30 Days until baseball season....
- Thread starter hankp
- Start date
I'm looking forward to seeing some semblance of a pitching staff for the first time in two years.
Im fired up. I know we are suppose to be better and I know we have some key guys coming back but Todd if you dont mind is their anyway you can give us a little pre-season break-down on what we can expect from some of our new comers this year as well as what are pitching rotation, bullpen, closer, ect... is suppose to look like this year. Just how much better do you think we will be? I wish it started this weekend.
that we are still probably another year or two from being a championship team. I hope we are very much improved this year, but it's going to make me sick when we don't win 45 games and some people start calling Cohen a bad coach. This team was freaking terrible talent wise before he got here, so lets remember that.
rhs43 said:
This is absolutely spot on. I am good friends with a guy that played at USM last year. He said that MSU was terrible talent wise. He likes MSU too so he wasn't saying that being an ***. We will be improved this year, but 2011 is our break out year. Some of our fans don't really realize how ****** we were.
The man to blame here is once again, Larry "In the Black" Templeton. He should've never brought an over the hill Polk back from Georgia in the first place. Just proof that he was never looking at the long-term.
the newcomers are going to have a big impact. From watching some of the Maroon and White series, I would guess
Weekend: Routt, Stratton, Jones or Whitney
Midweek: Bole, Watson, and Whitney if he isn't pitching on weekends
Closer: Jones or Bracewell
I can't remember who will be the main contributers out of the bullpen. It could still be bad, but that will be more because of inexperience instead of lack of ability.
Weekend: Routt, Stratton, Jones or Whitney
Midweek: Bole, Watson, and Whitney if he isn't pitching on weekends
Closer: Jones or Bracewell
I can't remember who will be the main contributers out of the bullpen. It could still be bad, but that will be more because of inexperience instead of lack of ability.
Powers, Freeman, Duffy, Sneed, and Collins are all his guys.
He just didn't leave us with any defense on the infield, especially at catcher.
And he left us with virtually no pitching.
It will be interesting to see if Devin Jones can keep up his fall in the spring. If that happens, we instantly have 2 front line guys on F/Sat. Sunday is a crapshoot for both teams anyway. The pen and midweek starting pitching is where it will get interesting also. Lots of freshmen, and you just don't know how that will turn out.
He just didn't leave us with any defense on the infield, especially at catcher.
And he left us with virtually no pitching.
It will be interesting to see if Devin Jones can keep up his fall in the spring. If that happens, we instantly have 2 front line guys on F/Sat. Sunday is a crapshoot for both teams anyway. The pen and midweek starting pitching is where it will get interesting also. Lots of freshmen, and you just don't know how that will turn out.
Devin Jones is going to be the ace of the staff. This kid has improved light years from last year according to the staff and has a tremendous work ethic which was not a trait of a lot of the players Cohen inherited from Polk. Guys, cohen doesn't have to have world class talent to win I.E. his Kentucky tenure. We will be a much improved team from last year (couldn't get much worse) but I think we are still a year away from where you guys and me think we should be. We should win 37-40 games in the regular season, get into the regionals (not in starkville) and from there anything can happen.
We will sneak up on a lot of teams this year. We may even surprise some people including half of the SPS. I just know Cohen from talking to him several times and this guy absolutely hates with all his being to lose.
Brinson '03
We will sneak up on a lot of teams this year. We may even surprise some people including half of the SPS. I just know Cohen from talking to him several times and this guy absolutely hates with all his being to lose.
Brinson '03
Didn't Polk turn around UGA? I may have been completely oblivious because I wasn't a big baseball fan, I just don't remember people complaining about getting Polk back. Please feel free to educate me. You can never have too many reasons to hate a lazy sac of **** like LT.
I get the feeling that Georgia must have a pitiful AD. That state is so talent-rich that they should be strong in the 'big 3' every year. Polk said something to the effect of feeling like he was cheating when he recruited in Georgia. It was just too easy.Johnson85 said:
why we do have some good hitters- like Conner Powers, Russ Sneed, Duffy, etc. and why we have so few power hitters. The answer: Russ McNickle.
