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Given the baseball program's current state of affairs I think it is a legitimate question to ask the following:
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“Losers Average Losers.” ― Paul Tudor Jones -
You old geezer
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I must confess that I originated Team A v. Team B.
The teams were comprised of folks, who favored the firing of Coach Smithson and those, who did not. Team A for and Team B against.
Transferring the question to Coach Stephenson is difficult for me. After all, his track record ain't all that bad.
If I have a major concern, it is about the recruitment of position players."Prediction is very difficult, especially if it is about the future."
--Niels Bohr
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Guess I'll have to abstain as neither is my preference. I'd still like to see Gene bring in someone who will take over when he steps aside. Someone younger, who still has that fire in his gut to go out and do what it takes to find the best recruits. Who can put some new energy in the dugout and on the field.Comment
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There is no doubt that the Shockers are no longer a dominant team nor a fixture deep into the post-season. However, the college baseball environment has changed a lot since our glory days and I think those are behind us for the most part. However, we still should be able to stay at the top of the MVC and get into the NCAA Tournament regularly. Trips to Omaha though will be the exception and not the rule.
I don't think that the performance has been bad enough to terminate Gene. Even last year, the worst in Gene's tenure we played in a regional and were competitive losing two 1-run games. This year was better with the strong finish, but we laid too many eggs including the big one in the MVC Championship game. Still we were on the bubble despite Brian Flynn's brain cramps and Charlies Lowell's 5-week absence. Also Gene still has never had a losing season. Letting Gene go at this point might send the message to prospective Coaches that these guys have expectations that are impossible to meet. Of course, maybe Brent would simply take over.
At this point I think it is on Gene and staff to get us to the NCAA Tournament regularly and, at least, be competitive in the regionals. I'm not sure how to define regularly, but at a minimum I would say 60% of the time (3 out of every 5 years), although I'm sure that may be unacceptable to more than a few fans.
We didn't make it this year. Next year looks pretty iffy, expecially if Cooper and Kelly turn pro. But I think Gene survives another miss next year. However, if we miss for a 3rd consecutive year in 2012 than IMO a decison needs to be made (whether by Gene or for Gene).
My fear is that Gene and staff polluted the recruiting waters with their dalliance with OU and Gene's comments that it was just getting too difficult to win at WSU (or somehting to that effect). No doubt opposing coaches have and are still using that to their advantage.Comment
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Why is the recruiting so bad? How many recruits who agreeded to sign with WSU have been chosen in the first few rounds of the draft the last few years. There are still plenty of top notch players willing to sign with WSU, so the appeal for WSU is still there, I guess it just doesn't out weight the huge $'s being thrown at these kids. I see him staying until he doesn't want to do it anymore. The idea of a young coach coming in to work under Gene and eventually take over, seems like the best idea to me.THERE ARE FLOCKS OF BIRDS AND MANY A CAT ------ BUT ONLY ONE WUSHOCK!Comment
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It's not the recruiting, it has been their performance on the field. This team had 10 seniors on it and the only one's that didn't have a disapoitning year was Lassley and Bascue. There just wasn't enough improvement by these guys while at the program. Some of them even regressed as players.Comment
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Is it possible to have endowed scholarships so that more recruits could get more of a full ride? There might be a new rule that no one gets more than .25, right?
Who was our last position player to be a 1st Team All-American?Comment
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Probably 1998 with Jeff Ryan and/or Pat Magness.THERE ARE FLOCKS OF BIRDS AND MANY A CAT ------ BUT ONLY ONE WUSHOCK!Comment
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Scholarship limits are from the NCAAOriginally posted by ISASO
It is the coaches decision as to what % to award.Comment
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There is a lot of difference between the performance of Coach Smithson and the performance of Coach Stephenson.
Randy deserved everything he got, he was his own worst enemy.
Gene deserves to stay as long as he wants.
How about removing the Rusty Eck name from the stadium and put Gene Stephenson's name up there now?Let's hope he can hit a D-1 Curve ball!
"God gave us the ability to reason, not religion" http://www.deism.com/
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Gene built the program from nothing to some of the best facilities in the nation, and made WSU a nationally-respected name in college baseball.
He did the facilities building projects with little or no assistance from the athletic department. He pretty much did it off of ticket sales and contributions he beat the bushes to get.
With what Gene has done for the program, he pretty much gets the call on when he's done. The Lew Perkins thread in the basketball forum has a link to an article about a soccer coach Lew Perkins fired at UConn. Firing Gene would be about the equivalent (or worse) of firing that soccer coach and Perkins sure looks like a total jerk for having done it.
Any AD at WSU who fired Gene better be looking fo a job, because a lot of very heavy financial hitters are firmly behind Gene.
Gene may have become a feisty, bitter, a-hole who can't get the results he used to get, but he's our feisty, bitter a-hole. We may as well make the best of it.
Some times you have to accept the fact that you can't change things and you just have to deal with what you've got. That's where the Gene haters are at. He's not going anywhere any time soon. You may as well get used to it, get on with your lives, and try to find things to enjoy about the teams WSU puts on the field.The future's so bright - I gotta wear shades.
We like to cut down nets and get sized for championship rings.Comment
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Now that is a pregnant idea.Originally posted by Shirley Schmidt
There may be some contractural barrier, but it is an idea, which is worth pursuing."Prediction is very difficult, especially if it is about the future."
--Niels Bohr
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Aargh, as a practical matter I think you're right. Gene will make the call when he is done. I would think he is more likely to do that at a high point as opposed to a low point.
If Gene is determined to finish #1 in wins when he does decide to hang up the cleats then he will be around until Soggie Burrito hangs 'em up plus at least a couple of years. Whether or not this is a major goal of Gene's or not at this point I don't really know.
Right now Soggie is at 1764 (and still playing) and Gene is at 1724. Soggie has added about 25 wins to his lead over Gene over the last two years.
Soggie is 71 buts looks to be going strong.Comment
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Aargh - As I've stated before, I'm not looking for Gene's head, but a different avenue. However, comparing the UConn soccer coach to Gene is a little bit of a stretch, based on the article alone.Originally posted by Aargh
Don't recall the UConn coach leaving for "greener pastures" and indicating he had taken UConn as far as they could go. That's a biggie and will always leave a sour taste in my mouth as I felt he wanted to slide a little on OU's name and his legacy in his twilight years and not have to work as hard (or harder) as he would have to keep WSU where it was in that national standing. We also don't know if the UConn coach has had all the personal sagas Gene has managed. Nevertheless, like I've said before, I hope Gene makes the decision to bring in some new blood and fire so he can step aside on his own terms. I must admit, that short of Soggie soon having a myocardial infarction, I not really thrilled with the idea of Gene being around a good number of years at this level of ball just so he can maybe be #1 in wins.Comment
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