BB Final: LA 5, App St 6

[Boomer]

A mishmash of items.

Rougarou wondered why the late swing on fastballs.

My guess is a tight torso, something I don't think you get with maintenance lifting.

.......There, for some, are no pre swing timing movements......this is timed for the pitchers fastest deliveries......just can’t see the logic of static pre non movements!

[LifeTimeCajun]

No leg kick?

[Dad04]

Well, l agree what we are seeing is a poor job of recruiting the past few years and not with just one class. I don't think one decent class is going to correct it now. I'm not certain going forward if they may need another class on top of that one or it's simply the end of the line for him.

Here's where I part ways with you somewhat, and that is saying he somehow has had a steady stream of excuses over the past few years. When I've questioned him personally, I didn't hear those excuses for what has taken place. He talked about his personal struggles in dealing with his mothers illness and eventual death. He clearly lost focus and he owned it, but do you really expect him to talk publicly on the radio about his personal struggles?

Coach Bab lost his home in the floods and money was raised to help him out. I've never lost my home and almost everything in it, and yet both of those events happened to them almost simultaneously. That's the personal side of life and none of us hear it very often.

On the professional side, he told me and a few others he has been slow to change and make staff decisions, and that falls entirely on him. At this stage, he may not be able to change the way he has coached and ran this program from the past. We may be there now, I just don't know.

I gave $$$ to Babs house fund, almost 3 years ago.

I heard the excuse multiple times Gunner got hurt. If Gunner didn't get hurt, he was gone in the draft anyway. Gunner would have been a high draft if he wasn't hurt.

Same thing with the draft and Hogan, Nick, Evan.

We all heard about the 700 lost at bats during construction. Over and over again.

Rebuilding will take multiple seasons. We can only sign better players when we employ a coach with the ability to identify talent. We obviously are short there.

To repeatedly use the injury to the best pitcher I've seen here as an excuse for last season, when the only reason he was here because he was injured, was a mistake. Everytime I heard that, I felt sick.

We all make mistakes. My kid played here and I deeply respect and admire Robe. I just wish he had not done that.

[CajunVic]

We have also apparently missed on talent evaluations even once we got them in our house - Riser, Elkins, Erbe, etc., etc

[zeppelincajun]

I guess I’m not as sympathetic or concerned with some of the backlash because I’m not really seeing anything here worse than what Robe has given back to the fans in his Saturday morning interviews. Just listening the Saturday after the LMU Friday night win:

1. He wants “Negaholics Anonymous.” Maybe that wasn’t directed at the fans, but it sure sounded like it was.
2. “You wanna pay your money and go sit in the stands and watch him play like a major leaguer. Well he’s not a major leaguer. He’s a college freshman.” No sorry coach. I’m not expecting Bryce Harper. You don’t get Top 15 attendance year in and year out with no standards, but any one who thinks this program should live up to any standard whatsoever is suddenly acting entitled somehow? I don’t agree.
3. “You wouldn’t tell your kid he sucks the first time he tries to walk and falls, but you’ll do it at a baseballl game.” Of course I wouldn’t, but if I paid someone to teach my son how to walk and he still could barely stand after 3 years, I’d be pretty damn concerned.

We saw it last year with the players trying to give it back to the fans for early season doubts after bringing home the almighty SUN BELT WEST TITLE. You wanna pound your chest and say I told you so every time you eek out a win, knock yourself out. But miss me with the pity party on days like today.

[Dad04]

Injuries

Bourgeois. Probably best hitter
Lahare
Kasuls
Toro
Windham
Leger
Monica. Probably not 100%


Jay reported today that 20% of the team is injured. Might have a little effect on the teams overall performance

So Jay is chipping with excuses too. Tons of umpire hating mixed in.

[zephyr]

So Jay is chipping with excuses too.

Did the same thing in basketball with the Marquetti injury this year. Did it last year in the conference tournament as well.

[CajunT]

I gave $$$ to Babs house fund, almost 3 years ago.