If you remember, MSU had a pitcher named Matt Lea, whose Dad used to pitch for the Expos and Twins and was a big time prospect. He was one of the best freshman pitchers I have ever seen at MSU, and I thought he would be a very high- maybe even first round type pick.
McNickle was simply incompetent as a pitching coach- his methods, or in some cases lack thereof- anyone remember the SPS on ice?- were making parents upset.
And sure enough, Lea was injured his Fr. year at State. His Dad was pissed off. He went to Polk and wanted McNickle fired, and Polk refused to do it. He instead offered to allow Lea to play first base instead of pitch. Lea then transfers to Louisville, where I believe he still plays. Of course a guy that has pitched in the Big Leagues for several seasons- I think Charlie Lea even threw a no-hitter- can have a lot of influence in the small baseball community. Basically, this incident sparked a reaction where MSU and Russ McNickle in particular got a reputation for ruining pitchers arms. That is NOT something you want to be known for. I don't care how good the bar-b-que in the LFL is.
And sure enough, more and more pitchers started to get hurt. In 2008, MSU's top three starters and their closer went down with injuries within the first three weeks of the season. The only pitchers MSU was able to get were guys like Devin Jones- who was a die hard MSU fan, and then you are left with getting the David Hayes of the baseball world.- guys with no other offers except from people like Samford.
As far as the rest of the baseball world- it was leaving Polk behind. He was hitting the threshold where he was forgetting more baseball than he knew. Polk was still recruiting exclusively out of his camp- and I truly believe that he forced Raffo to do so based on how Tommy is recruiting at Arkansas State. Most players are now going to showcases, although many still go to the school camps, but you can not exclusively recruit out of a camp. Hence, you miss a guy like Louis Coleman because "you never saw him pitch". Even LSU has to go out and find players- they normally don't come to you. Even if they did come to you, why not look around to see if you can find the best?
Notice that Cohen is recruiting a lot of athletes- lots of SS, CF types. Once those players get on campus, they will compete for a position in the lineup and Cohen will find spots for the best nine. Polk recruited differently in that he wanted someone that was specifically a third baseman, and would be the third baseman come hell or high water for four years- see Micheal Rutledge. You can't do that in college. Positions were promised and there was no competition. You simply had to "wait your turn". When you have guys that know that they are going to play if they make 40 errors and hit .150, they tend to not work as hard. With Cohen's method, you either perform or sit. And that includes defense to.
If you remember, MSU had a pitcher named Matt Lea, whose Dad used to pitch for the Expos and Twins and was a big time prospect. He was one of the best freshman pitchers I have ever seen at MSU, and I thought he would be a very high- maybe even first round type pick.
McNickle was simply incompetent as a pitching coach- his methods, or in some cases lack thereof- anyone remember the SPS on ice?- were making parents upset.
And sure enough, Lea was injured his Fr. year at State. His Dad was pissed off. He went to Polk and wanted McNickle fired, and Polk refused to do it. He instead offered to allow Lea to play first base instead of pitch. Lea then transfers to Louisville, where I believe he still plays. Of course a guy that has pitched in the Big Leagues for several seasons- I think Charlie Lea even threw a no-hitter- can have a lot of influence in the small baseball community. Basically, this incident sparked a reaction where MSU and Russ McNickle in particular got a reputation for ruining pitchers arms. That is NOT something you want to be known for. I don't care how good the bar-b-que in the LFL is.
And sure enough, more and more pitchers started to get hurt. In 2008, MSU's top three starters and their closer went down with injuries within the first three weeks of the season. The only pitchers MSU was able to get were guys like Devin Jones- who was a die hard MSU fan, and then you are left with getting the David Hayes of the baseball world.- guys with no other offers except from people like Samford.
