How many seasons does Butler get?

[shox1989]

well then you need to come up with:

Unbelievable. I can't believe WSU would have signed such a deal with someone who has had so little head coaching experience. At least Mike Cohen was only making something like $70,000 per year.

[shox1989]

These Texas announcers really seem to like HCTB. They believe he will turn WSU around for sure.

I hope they are right. Maybe an outsiders perspective is what some of us need to hear.

I think they like the fact that he was able to end the Longhorn's seven game losing streak.

[Shockerman]

Can't blame WSU for giving him that kind of contract. I have always been on the fence in regards to Butler but we don't get him without that kind of contract. Who wants to follow a Baseball legend without some sort of security blanket? The guy following a Legend rarely succeeds, and so far he has proven this to be true. Can we get an update on how Hooper is doing? Is he working towards his degree?

[bleed yellow]

Can't blame WSU for giving him that kind of contract. I have always been on the fence in regards to Butler but we don't get him without that kind of contract. Who wants to follow a Baseball legend without some sort of security blanket? The guy following a Legend rarely succeeds, and so far he has proven this to be true. Can we get an update on how Hooper is doing? Is he working towards his degree?

Gene couldn't build success off of his own legend either though. Lol. I don't think it's right to sit here and say Butler is faced with the near impossible task of replacing a legend when things went downhill after 2005. Those 2 years with Dirks were about the extent of any success Gene had as far building off his own success goes.

[Cdizzle]

I would take 2 years of Super Regional competition right now. We can't just pretend like they didn't happen. Those teams were awesome.

[bleed yellow]

I would take 2 years of Super Regional competition right now. We can't just pretend like they didn't happen. Those teams were awesome.

I'm not saying we should forget about them.. Hell, I attended wsu during those years. It was awesome watching our baseball team kick ass and take names. But after everyone from that team graduated, the tension in the Eck could be felt in the air. We weren't even necessarily an awful team, but the decline in all around talent: mainly hitting was just brutal for fans to watch. Even under Butler the tension is the same. Wsu baseball just seems to be a notch, ok 2 notches, under where they should be.

[Ed Harley]

I've had box seats since they put in box seats. Not the ones they have now, the old ones when there were only 4 rows of box seats. I have been to at least one game every year since 1982.

I still have the seats but I haven't seen a game this year. Probably won't.

Very disappointing to see last year's senior laden, MVC tourney champ team coming off a regional regress instead of improve. (Guess they didn't "officially" win the MVC tourney or go to a regional)

This year is just sad. So far, this is the worst team since the program was restarted. They make the 2009 team look like the 1927 Yankees.

Maybe everything will work out, I really hope it does.

In any event, there is absolutely NO reason not to have a competitive team on the field RIGHT NOW. With the resources this program has, a rebuilding year should be 33-25 and 3rd in the Valley.

Lots of people are talking about how the program was in decline two years ago, hard to argue with that; however, how many sub .500 years were there prior to this year? How many times have the Shocks been EIGHT games under .500?

Should we have gone with Hooper or Standiford? Seems pretty obvious now but the powers that be aren't feeling the pressure because basketball's success has overshadowed the baseball travesty. Could Butler build a dynasty here? Maybe? Is there a need to tear the program down further before building it back up? NO!!!

Unfortunately, it looks like we are stuck with an unnecessarily painful situation for the foreseeable future.

[SB Shock]

FWIW, Mike Kennedy weights in through twitter

Note to the doubters: this WSU baseball staff will get it turned around and be very successful. Growing pains now, better days ahead soon.

For those with short memories, there were more than a few being critical of Gregg Marshall after his first two years. How'd that work out?

Keep in mind NO program in America could lose two starters the caliber of Tewes and Schwanke and not be seriously affected by it

[Kung Wu]

Should we have gone with Hooper or Standiford? Seems pretty obvious now but the powers that be aren't feeling the pressure because basketball's success has overshadowed the baseball travesty.

