lsufootball.net · @lsufootball_net
25th Jan 2013 from Twitlonger
A rough twitter log of Paul Mainieri's press conference in chronological order
@Rome_TDR: Mainieri starts off by embarassing Bill Franques, noting his 25th year of being's SID. He's one of the best.
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: Today is universal, common starting day for every team in the country.
@HunterPaniagua: LSU will have its first full practice today w/ a batting practice and a six-inning scrimmage. PM says they've prepared thru individual work
@EastAdvocate: LSU prepared to jump into a six-inning scrimmage later this afternoon.
@LSUherbvin: LSUbaseball publicist extraordinaire Bill Franques begins his 25th year publicizing Tiger baseball and doing PA at The Box.
@Rome_TDR: Mainieri: "Right now, we're not going to decide (a third starter) until two weeks from today."
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: Won't decide third starter for two weeks. Nola is 1, Eades 2.
@HunterPaniagua: PM says he won't determine a third starter until at least two weeks from now. Will figure out whole pitching staff closer to opening day
@Rome_TDR: Again, Bonvillain was listed as the third starter on the depth chart. But that doesn't have much merit.
@Rome_TDR: Mainieri: "I've got a lot of optimism. I believe every year is 'the year' and this year is no different."
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: "My optimism is well placed."
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: "I don't know if any other team in the country has two returning senior hitters like Raph Rhymes and Mason Katz."
@HunterPaniagua: PM mentions Fr. Alex Bregman right along with Raph Rhymes and Mason Katz to form "the best heart of the order" he's had in a couple years
@Rome_TDR: Mainieri already hinting at Bregman as elevating the middle of the lineup to the "best it's been in years." Lots of hype around him.
@HuntPalmerBBI: Paul Mainieri immediately lumped Alex Bregman in with Katz and Rhymes. I watched him a bunch this fall, and he's going to big a huge add.
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri says has more depth in pitching staff.
@LSUbaseball: Mainieri: "Heart of the order - Raph Rhymes, Mason Katz, Alex Bregman - may be the best we have had in years."
@HunterPaniagua: PM also not sure who will pitch opening day between Ryan Eades and Aaron Nola.
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: Either Nola or Eades will start the opener.
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: The first pitching decision will be to choose a cloer.
@HunterPaniagua: PM's first priority with the pitching staff will be finding a closer. Rumbelow, Cotton, McCune and Lamarche candidates
@JacquesDoucet: Paul Mainieri - finding a closer is the #1 goal early. Nick Goody did great job, outside of few blown saves.
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: candidates to close: Rumbelow, Cotton, McCune and LaMarche.
@Rome_TDR: Mainieri: "I think this team will be a lot more balanced than last season." More gushing over Bregman. He'll bat in the 3-hole.
@LSUbaseball: Mainieri: "This team will be much more balanced than last year's team. Lineup has much better chance 1 through 9 tough outs."
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: Alex Bregman will bat third.
@HunterPaniagua: Alex Bregman is going to hit in the three-hole as a freshman, and will be the starting shortstop. PM has tons of confidence in him.
@JacquesDoucet: Paul Mainieri - Alex Bregman, a true freshman will contribute right away + bat third. That's a lot for a freshman.
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: will be "much more balanced" and have better hitters at the bottom of the order.
@Rome_TDR: Mark Laird and Andrew Stevenson. Mainieri on the two freshmen: "I can't hold in my excitement on them."
@LSUbaseball: Mainieri: Freshman Alex Bregman will bat third in the order and play shorstop. "I have no doubt he can handle it right away."
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri singles out Bregman, Laird and Stevenson as newcomers that have him excited.
@JacquesDoucet: Paul Mainieri - two freshmen, Mark Laird + Andrew Stevenson can flat out fly. Will be great in the outfield.
@HunterPaniagua: Mark Laird and Andrew Stevenson are the other two freshman that has PM giddy. Fast, left-handed hitters
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: Rhymes will hit fourth and Katz fifth. Leadoff spot TBD.
@HunterPaniagua: With Bregman hitting third, Rhymes will hit fourth and Katz will hit fifth. Jacoby Jones likely leadoff with Lair/Stevenson possible 2
@Rome_TDR: Bregman in the 3-hole, Rhymes clean-up, Katz 5th. Maybe JaCoby at leadoff? Check swings GALORE.
@JacquesDoucet: Paul Mainieri - lead off man to be determined in next few weeks. Jacoby Jones possibility. Rhymes + Katz bat 4th + 5th.
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri says his jaw dropped watching JaCoby Jones in BP on Thursday.
@Rome_TDR: Mainieri now gushing over JaCoby Jones: "He needs to develop consisteny with his bat. When he makes contact, good things happen."
@HunterPaniagua: With Bregman hitting third, Rhymes will hit fourth and Katz will hit fifth. Jacoby Jones likely leadoff with Laird/Stevenson possible 2
@Rome_TDR: Mainieri on JaCoby and Ty Ross stepping up: "What are they waiting for?"
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: time for Jones and Ty Ross to emerge, highly expects them to go pro after this season.
@HunterPaniagua: PM on Jacoby Jones and catcher Ty Ross - "It's time for them to emerge" He expects them to be drafted and they'll be crucial for the team
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: Eades looks like a major leaguer, strong possibility to be first round pick along with Jones.
@Rome_TDR: Mainieri: "Both Eades and Jones could be first round picks."
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri not sure if Eades tailed off last year b/c of fatigue or just making bad pitches.
@JacquesDoucet: Paul Mainieri - Ryan Eades has all the tools. Not sure if he tailed off last year because of fatigue or just bad pitches. He can do it.
