Is Brent immune from the Gene discussions?

[ShockTalk]

Interesting Stats


Team Batting Average
2012 - To date .286
2011 .280
2010 .296
2009 .275
2008 .314
2007 .299
2006 .306
2005 .289

Team Earned Run Average
2012 - To date 3.53
2011 3.26
2010 4.45
2009 4.26
2008 3.88
2007 2.68
2006 3.66
2005 3.16

Seems to me that the overall talent has gone down over the last several years. Not just the batting. I like Brent, but the stats would say we are not dominating like we used to either at the plate or on the mound. He is the main recruiter isn't he? I think we are down several notches in competitiveness in batting, fielding and pitching. Not to mention baseball IQ.

Interesting stats indeed:

Hitting: Prior to 2005, WSU hit below .300 only ONCE, .298 in 1990. So, before 2005, WSU had 14 straight seasons of .300 or better. For the five years from 2000-2004, the highest team average was .324 and included a .300 and .304. For the nine years from 1991-1999, WSU lowest average was .311 and bettered the 2004 average of .324 SEVEN times. That's a little more of a trend of where the hitting has come from and where it has gone.

Pitching: You list ERAs of 2.68, 3.16, and 3.26 in your eight years. From 1979- 2004, WSU's pitching staff bettered that 3.26 ERA a total of THREE times. So 3 of WSU best 6 ERA years have been in the last 8 years. WSU also top the 4.00 ERA 6 times in those years and had an ERA of 3.66 or higher 14 times or more than half the years. Sorry, I don't see your trend.

I'm not beating BK's drum, but the stats you show are not truely representative of what you indicate they are. I'm also going to guess that Brent has had more Top 10, Top 20 national staffs over those last 8 years than we've seen by the hitters.

[ShockTalk]

By the way, if anyone wants to see long-term (20+ years) hitting and pitching trends compared to the national averages, ask @SB Shock to post them. I think you'll find them enlightening.

Nevertheless, I also agree with @SB Shock and his statements regarding Brent and OU.

[molly jabali]

I think he is a very good pitching coach, and maybe the one stable voice in the program....Does he have his shortcomings?Probably. The 'OU' thing still rubs people the wrong way. That said, I'd like to see him be the head guy someday.

[SB Shock]

I hope not. His silence in light of what has gone on in the program is consent - so therefore he is part of the problem.

[WuDrWu]

The 3 most important attributes in an assistant coach are, in order:

1)Loyalty
2)Loyalty
3)Loyalty


It's the first thing you learn.

Personally, I would like to hear from Brent, free from the encumbrances of 10, on where the program is and what should be expected, what needs to change and what needs to stay the same before I eliminate him from the program. I don't know Brent anymore than I have met him on a handful of occasions so I realize I'm not in any position to comment on things off the field.

Still, I've always been impressed with his thought process and the way he's handled the program.

[cjp27]

Interesting stats indeed:

Hitting: Prior to 2005, WSU hit below .300 only ONCE, .298 in 1990. So, before 2005, WSU had 14 straight seasons of .300 or better. For the five years from 2000-2004, the highest team average was .324 and included a .300 and .304. For the nine years from 1991-1999, WSU lowest average was .311 and bettered the 2004 average of .324 SEVEN times. That's a little more of a trend of where the hitting has come from and where it has gone.

Pitching: You list ERAs of 2.68, 3.16, and 3.26 in your eight years. From 1979- 2004, WSU's pitching staff bettered that 3.26 ERA a total of THREE times. So 3 of WSU best 6 ERA years have been in the last 8 years. WSU also top the 4.00 ERA 6 times in those years and had an ERA of 3.66 or higher 14 times or more than half the years. Sorry, I don't see your trend.

I'm not beating BK's drum, but the stats you show are not truely representative of what you indicate they are. I'm also going to guess that Brent has had more Top 10, Top 20 national staffs over those last 8 years than we've seen by the hitters.

Keep in mind that in 2000, college went from -5 bats to -3, and also decreased the barrel size. In 2008, they reduced the maximum exit speed on the bats again. Todays bats are nowhere near as explosive as what was used in college prior to 2000. So, comapring pre-2000 stats to the last decade is kind of like comparing apples and oranges. I'm not sticking up for Gene, or any of them for that matter. But the bats explain a lot of it. They do not, however explain the win/loss record and overall lack of success the last few seasons.

[1972Shocker]

Keep in mind that in 2000, college went from -5 bats to -3, and also decreased the barrel size. In 2008, they reduced the maximum exit speed on the bats again. Todays bats are nowhere near as explosive as what was used in college prior to 2000. So, comapring pre-2000 stats to the last decade is kind of like comparing apples and oranges. I'm not sticking up for Gene, or any of them for that matter. But the bats explain a lot of it. They do not, however explain the win/loss record and overall lack of success the last few seasons.

The same goes for comparing pre- and post-2000 ERA's. They should be somewhat lower with the more anemic bats in the post-2000 time frame.

[ShockTalk]

Keep in mind that in 2000, college went from -5 bats to -3, and also decreased the barrel size. In 2008, they reduced the maximum exit speed on the bats again. Todays bats are nowhere near as explosive as what was used in college prior to 2000. So, comapring pre-2000 stats to the last decade is kind of like comparing apples and oranges. I'm not sticking up for Gene, or any of them for that matter. But the bats explain a lot of it. They do not, however explain the win/loss record and overall lack of success the last few seasons.

The same goes for comparing pre- and post-2000 ERA's. They should be somewhat lower with the more anemic bats in the post-2000 time frame.

The only way I know to compare the batting averages/ERAs, then and now, is if @SB Shock: still has his graphs that show the national averages and where the Shocks ranked each year. I believe I saw them at one time and they did go back, I thought, 20+ years. If you have them @SB Shock:, could you post them again? Thanks.