How would Hooper or Standiford have better dealt with two key pitchers injured, coming off a season where the upperclassmen are spewing poison about having to sit games due to the Under Armor debacle and being pissed about Gene being let go? Seems to me they would have inherited the same set of problems, assuming they had the integrity to report the Under Armor problem and not ignore it.

[ShockTalk]

How would Hooper or Standiford have better dealt with two key pitchers injured, coming off a season where the upperclassmen are spewing poison about having to sit games due to the Under Armor debacle and being pissed about Gene being let go? Seems to me they would have inherited the same set of problems, assuming they had the integrity to report the Under Armor problem and not ignore it.

I was one who liked either Hoop or Standiford for coach. Hiring either would probably made life, at least temporarily, easier for ADES. Those that didn't feel Gene had run his course, would have been much more "forgiving" had either of these two been hired and had the troubles HCTB is having now (and I think they would have). Nevertheless, I believe that ADES made the strongest choice, on paper anyway, and one that was going to cause the most heat if things didn't go well quickly.

Question is, would Hooper or Standiford have discovered the Under Armour situation? Gene obviously didn't see/find it (you can take that statement how ever you wish). Eventually, it probably would have been found out. How big of problem would it have been by that time? Finding it later, how much longer would it have held back the program? Would sanctions have been worse?

[shockfan89_]

FWIW, Mike Kennedy weights in through twitter

Note to the doubters: this WSU baseball staff will get it turned around and be very successful. Growing pains now, better days ahead soon.
For those with short memories, there were more than a few being critical of Gregg Marshall after his first two years. How'd that work out?
Keep in mind NO program in America could lose two starters the caliber of Tewes and Schwanke and not be seriously affected by it

Mike is probably one of the biggest optimists I know. And we were 5-9 in games Tewes, Schwanke, and Anderson started. After Saturday's loss now 5-10. It wouldn't be fair to say it hasn't impacted us but to say it has serious affected our W/L percentage seems like a stretch as our percentage with out them is actually better (8-12).

I'm not saying I disagree with Mike, but Gregg was a proven winner prior to coming to WSU. HCTB was barely .500 for his career. (now at 134-133).

I wouldn't call myself a doubter, but this week hurt. Ending Texas' 7 game losing streak Tuesday and then dropping 3 straight to a team with exactly "1" MVC win prior to playing us is just painful.

[SB Shock]

And we were 5-9 in games Tewes, Schwanke, and Anderson started. .

I keep hearing this thrown out, but it is really a meaningless argument - does past TEAM performance predict future team performance? The question is would having those guys pitching for WSU now be giving WSU a better chance in winning? Would it had made a difference this week?

[shockfan89_]

I keep hearing this thrown out, but it is really a meaningless argument - does past TEAM performance predict future team performance? The question is would having those guys pitching for WSU now be giving WSU a better chance in winning? Would it had made a difference this week?

It is no more meaningless than using their injuries as an excuse for the poor performance this year. If we were 12-2 in the games they pitched and 4-16 in the games since they got injured it would be much more telling. The point is we weren't winning with them and we aren't winning without them.

I get your point, and obviously I agree if they were healthy we would have more depth and would feel better about our chance of winning, I just want to add some perspective and point out there is a difference between doubters and those of us out there living the pain of every walk, wild pitch, misplayed ball, throwing error, strike out, unproductive AB and thinking if Tewes and Schwanke were there those things wouldn't be happening.

[shockfan89_]

I have wondered all year why we have 37 listed on the roster on goshockers.com but the NCAA only allows 35? Have a couple people transferred or left the team that are on the roster? I am sure it has probably been discussed and I just missed it so I am hoping someone can educate me.

[bleed yellow]

Mike Kennedy needs to remember that after year 2, wsu basketball fans were fairly confident that proven winner Gregg Marshall was taking his program in the right direction.
I think if the disappointing baseball play carries over into Butler's 3rd year, Sexton will have no choice but to start weighing his options. No improvement has been shown thus far, it's as if Gene is still the coach. That is the problem.
And for any of you who think the basketball success is distracting Sexton, think again.. Gene was fired --after the final 4 run-- That by itself probably has Butler on edge.