@HunterPaniagua: Raph Rhymes locked in at RF. McMullen, Stevenson, Laird, Sciambra candidates to fill out those other two OF spots.
@Rome_TDR: Mainieri: "Raph Rhymes is locked in at LF." W/Mainieri gushing about the speed he's got, for the life of me I can't fathom why he can't DH
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri compares Mark Laird to former St. Louis Cardinals OF Willie McGee.
@HuntPalmerBBI: Mainieri says Fr. Mark Laird would hit .300 if he played every day as a freshman. He beat out numerous IF 1B this fall. Explosive speed.
@Rome_TDR: Mainieri called Andrew Stevenson the best out of the group defensively in the OF. Bat isn't there yet.
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: There will be a role for all of the outfielders.#LSU
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: It's a little bit of concern not having Omaha veterans Austin Nola and Tyler Hanover.
@Rome_TDR: Mainieri: "It's hard to get to Omaha. I know Skip made it look easy all those years, but it's not."
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: It's not as easy to get to Omaha as Skip Bertman made it look.
@LSUbaseball: Mainieri: "Every year when you roll out of bed at LSU, the goal is to get to Omaha and win in Omaha. That's what we want to do."
@HunterPaniagua: PM: "We have a team that's capable of getting to Omaha." But he understands how difficult it is. LSU hasn't been since 2009 #Seawolves
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: You don't think about Omaha right now. 56 games to worry about first.
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: This season doesn't begin with us one game away from Omaha.
@HunterPaniagua: PM: Alex Bregman is not as good as Austin Nola defensively...but Bregman is about a 7.5 on a 10 scale. Nola an 11+
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: On defensive scale 1-10, Bregman is 7.5. Nola was 11-plus.
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: Bregman is more than adequate as SS, oustanding hitter.
@Rome_TDR: Mainieri: "I have never been around a more hard working kid than Alex Bregman."
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: In 30 years never been around harder worker, more decicated player than Bregman.
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: Bregman plays with same passion as Mikie Mahtook.
@HuntPalmerBBI: The more I hear Mainieri talk about closers the more I think Chris Cotton is going to be that guy.
@LSUbaseball: Mainieri on Alex Bregman "Never been around a more hard working kid.Tiger fans will embrace him, plays with passion like Mikie Mahtook."
@Rome_TDR: Mainieri: "McCune has developed a really good pitch. I won't tell you what it is." After watching him get shelled in fall I'm intrigued
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: Kurt McCune has added a very good pitch that he wouldn't identify.
@HunterPaniagua: Mainieri wants poise/composure, ability to throw strikes and place ball, consistently deceptive in a closer: Sounds like Chris Cotton to me
@Rome_TDR: Mainieri: "Raph Rhymes has quickly become one of my favorite players of all time."
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: Raph Rhymes has quickly become one of my favorite players of all time.
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: Rhymes never looked at or cared about his batting average last season when he hit a school-record .431.
@Rome_TDR: Mainieri: "When Rhymes doesn't hit well, we don't do well." Case and point: Stony Brook. #Seawolves
@TDR_sports: Mainieri: I've never seen a kid so unselfish as Raph Rhymesbaseball
@LSUbaseball: Mainieri on batting champion Raph Rhymes: "He never looked at his batting average. All he wanted to do was win. He's so unselfish."
@JacquesDoucet: Paul Mainieri - I don't care if Rhymes hits .431 or .331, I just want him to contribute. He doesn't care about his stats.
@Rome_TDR: Mainieri: "Chris Cotton's just good looking. I'll let him wear his hair long." Things have gone downhill quick.
@TDR_sports: Mainieri: To see Chris Sciambra back on the field, it's a miraclebaseball
@HunterPaniagua: PM: "Chris Cotton is just good looking." Who's gonna disagree?? http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=204906915 …
@Rome_TDR: ShamWow05: "He's the kind of kid you want your daughter to marry." I think I've heard this before....#LSU
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: It's really a miracle seeing Chris Sciambra run at full speed with no concerns after serious neck injury last season.
@JacquesDoucet: Mainieri - @58percentCotton is a good-looking guy, let's face it. He can keep the long hair, so can Rhymes.
@Rome_TDR: Blake Dean is working with JaCoby Jones in private. MORE CHECK SWINGS EVERYWHERE.
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: Blake Dean has done good one on one work with JaCoby Jones.
@LSUbaseball: On Blake Dean being on staff. "All the players know his legacy. He was the greatest hitter I ever coached. He is going to help our team."
@HunterPaniagua: One of Blake Dean's biggest additions to the staff has been his one-on-one work with Jacoby Jones. And he's also good for left-handed BP
@valleyshook: Blake Dean (NCAA record holder for SF in a season) back on the staff this year
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: Dean adds left-handed BP pitcher.
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri says he doesn't like scheduling "quirk" that has playing four of six SEC West series on the road.
@HuntPalmerBBI: Interesting that Blake Dean is helping JaCoby Jones out with his hitting. Maybe a fresh take will help Jones realize his potential.
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: Recruiting has caught up to bat change two years ago, making Tigers faster team.
@EastAdvocate: Mainieri: I don't want to be just a speedy, little team. Still need four or five home run hitters in lineup.
@JacquesDoucet: Paul Mainieri - I don't want to be a little, speedy team. I want balance. Because if you fall behind, hard to steal bases. Need 3-run HR.
@HunterPaniagua: AustinCooperTSD for updates from the team.
@HuntPalmerBBI: New add at The Box. Dugout guardrails. pic.twitter.com/3fba4AkM