Running, all-purpose NCAA baseball super regional thread

[farmerjerome]

What is happening to Alabama?

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

LeBlanc is not at the top of his form, and the team is playing some spotty defense.

This is not a premier Alabama team. The Crimson Tide lost three of five this year to LSU, which didn't get into the NCAA tournament.

Plus, the Tar Heels pitcher is shoving it up their asses.

 

[dixiehack]

What is happening to Alabama?

Never had much hitting this year. Can't say I'm surprised.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

The Baton Rouge paper printed a pure-speculation, no-facts story on who might be LSU's next baseball coach. The editor of one of the college baseball mags settled on George Horton of Cal State Fullerton as the prototypical candidate, and both he and another mag editor called Horton the only real home-run candidate.

And then things get ethically murky. The reporter is doing a story on who LSU's next coach will be. LSU AD Skip Bertman asks the reporter not to bother potential LSU coaches until their current teams' seasons are over. So ... The Advocate's reporter obliges. Hell, he doesn't even ask Horton how he feels about having his name mentioned in connection with the LSU job.

Whatsupwitdat?

 

[dixiehack]

The Baton Rouge paper printed a pure-speculation, no-facts story on who might be LSU's next baseball coach. The editor of one of the college baseball mags settled on George Horton of Cal State Fullerton as the prototypical candidate, and both he and another mag editor called Horton the only real home-run candidate.

And then things get ethically murky. The reporter is doing a story on who LSU's next coach will be. LSU AD Skip Bertman asks the reporter not to bother potential LSU coaches until their current teams' seasons are over. So ... The Advocate's reporter obliges. Hell, he doesn't even ask Horton how he feels about having his name mentioned in connection with the LSU job.

Whatsupwitdat?

With a minimum of effort, you could probably ask him. :

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Look, the way I learned it in J-school, you get both sides of a story ... or you don't have a story. Period.

 

[Comma Chameleon]

Can't speak to whether Horton was called or not, but Bertman didn't ask the media in Louisiana not to contact any candidates. He asked reporters not to contact Jim Wells or Mike Bianco. It was very interesting that he didn't just say everybody.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

He asked reporters not to contact Jim Wells or Mike Bianco.

All the more reason to contact Jim Wells or Mike Bianco.

And there's no way Horton leaves Fullerton.

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

The Advocate did contact Wells and Bianco. They had stringers at both regionals and got immediate reaction stories the day of the firing.

And yeah, Horton would be crazy to leave Orange County.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

The Advocate did contact Wells and Bianco. They had stringers at both regionals and got immediate reaction stories the day of the firing.

What about for the June 8 story?

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

There were two June 8 stories: one with the national baseball writers describing where the LSU job fits into the national landscape, and a sidebar in which the same writers (Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball) said -- without prompting -- the best guy available is Horton. I don't think either could be described as pure speculation, unless guys who cover the national scene aren't allowed to inject an opinion into a story in another publication. There were plenty of facts in both stories, I might add, so the no-facts label rings false.

If you'd like to discuss this further, feel free to PM me. If you'd rather not, I can't continue to comment here.

 

[micropolitan guy]

The ACC looks to be in good shape after today but it's a good thing Miller had so many strikeouts tonight because Carolina's infield played like the Bad News Bears in the final three innings at Bama.

As far as Horton, of course he'd be a logical candidate, and it's hardly speculation to connect him and this job. He and the guy at Rice are the top coaches in America not at a BCS school. And for the right money, he might leave, why not? Everyone is available for the right price.

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

At Wayne Graham's age, it's probably safe to say he's not leaving Rice for LSU. Garrido has no reason to leave Texas. That leaves Horton as the best available, but LSU would have to knock his socks off, I think, for him to leave the fertile recruiting bed that is California.

Enjoyable games today.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

The ACC looks to be in good shape after today but it's a good thing Miller had so many strikeouts tonight because Carolina's infield played like the Bad News Bears in the final three innings at Bama.

As far as Horton, of course he'd be a logical candidate, and it's hardly speculation to connect him and this job. He and the guy at Rice are the top coaches in America not at a BCS school. And for the right money, he might leave, why not? Everyone is available for the right price.

Here's one thing I love about college baseball: The top teams nationally aren't the usual crop of BCS suspects.

LSU would have to come up with football or basketball coaching money to get Horton. There's no way that will happen.

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

He made a point at the College World Series (in 2003 or 2004) to mention he was the only coach there from a non-BCS school, and you got the feeling he would listen to an offer to coach at a BCS school in a powerful conference that has a strong baseball tradition. I don't think money would be everything to him, but he'd probably want more than LSU is willing to pay.

 

[Terence Mann]

Speaking of talking to potential candidates for the LSU job, none of the ESPN and ESPN2 announcers I saw today mentioned the coaches at Alabama, Cal State Fullerton and College of Charleston as being among the names mentioned. Maybe Skip Bertman asked them to cool it too.

I'd think the subject would come up at least once in nine innings, even if you don't ask the coach about it. I wonder if it came up in production meetings with the coaches, and the coaches said, "Please, no distractions." It just seems odd to have no mention at all. I'm sure it will be the same way for the Ole Miss series beginning tomorrow.

A national football telecast would include several mentions in similar circumstances, I'm betting.

 

[Birdscribe]

The ACC looks to be in good shape after today but it's a good thing Miller had so many strikeouts tonight because Carolina's infield played like the Bad News Bears in the final three innings at Bama.

As far as Horton, of course he'd be a logical candidate, and it's hardly speculation to connect him and this job. He and the guy at Rice are the top coaches in America not at a BCS school. And for the right money, he might leave, why not? Everyone is available for the right price.

Very interesting scenario, but they would have to empty the treasury to get Horton to Bayouland.

Not saying he won't leave Fullerton :'(, but he went to the school, played for Garrido, bided his time until Garrido went to first Illinois, then came back after Larry Cochell went to Okilahoma. Then, Horton waited until Augie Kerouac went to Texas.

This is the job he wants. And Goodwin Field isn't the total dive it was when I went there in the 80s. It's a nice facility, he has the run of the fertile SoCal high school recruiting grounds to harvest and -- as much as it pains me to say it as a loyal alum -- he typically doesn't have trouble getting kids in. That's why I think he didn't take it too seriously when he was mentioned for the UCLA job a few years ago.

JD is right. If he's leaving Fullerton, he's doing so for more than LSU would pay him.

 

[micropolitan guy]

It's true it would take a ton of cash to get Horton away from the Titans. But LSU doesn't seem to be hurtin' for money, and he'd be a fool to not at least if they made an offer.

Also, I think things are going to get a little tougher in the LA area for CSU-F and Pepperdine. Savage has done a great job of reviving UCLA and the change at USC should also be beneficial for the Trojans. He'll still have a great program, but recruiting could get a mite more difficult.

And I think, on the whole, BCS conference teams still "control" college baseball, for the large part.
At the 2005 CWS, the only non-BCS team was Tulane, and probably five or six of eight this season will be BCS as well.

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

South Carolina leads Georgia 9-0 on six home runs, all with two outs, all in the first two innings. The last five came in rapid-fire succession in the second inning. Incredible.

 

[HoopsMcCann]

had to rub it in, didn't you *******?