Fire Todd Butler

[_kai_]

Had not looked at the RPI (why would I) and this is higher than I thought it would be. I wonder if this means it will go up if we lose 3 to DBU?

So this is what it's like on the other side of the RPI coin.

[Ricardo del Rio]

What a mess. If you have not as yet, read Suellentrop's article in today's local fish wrap.

http://www.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/article77807287.html

On second thought, maybe you should skip the read.

[1979Shocker]

So did the #2 recruiting class from 2 years ago ever pan out?

http://www.goshockers.com/news/2014/9/22/209670091.aspx

[1972Shocker]

What a mess. If you have not as yet, read Suellentrop's article in today's local fish wrap.

http://www.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/article77807287.html

On second thought, maybe you should skip the read.

He could have just included this blurb and saved a lot of time:

WSU starters now have a 6.08 ERA while the bullpen is 6.22....In the last seven games, WSU starting pitchers have gone just 26 2/6 innings. During that stretch, they have allowed 29 earned runs for a 9.81 ERA.

Not sure if there is anyone left still holding out hope that the Shocks will catch lighting in a bottle come Valley Tournament time but that seems like a pipe dream to me.

[Cdizzle]

Why is Vickers still hitting 9th?

I'll hang up and listen.

[1972Shocker]

Why is Vickers still hitting 9th?

I'll hang up and listen.

I asked that same thing two weeks ago. I don't get it.

[Cdizzle]

I asked that same thing two weeks ago. I don't get it.

Also, I'm betting that we find out that the reason Vickers got good at hitting is because he started spending countless hours in the cage. I remember the same thing happened with O'Brien a few years ago. Which, at the time, raised the question, what the heck are the rest of you doing?

[Aargh]

Let me start out by admitting my pre-conceived notions:

1) I like Kemnitz. I think he's one of the outstanding pitching coaches alive today.
2) I don't care for Butler. Never have - never will.

Then I look at the pitching staff for the Shox and it's abyssmal. Why would Kemnitz go from being a genius - recruiting hard throwing pitchers, teaching them the additional pitches they need to succeed, and having a staff consistently among the nation's leaders in ERA - to what the Shox are putting on the mound today?

The conclusion I'm drawing, admittedly based on my preconceived notions, is that Kemnitz isn't recruiting the pitchers any more and isn't being allowed to work with them the way he has worked with pitchers in the past. Butler set him up to fail.

Now, when Butler has a post-season conversation with Boatwright, Butler cries tears of sorrow over the inability of Kemnitz to get him what he needs out of the pitching staff. If Boatwright would just let Butler fire Kemnitz and give Butler the chance to bring in his own guy, then everything will be great. Of course Butler would need a couple of years for the new guy to bring in and train the talent to put WSU back on the baseball map.

In other words, Butler is throwing Kemnitz under the bus to save his own ass and buy another couple of years.

I think Standiford, Hooper, or about anyone on the face of this Earth other than Butler would be able to work with Kemnitz.

[1972Shocker]

Let me start out by admitting my pre-conceived notions:

1) I like Kemnitz. I think he's one of the outstanding pitching coaches alive today.
2) I don't care for Butler. Never have - never will.

Then I look at the pitching staff for the Shox and it's abyssmal. Why would Kemnitz go from being a genius - recruiting hard throwing pitchers, teaching them the additional pitches they need to succeed, and having a staff consistently among the nation's leaders in ERA - to what the Shox are putting on the mound today?

The conclusion I'm drawing, admittedly based on my preconceived notions, is that Kemnitz isn't recruiting the pitchers any more and isn't being allowed to work with them the way he has worked with pitchers in the past. Butler set him up to fail.

Now, when Butler has a post-season conversation with Boatwright, Butler cries tears of sorrow over the inability of Kemnitz to get him what he needs out of the pitching staff. If Boatwright would just let Butler fire Kemnitz and give Butler the chance to bring in his own guy, then everything will be great. Of course Butler would need a couple of years for the new guy to bring in and train the talent to put WSU back on the baseball map.

In other words, Butler is throwing Kemnitz under the bus to save his own ass and buy another couple of years.

I think Standiford, Hooper, or about anyone on the face of this Earth other than Butler would be able to work with Kemnitz.

I just opened a separate thread to discuss Brent and the pitching woes. I though about posting it here as it is related to HCTB and I can move it over here if that is preferred.

[DUShock]

Why is Vickers still hitting 9th?

I'll hang up and listen.

[1972Shocker]

I think Standiford, Hooper, or about anyone on the face of this Earth other than Butler would be able to work with Kemnitz.

In HCTB's defense I think it was a mistake to push Brent on him and I think that would have been a bad move regardless who they would have or will hire. That should apply to a Mark Standiford or Kevin Hooper as well if they are to be hired. If they want Brent fine, but it should be solely up to them or whoever they hire as head coach.

This is not to say the hire of HCTB was a good one. It obviously wasn't but ADES (and whoever else had anything to do with it) compounded a bad hire with a bad decision regarding Brent and with a really bad contract for HCTB.

[Ricardo del Rio]

In HCTB's defense I think it was a mistake to push Brent on him and I think that would have been a bad mover regardless who they would have or will hire. That should apply to a Mark Standiford or Kevin Hooper as well if they are to be hired. If they want Brent fine, but it should be solely up to them or whoever they hire as head coach.

This is not to say the hire of HCTB was a good one. It obviously wasn't but ADES (and whoever else had anything to do with it) compounded a bad hire with a bad decision regarding Brent and with a really bad contract for HCTB.

I imagine Brent did most of the talking to AD Sexton. Brent can sell refrigerators to Eskimos.

On the other hand, AD Sexton does not have enough sense to come in out of the rain.

[ShockTalk]

In HCTB's defense I think it was a mistake to push Brent on him and I think that would have been a bad move regardless who they would have or will hire. That should apply to a Mark Standiford or Kevin Hooper as well if they are to be hired. If they want Brent fine, but it should be solely up to them or whoever they hire as head coach.

This is not to say the hire of HCTB was a good one. It obviously wasn't but ADES (and whoever else had anything to do with it) compounded a bad hire with a bad decision regarding Brent and with a really bad contract for HCTB.

As much as I like Brent as a pitching coach, it was the decision to keep Brent and require any new coach to have him on staff as the pitching coach that led to a reduction of quality coaches (that feel they're qualified to make that decision) that would consider WSU, that may have lead to us to not getting our first choice when he back out of consideration, that led to a bad contract to even get Butler.

[SB Shock]

In HCTB's defense I think it was a mistake to push Brent on him and I think that would have been a bad move regardless who they would have or will hire. That should apply to a Mark Standiford or Kevin Hooper as well if they are to be hired. If they want Brent fine, but it should be solely up to them or whoever they hire as head coach.

This is not to say the hire of HCTB was a good one. It obviously wasn't but ADES (and whoever else had anything to do with it) compounded a bad hire with a bad decision regarding Brent and with a really bad contract for HCTB.

Do you think the decision to keep Kemnitz is why DBU Dan Heefner cancelled on his visit to WSU?

[1972Shocker]

Do you think the decision to keep Kemnitz is why DBU Dan Heefner cancelled on his visit to WSU?

I have no idea. It is certainly possible that had some impact.