When their first time ever was not too long ago makes me sick about all of those great teams we had in the lad 90's and early 2000's and mid 2000's. At least coach Rod seems to have us going in the right direction.
Pretty harsh assessment. There were a lot of frustrating losses in big games, but overall the Smith era was a success. 3 Big XII championships and a stretch of 13 Regionals in 15 years is nothing to sneeze at. It was time to move in a new direction, but Smith did a lot for Baylor baseball.BellCountyBear said:
Steve Smith sucked and was lucky to be the manager at the time we did get to the CWS in 2005. So glad he's gone.
Our facilities have fallen on hard times, at least in terms of being elite. The pitching lab was a great step in the right direction, but we have a long way to go.Chanceux said:
If there's one men's sport where we should compete at a high level every year, it's baseball. Facilities, tradition, good attendance. No excuse to not have won a natty by now. No excuse for missing out on the CWS for an extended time.
Not sure what the program needs in terms of extras, but the university needs to step up and commit whatever it takes.
I know several former players' families and none have anything positive to say about SS. Small sample size I'll grant you, but still. I think the success Baylor had during his tenure were in spite of Smith and mostly due to the assistant coaches and the players.Crash Davis said:Pretty harsh assessment. There were a lot of frustrating losses in big games, but overall the Smith era was a success. 3 Big XII championships and a stretch of 13 Regionals in 15 years is nothing to sneeze at. It was time to move in a new direction, but Smith did a lot for Baylor baseball.BellCountyBear said:
Steve Smith sucked and was lucky to be the manager at the time we did get to the CWS in 2005. So glad he's gone.
Fair enough, but if a head coach hires good assistants who recruit good players, he has already done well at a massive piece of his job.BellCountyBear said:I know several former players' families and none have anything positive to say about SS. Small sample size I'll grant you, but still. I think the success Baylor had during his tenure were in spite of Smith and mostly due to the assistant coaches and the players.Crash Davis said:Pretty harsh assessment. There were a lot of frustrating losses in big games, but overall the Smith era was a success. 3 Big XII championships and a stretch of 13 Regionals in 15 years is nothing to sneeze at. It was time to move in a new direction, but Smith did a lot for Baylor baseball.BellCountyBear said:
Steve Smith sucked and was lucky to be the manager at the time we did get to the CWS in 2005. So glad he's gone.
Yep. He even made a pitching change when the manager was in the dugout. Pretty rare for a pitching coach.txrangers said:
Anyone see Steve Smith during the Florida/Auburn Super? Smith is a pitching coach for Auburn and was shown several times and was mentioned as a "longtime Baylor coach."
Nguyen One Soon said:
Things started going south the year after he fired Mitch. Steve started seeking himself more as a General Manager than as a coach.
Yes. Surprised he never got an offer at D-1 school. He'd turn them into an immediate winner.RioRata said:Nguyen One Soon said:
Things started going south the year after he fired Mitch. Steve started seeking himself more as a General Manager than as a coach.
Isn't Mitch now at MCC and is responsible for the Highlanders rise to national prominence?
Chanceux said:
If there's one men's sport where we should compete at a high level every year, it's baseball. Facilities, tradition, good attendance. No excuse to not have won a natty by now. No excuse for missing out on the CWS for an extended time.
Not sure what the program needs in terms of extras, but the university needs to step up and commit whatever it takes.
They aren't in shambles. Nobody said that...no need to tear down any straw men.Chanceux said:
Heck I love our park. I guess I didn't notice it in shambles this year, but I only made one game. I mean it needs a few renovations but it's still a beauty to me. And that lab is really cool. Got anything like that for batting?
Sorry. Was meant very tongue-in-cheek, which I know isn't conveyed well through the interwebs. At the heart of the issue is that Baylor IMO should always be great at baseball. We should always have great facilities. It's always been a hot topic to debate the partial vs full scholarship and how it's unfair at private schools, but it shouldn't matter. Really the coaching staff and the facilities are what attract the best baseball players. I like Rodriguez and hope he gets this ship righted and headed towards a national championship.Crash Davis said:They aren't in shambles. Nobody said that...no need to tear down any straw men.Chanceux said:
Heck I love our park. I guess I didn't notice it in shambles this year, but I only made one game. I mean it needs a few renovations but it's still a beauty to me. And that lab is really cool. Got anything like that for batting?
Our facilities just aren't elite like they used to be. When Baylor Ballpark was built it was widely considered one of the top 5-10 facilities in the country...it isn't anymore. Still has great bones, just needs a major face lift.
You gotta give Smith credit for those 3 Big 12 season titles, but beyond that the chokes, self inflicted collapses, and numerous squandered opportunities by teams easily talented enough to get to Omaha (other than that 2005 team) were maddening. I thought he should've been gone years before he finally was, but I'm glad as well we've got Coach Rod who took over a program squarely in the ditch and has it trending in the right direction.Crash Davis said:Pretty harsh assessment. There were a lot of frustrating losses in big games, but overall the Smith era was a success. 3 Big XII championships and a stretch of 13 Regionals in 15 years is nothing to sneeze at. It was time to move in a new direction, but Smith did a lot for Baylor baseball.BellCountyBear said:
Steve Smith sucked and was lucky to be the manager at the time we did get to the CWS in 2005. So glad he's gone.