NU/WSU

[Ta town]

Our recruiting philosophy is to find the best athlete and make them into baseball players, diamond IQ notwithstanding. I want a guy who is already a baseball player, since our staff doesn't seem to be able to make them better, like Doc said.

EXACTLY

[Ta town]

Hooper is still in town, Eric should keep him in town.

[SPEShockAlum]

....There are a whole bunch of people, myself included, that have simply resigned to the fact that WSU baseball is no longer relevant.

.... It's time to be relevant again.

You make several good points, but I point out the central theme of your post: relevance. At some point winning a championship that is just a shade younger than me is no longer relevant and I'm not sure the coaching staff has stopped patting themselves on the back for that.

We have LOIs from at least three players from Nebraska for next season. I only hope that breathes some life into the program similar to when one of their older brothers was around.

[1972Shocker]

I would be absolutely shocked if Eric Sexton even hinted at replacing Gene. I just don't believe that is going to happen.

Nor do I see Gene shaking up his coaching staff. We are definitely not going to replace Brent and I am not sure there is any reason to and I don't see Gene replacing Jim Thomas out of loyalty and friendship.

I suppose there are 3 possibilities ranked in order of probability:

1. Gene hangs on way past his prime and continues to manage the program into sustained mediocrity making a turn around increasingly difficult for his eventual successor.

2. Gene and staff get this thing turned around and at least back to relevance and be consistently at the top of the MVC with regular trips to the post season.

3. Gene realizes that he his past his prime and his approach is not effective with the current generation of players. Player development and game management (apparently not Gene's strong suit) has become more important than simply recruiting the best hosses which is becoming more and more difficult. Gene realizes the best thing for his program is to turn the reins over to new blood (and hell freezes over).

[BostonWu]

Pray for soggy burrito's retirement to be here soon. A business colleague who was a member of the 89 team recently told me the record means a lot to Gene.

[JohnnieBallgame]

At this point in the season I have several concerns and observations.

1. What is the effect of what may be "misplaced loyalty" to underperforming players having on underclassmen?

2. If I were an underclassman would this cause me to consider a transfer if I didn't believe I was "one of Gene's boys"?

3. I have noticed fewer of the players parents attending games since the Hawaii trip? Is this indicative of parental frustration as well or just trying to get caught up on work and financial concerns?

4. I sat near a "fan" last night that was so busy blasting players out loud and publicly that he was unaware that several parents of players were sitting nearby, as well as a recruit. Then he proceeded to pretend that he was some how tied to the program and that the local kids are weakening the program. If I were a parent of a player or the parent of a recruit, this guy might have caused me to add an entry to the "con" side of the ledger.

Nobody makes mistakes on purpose, and I would suppose that if loyalty is a fault, it is a fault that isn't always bad! Let's hope the coaches figure out how this needs to be handled soon and that the loyalty is beneficial to the program going forward. :wsu_posters:

[KC Shox]

It has been discussed before in the past and it needs to be brought up again. While we question Gene and staffs ability to develop players, (or lack thereof), it should be noted that we do not get the same volume of highly skilled players as we did in the past.

BCS programs are focusing on baseball more-and-more. Increase pay to their coaches, facility upgrades and increasing fan support are all factors that contribute to BCS programs 'stealing' our recruits. Face it, from a regional level does a kid want to play in the Big 12 or SEC in baseball or play in the so-so Valley? Losing recruits to BCS programs, being affiliated with the Valley and of course the draft are hurting us.

Sexton will not do anything with Gene. He is too afraid of what type of negative outcome to him personally would result from fans and alumni should he get rid of an icon like Gene. Gene is like Joe Paterno, he controls when he will leave the game, IMO.

If you want to feel any better. OK State is going through the same thing we are and they got T Boone money.

[1972Shocker]

If you want to feel any better. OK State is going through the same thing we are and they got T Boone money.

I would feel a lot better about that if we were getting T. Boone's money.

