough guy (I can see why you are so infatuated with him now).

    If the Chiefs didn’t try, then that’s just stupid. Any athlete will tell you that the easiest way to get hurt is to not try. Going half speed when others are going full speed is suicide. Even your dumb arse knows better than that Thomas. You were an athlete right? You think their QB was trying to throw in completions or get sacked? Maybe their defense was letting our team score. I know, Cassell fumbled that snap on purpose. Injuries, especially ACL’s and hamstrings, are just as likely to happen in practice as preseason games. Injuries happen in football, in case you didn’t know.

    For the record, we sat a bunch of our studs too (it’s hilarious that you rip our season last year for luck, as well as having an easy schedule. However, the Chiefs had an even easier schedule, yet they have a better coach and better players). Just because the result of the game is not important doesn’t mean there’s nothing positive to take from it. That is unless you are an old, fat, grouchy, lonely, pessimistic little douche.

  51. BigMacAttack Says:

    Didn’t Try???? The Stupidity has reached a whole new level.

    That is a convenient excuse for getting your A$$ whooped. “Oh yeah, I really wasn’t trying.”

    @ BamBamBuc
    I must disagree to an extent. It’s a rehearsal for any starter with a “lock” on their position.
    __________________________

    I think our starting Oline did not get the “Rehearsal Memo” because they were mauling the chief’s D line as if it was a Playoff Game. Our 1’st defense was headhunting as well. Just saying.

  52. BamBamBuc Says:

    BigMac, that may be true, but our O-line wasn’t playing against the Chiefs starting D-line. Several players were sitting out of their starting lineup, so it’s not a good gauge of how well our O-line played. As for our first D head-hunting, well that’s easy to explain as well. Foster (although crowned the starter) is still fighting off McKenzie, so is playing hard. Clayborn is a rookie trying to impress (even though he’s a starter, he doesn’t know better than to play hard yet). With Talib on the sideline and Barber out early as well, all the DBs had something to play for. Grimm showing he’s back from injury, etc. I’ll just leave it that the team looked good, and seems to have depth with experience (although limited experience last year, it seems to have helped).

    Thomas, you’re an idiot. The Chiefs didn’t try? You don’t think the players on that team are fighting for roster spots just as hard as our guys are? Seriously? I’m sure they just went out there and figured they’d get run over by us, and still have a job in 3 weeks. Hey, it was just a glorified practice. Coaches aren’t evaluating us in this game, it’s kinda like a walkthrough…. yeah right. KC players were playing hard to win jobs. We played better… to win jobs. Is it a good gauge of how our team will play this year? No, of course not. It’s a preseason game where players play their hearts out to make the team, and coaches evaluate which ones stay and which ones go. I’d have to say that Coach Haley will have a much easier time letting a few of those guys go after that performance than Coach Morris will.

  53. BigMacAttack Says:

    BamBam, I think you are very close, and btw, I loved the Thomas rant. A little out of character for you. He’s even getting under your craw now. What a POS. When I played sports, I never knew anything but full speed all out, even when tired and hurting. I believe Raheem’s team is full of these same type of players. I believe the vast majority of them leave it all on the field each time, every time. I used the term “First” defense because it really wasn’t probably our “Starting” defense either. GMC was out, along with Bowers who I think may win that spot. Okam & Woods were in for much of the early plays too. So it is what it is, and yes they did look good.

  54. Diary of a Wimpy Ruud Says:

    Joe was such an Ruud apologist , remembering what a real MLB looks like must have been a shocking expierence.