I heard the excuse multiple times Gunner got hurt. If Gunner didn't get hurt, he was gone in the draft anyway. Gunner would have been a high draft if he wasn't hurt.

Same thing with the draft and Hogan, Nick, Evan.

We all heard about the 700 lost at bats during construction. Over and over again.

Rebuilding will take multiple seasons. We can only sign better players when we employ a coach with the ability to identify talent. We obviously are short there.

I hear you, but because you gave money doesn't mean the personal side is not a factor.

I heard the same discussion on losing the 700 lost at bats and I will tell you his main complaint was Hudspeth unwillingness to work with him during the fall with the indoor practice facility schedule. But he couldn't say anything publicly about it because Farmer didn't have the balls to step in and force a compromise.

Again, we are in agreement that recruiting has been a problem and I think while you call it excuses because what is said publicly on the radio or in his Diamond Club, he still took ownership of it in my personal conversation with him last month.

And again, it may be that he can't change at this point in his career and the end is near. But unlike you I'm just not certain of it at this time and his 1150 plus career wins have a little something to do with it.

[Dad04]

I hear you, but because you gave money doesn't mean the personal side is not a factor.

I heard the same discussion on losing the 700 lost at bats and I will tell you his main complaint was Hudspeth unwillingness to work with him during the fall with the indoor practice facility schedule. But he couldn't say anything publicly about it because Farmer didn't have the balls to step in and force a compromise.

Again, we are in agreement that recruiting has been a problem and I think while you call it excuses because what is said publicly on the radio or in his Diamond Club, he still took ownership of it in my personal conversation with him last month.

And again, it may be that he can't change at this point in his career and the end is near. But unlike you I'm just not certain of it at this time and his 1150 plus career wins have a little something to do with it.

I think we agree. I said I thought he has taken more blame lately, which is refreshing. Or at least not shifted blame to injured / drafted athletes. Every team fights injuries and at least hope players get to the next level at some point. I know Robe would like players drafted after eligibility is gone.

I sincerely hope he can adjust. The last thing I want is a new head coach. Everybody has to adjust to changing conditions, which are always changing. Ask Bill Belichek if he had to adjust over the past decade.

We are simply caught in a natural down cycle in the program. It is a force of nature, largely above control. Circumstances, personal tragedies in some cases, have combined resulting in a few average baseball teams, after a record of great success. I really dont blame anyone.

Every economist knows the economy will have another recession and one after that. If they could prevent it they would.

The baseball program is in a recession. It will get better at some point and I expect Robe will be part of that. Going through the process is not fun to see, though. I know it is really not fun if you wear the uni.

When I see the RPI list with numerous teams with past history of great success way down the page, I realize we are not alone, or unusual. It happens. The timing of this slump, on the heels of getting a new ballpark, is not good.

I trust in Robe. I know those that do are fewer. What worries me as a Robe person, Dr. Maggard is an absolute warlock at hiring coaches. He just don't miss.

[Dad04]

Last thought. If AD's changed baseball coaches every time they went .500 for the season, we would quickly exhaust the supply of coaches.

[Rougarou]

I'm not the only one guessing.

I might be the only one admitting it.

The difference is the ones guessing on the other end aren’t willing to indict our SC staff based on zero facts other than one hitter being unable to hit a served up fastball. And as many baseball fans know, there are several issues that can factor in a hitter struggling in this way that are unrelated to their level of training.

I would be willing to listen and give weight to your hypothesis if you actually knew what Monica’s routine in the weight room is in-season. Because all of your literature is immaterial if you don’t have pertinent facts to apply the findings of the literature to.

I think it is ok to guess or assume that our SC staff has been implementing appropriate programs until facts come out to suggest otherwise. I think it is ok for you to guess too. Just wanted to be clear that was what you were doing.

[CajunEXPRESS]

We’ve been struggling for years. Even the year we lost the super regional to LSU was a season that we had to win the tournament to get in. This is year 5 of struggling not ascending.