As far as the rest of the baseball world- it was leaving Polk behind. He was hitting the threshold where he was forgetting more baseball than he knew. Polk was still recruiting exclusively out of his camp- and I truly believe that he forced Raffo to do so based on how Tommy is recruiting at Arkansas State. Most players are now going to showcases, although many still go to the school camps, but you can not exclusively recruit out of a camp. Hence, you miss a guy like Louis Coleman because "you never saw him pitch". Even LSU has to go out and find players- they normally don't come to you. Even if they did come to you, why not look around to see if you can find the best?
Notice that Cohen is recruiting a lot of athletes- lots of SS, CF types. Once those players get on campus, they will compete for a position in the lineup and Cohen will find spots for the best nine. Polk recruited differently in that he wanted someone that was specifically a third baseman, and would be the third baseman come hell or high water for four years- see Micheal Rutledge. You can't do that in college. Positions were promised and there was no competition. You simply had to "wait your turn". When you have guys that know that they are going to play if they make 40 errors and hit .150, they tend to not work as hard. With Cohen's method, you either perform or sit. And that includes defense to.
because I felt like MSU needed someone that was aggressive and would take us to the next level. If Polk couldn't have done that in 20 years, why would he all of a sudden figure it out? I felt like bringing Polk back would ultimately ruin his legacy because there was only one way to top what he had done in the 80's- and that would be to win a NC. If he had won a CWS at Georgia, I would have supported the hire. But, I didn't feel like winning a CWS was as much a priority for Polk as it should have been. He had too many other agendas- like saving college baseball from the NCAA. I wanted Paul Manieri, who I believe we would have easily gotten from ND.
Georgia had a JUCO coach named Robert Sapp before Polk. He was in over his head in the SEC, and the program had been in decline after they won the CWS in 1990 under Steve Webber. Polk took over and was able to turn them around because he was light years better than what they had.
UGA's problem with baseball is much like many of the other SEC schools that have good football programs- they just don't support it like the other sports. Don't get me wrong- they do support their program very well compared to the rest of the country, but it's not anywhere near its full potential. It's the price you pay for having a great football program.
Georgia had a JUCO coach named Robert Sapp before Polk. He was in over his head in the SEC, and the program had been in decline after they won the CWS in 1990 under Steve Webber. Polk took over and was able to turn them around because he was light years better than what they had.
UGA's problem with baseball is much like many of the other SEC schools that have good football programs- they just don't support it like the other sports. Don't get me wrong- they do support their program very well compared to the rest of the country, but it's not anywhere near its full potential. It's the price you pay for having a great football program.
That was sarcasm on the cool part for those angry and looking to pounce. And like most quick fixes and bailouts, that one came back to bite us in the ***. But i do have to agree Cohen has brought in the talent. I have heard Chris Stratton will be a weekend starter from the get go and the Juco catcher Thigpen is a beastrussellwalters said:
common theory is if you're sore, ice. If you're not sore, don't ice just stretch instead. I don't disagree that something went on with McNickle but I think there was more to it than icing. To me it seems more likely that damage was done through a change in mechanics rather than not icing.
I loved coach polk. He was the ultimate players coach. All of you are right in that he didn't recruit very well after McMahon's players left. What he inherited with McMahon's players were guys who pushed themselves. That was who we were. Once we left, he was left with who he had recruited from the camps and lets be honest, you can't really judge a players ability at a baseball camp. I talked to him a couple of times in those last years where he actually told me that he was ready to hang them up and that his heart wasn't in it. I discouraged him at the time because I assumed he had the type of players we were who were self motivated and would work hard to turn things around. I was obviously wrong because of the performance those last few years. He was never a coach that got in your face or told you to work harder. He assumed that you would want to do that yourself if you wanted to get better and he obviously didn't have that the last few years there.
I wish his farewell would have been better because he deserved it but you reap what you sew and when he got a little lazy in recruiting, it showed.
Now, all that being said, I think Cohen is the right fit and its not a matter of "if" but "when".
I wish his farewell would have been better because he deserved it but you reap what you sew and when he got a little lazy in recruiting, it showed.
Now, all that being said, I think Cohen is the right fit and its not a matter of "if" but "when".