Did you diss Augie...

[notanative]

...when he told Carson Kainer to approach his at-bat as if he was playing ball with his dad in their back yard?

If you're one of those who disses Augie because of that style, do you not think that perhaps he's not been given the talent to work with the way Augie works with players?

I know there is criticism that Augie does not recruit. As I understand it he never has. But if that's the system we brought him into, we need to continue to work around that and get the talent in that works with him. Perhaps, just perhaps, Harmon did not do that. To say that it's all on Augie and he should be shown the door now that he may have, in Nicholson, corrected the situation, it to show only your own impatience.

My wife is not a philosopher, and she does, on some level, share my joy of baseball, and when I told her yesterday that we had lost 9-3 to KSU, her sage advice was "it will be over soon". And you know, she's right.

We'll see what next year brings.

 

[georgecostanza]

This is like saying we need to recruit offensive studs for Barnes to coach up, since all he can teach is defense.

 

[Alex_de_Large]

Sorry, but with all the talent in this state, you almost have to try to wind up in last place in a very mediocre Big 12. The odds are agin it.

 

[Unques prist]

Notanative - you know that I want Augie gone. However, it is not because of his style or that I think I know more about baseball. In fact I like is "Zen" style and his focus on the process and the results approach. I also love his passion for the game. My problem is not because of 1 bad year in 2012 (I was not calling for his head last year), but instead a systemic problem with the program. Yes talent is down and that is his responsibility, but also the internal problems (i.e. multiple suspensions). That signifies a lack a leadership and a degradation of the program which is again on Augie. Improvement over last year was a must, but instead the 2013 team is significantly worse. That is unacceptable and that is why I believe he needs to be shown the door.

 

[FWHORN]

Its hard to say show the door to arguably the greatest college baseball coach of all time. If he isnt the greatest he is in top two with only Dedeaux being in the conversation with him.

Augie has forgotten more baseball than any poster on this board and then some.

That said, this season has been horrifically bad and that is on the players and the coaches. I dont want to see Augie go out on a season like this and am inclined to give him next year to right the ship and end his hall of fame career on a good note and not this abortion of a season.

 

[Unques prist]

"That said, this season has been horrifically bad and that is on the players and the coaches. I dont want to see Augie go out on a season like this and am inclined to give him next year to right the ship and end his hall of fame career on a good note and not this abortion of a season."

Nice sentiment and that would be my preferred swan song too. However, the fact that this team is considerably worse than the 2012 team (which missed the tournament) does not give me any hope that he can turn it around. In fact I am inclined to believe that next year will be just as bad. Time to right the ship is now in my humble opinion.

 

[BevoBeef]

I tend to disagree with the picture that is being painted that Harmon was a bad recruiter for whatever
reason, and that is why we have had a bad season. The official ratings of our recruiting do not "jive" with
that picture. However, as many others, I do believe that the lack of good hitters is the crux of the problem.

According to the opinion of Baseball America, in the year before Harmon disappeared, UT was
ranked 2nd nationally in the recruits that reached campus. Last October in the ranking in the year
after Harmon was gone, we ranked #7 nationally in that quality ranking by BA. Both of those years
UT was ranked as the top Big 12 school in their recruiting. In 12 of the last 13 years, BA has ranked UT
in the top 15 colleges for those players that reach campus. So how does that correlate with the poor
performance? We also have experienced coaches teaching these young adults to hit !!

IMHO, the problem is that there is a limit of 11 full scholarships to give out to a squad
of about 25 players. Not knowing how the numbers are spit up between position players and pitchers,
I believe the resulting performance is the proof of how the scholarships are being rationed out.
UT has one of the best ERA's in the conference with the worst hitting in the conference.

It is the policy decision by the head coach as to how to select the players that are given scholarships.
Of those players that do reach the campus, I would imagine that a scholarship has a lot to do with
the decision of the players that reject coming to UT.

This past season, UT had 9 freshmen and 5 junior college transfers for the newest players on campus.
It is my hope that Nicholson's computer skills and the ability to keep track of the stats that will help
in the selection of the players that replace those who choose pro ball over coming to UT. However,
that will not change the fact that the best pitchers are those selected over good hitters to come to UT.
Unless that changes , there will be no changes made in the team's final standings at the end of the year.

 

[Pericles]

In reply to:

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[Texanne]

A few years ago, when TCU took the Super in our ballyard, I talked to one of the players after the game. I won't embarrass him by mentioning his name or classification, but I will tell you he came in to Texas as a highly touted offensive star out of high school. This kid told me that in that one season alone, his swing had been tinkered with no fewer than six times, and finally it got to the point that he didn't even know how to hold the bat or where to put his feet. He had started out hitting well as a freshman, but by the end of that season, he couldn't even hit his weight. He doubted himself every single time he came to the plate and eventually played himself out of the lineup.

We have kids with outstanding offensive high school stats come in. But by the time they leave, they barely know Mendoza.

"If it's broke, let's break it some more" seems to be the mantra.

 

[Unques prist]

Texanne, thanks for verifying what I have believed all along.

 

[CanaTigers]

They should come up here to Navarro and see how they keep stacking talent when they have to do it every 2 years or just hire Coach Dill.

 

[Buck-Horn]

In reply to:

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[notanative]

Do you know for a fact that 'they' started working on him to 'improve'? If not, it's not them, it's him.

 

[centexorange]

The bottom line is results.. And sad to say UT baseball hasn't been showing it as of late. You make changes around you, if things don't improve then it all falls back on the HC. That's the nature of the beast.

 

[notanative]

He made a change with Harmon leaving and Nicholson coming on board. Let's give it some time to see if it works.

 

[salonghorn-70]

notanative, How long would you give him?

 

[CanaTigers]

Good news with Schiraldi not being drafted until the 35th round. That will make it a pretty sure thing he pitches for Texas next year.

 

[notanative]

Two more years.

 

[yelladawgdem]

Remember about 12 years ago or so, everyone was sure that the game had passed Jody Conradt by. Two years later she is in the Final Four. Just sayin.......