[GoShockers89]

It has been discussed before in the past and it needs to be brought up again. While we question Gene and staffs ability to develop players, (or lack thereof), it should be noted that we do not get the same volume of highly skilled players as we did in the past.

BCS programs are focusing on baseball more-and-more. Increase pay to their coaches, facility upgrades and increasing fan support are all factors that contribute to BCS programs 'stealing' our recruits. Face it, from a regional level does a kid want to play in the Big 12 or SEC in baseball or play in the so-so Valley? Losing recruits to BCS programs, being affiliated with the Valley and of course the draft are hurting us.

Sexton will not do anything with Gene. He is too afraid of what type of negative outcome to him personally would result from fans and alumni should he get rid of an icon like Gene. Gene is like Joe Paterno, he controls when he will leave the game, IMO.

If you want to feel any better. OK State is going through the same thing we are and they got T Boone money.

I think Gene loses the JoePa privileges once the baseball program ceases to be self-sustaining in the atheltic department budget. That could very well be next year.[/b]

[SB Shock]

If you want to feel any better. OK State is going through the same thing we are and they got T Boone money.

Maybe I'm not understanding the context. OSU is third in the Big-12 with a RPI of 27 and ranked in the top 25.

[Schmakey]

Pray for soggy burrito's retirement to be here soon. A business colleague who was a member of the 89 team recently told me the record means a lot to Gene.

Of course the record means alot, it is all about Gene. That is how he lives now. If anyone around thinks Gene is concerned about how the university is doing, any other athletic team at WSU or any success of former players they are kidding themselves! He is about the record, getting his name at the top of a list they put up during the CWS while other schools are playing and building himself a shrine that always mentions his name when people see it from now until it gets torn down. Come on folks, call it what it is!

[WstateU]

Pray for soggy burrito's retirement to be here soon. A business colleague who was a member of the 89 team recently told me the record means a lot to Gene.

Of course the record means alot, it is all about Gene. That is how he lives now. If anyone around thinks Gene is concerned about how the university is doing, any other athletic team at WSU or any success of former players they are kidding themselves! He is about the record, getting his name at the top of a list they put up during the CWS while other schools are playing and building himself a shrine that always mentions his name when people see it from now until it gets torn down. Come on folks, call it what it is!

That's a bunch of Hanky Schmakey!

[KC Shox]

If you want to feel any better. OK State is going through the same thing we are and they got T Boone money.

Maybe I'm not understanding the context. OSU is third in the Big-12 with a RPI of 27 and ranked in the top 25.

You're right, I should have clarified. In 2009, OSU finished with a 34 - 24 record. In 2010, they finished with a 29 - 26 record. Now they are bouncing back. They have great tradition and even the best can suffer as we are now.

But we all need to accept the fact the days of old are long gone and the Shox are entering a different and more challenging era in college baseball. More competition, more parity and less available talent means more up and down years to come for Shocker baseball.

This ain't all on Gene and staff.

[SFL]

If you want to feel any better. OK State is going through the same thing we are and they got T Boone money.

Maybe I'm not understanding the context. OSU is third in the Big-12 with a RPI of 27 and ranked in the top 25.

You're right, I should have clarified. In 2009, OSU finished with a 34 - 24 record. In 2010, they finished with a 29 - 26 record. Now they are bouncing back. They have great tradition and even the best can suffer as we are now.

But we all need to accept the fact the days of old are long gone and the Shox are entering a different and more challenging era in college baseball. More competition, more parity and less available talent means more up and down years to come for Shocker baseball.

This ain't all on Gene and staff.

We have arguably the finest overall collegiate baseball facility in the country. We have (did have) one of the most loyal fan bases in the country. Heck, we out draw most programs regardless of weather. I don't care what league we play in; we should expect and demand more from this program and there are no excuses. I’m glad not everyone shares your 'defeatist attitude'. :(

[Ta town]

We have arguably the finest overall collegiate baseball facility in the country.

I think if you stroll around to other official athletic sites and check out other facilities you'll see that the Eck is nicer than most but nothing you could consider the "finest"