Wichita State Baseball Book

[BenWSU]

Wichita State Baseball Comes Back by John Brown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkRw9zwHvWA&list=UUnZuuT55rZTsNV9ivBsMqIA&feature=c4-overview

[1972Shocker]

Great interview. Looking forward to buying and reading the book.

Gene says this books just coves the 1st five years so their could be a couple of follow-ups.

[1979Shocker]

I guess since Gene isn't in baseball anymore, he doesn't need the mustache.

[shox1989]

"I know I wasn't the first choice". I took a large pay cut, making less than half of what he was making at Ou. I was getting paid $1,000 per month with no benefits on a month to month contract. A lot of people thought it was an impossible task and everyone advised against me coming here. At the time less than 8% of the high schools in KS even played baseball at the time. And WSU had NEVER had any success in baseball. I was told not a snowball's chance in hell of succeeding there. But all I saw was a great opportunity.

I was paraphrasing there, but it was good stuff. The book took at least 2 1/2 years to write.

[SHOCKvalue]

I guess since Gene isn't in baseball anymore, he doesn't need the mustache.

Whoa, he looks weird!

It appears GS was fighting back some emotion at the beginning of the video. My heart still wishes he would have stepped down gracefully, and remained in the WSU family. Contemplating GS as a WSU outsider is not something I'll ever be able to stomach, no matter what a PITA he was.

[shocker3]

It is too bad they couldn't have worked something out to keep Gene on staff. The guy could have been a great saleman for the program and fundraiser. Gene is quite the saleman. He could sell ice to an eskimo.

Back in the 90s when WSU basketball was at its lowest my dad said they should make Gene the AD. My dad said that Gene could turn all of the athletic programs around.

[pogo]

Whoa, he looks weird!

It appears GS was fighting back some emotion at the beginning of the video. My heart still wishes he would have stepped down gracefully, and remained in the WSU family. Contemplating GS as a WSU outsider is not something I'll ever be able to stomach, no matter what a PITA he was.

I know what you are trying to say but GS will always be a part of the family but not within the family. I believe those that are now running the program have embraced his legacy and acknowledged his many accomplishments. That being said I believe it will always be GS that keeps him outside the family. The animosity that he feels for ES will also keep him estranged from the program. I agree that GS could have made this more reasonable for all parties but thats not the way he rolls. Thanks to GS for all he did in building the program.