jkag,

We didn't overachieve last season, we woefully underachieved during the regular season.

I agree, I was very disappointed in the regualr season performance of the '04 team, but based on that performance the team did overachieve in regional play.

Well, there is no question that Texas Southern certainly overachieved in regional play.

Rocks, I am certainly not espousing an adherence to my expectations with biblical rigidity. Rather, I merely suggest these as guidelines to evaluate our program over a significant length of time. If we go one four year period without reaching the CWS, I wouldn't say fire the coach. Rather, let's look at the whole of the coach's performance in light of those expectations.
As for the discussion of what we've done when we got to Omaha, there's simply too small a sample size to make any conclusions. Yes, we've only won one game in Omaha, but we've only had two appearances. I don't think anyone can truly judge MJ as a coach by what he's done in Omaha. I think the concern for most of us is how infrequently we've gotten to Omaha.
And this discussion is about expectations for our program, not a re-hashing of whether or not specific teams underachieved or overachieved. What I want to look at is, over the last 20 years, has our team met our expectations for what our program should be or hasn't it.
Saying that a certain year's team was supposed to be terrible but actually ended up OK and thus exceeded expectations is not an endorsement of our program's direction in my opinion. We should never be at the point where we are not expected to be a contender for the Big XII, hosting a regional, making a super and getting to Omaha. How often we actually get there will be played out to a degree by the oddities of baseball, but our program should be at a level where we start the season with a realistic shot of getting to Omaha.

[This message has been edited by Stu Piditti (edited 3/23/2005 6:57p).]

Again I agree.

Expectations:

1. Hosting a Regional 9 out of 10 years
2. Hosting a Super Regional 1 out of 2 years
3. Advancing to CWS 3 out of 5 years
4. Winning CWS 1 out of 7 years

Furthermore, A&M should begin construction on a new state-of-the-art facility that would seat at least 12,000 people and be by far the best stadium in the country.

Our fans deserve no less because they are the best fans in the nation.

Last years team did not overachieve in the regionals. They finally played to their talent level, for the first time since the first half of the season. Our play during our conference schedule was a pretty good example of underachievement.

The theory that A&M struggles in baseball b/c of their image as a cow college is rather humorous. You ever stop and think that maybe the top baseball players in this state make it down to B/CS for a baseball camp once in their life? I have met a lot of college baseball players over the year and a good percentage of them from this state attended the A&M baseball camp at one point in their development. They know what A&M has to offer. I might even buy this argument if we weren't having 4-6 players drafted every year. The talent is there.

There is no reaosn why we shouldn't enter each season expecting to go to Omaha. I haven't seen a valid reason yet why we don't go to Omaha at more often.

"Sometimes a guy will go down, and I'll let him scream a bit to destroy the morale of his buddies," said the Marine corporal. "Then I'll use a second shot."
-Sniper in Iraq

quote:

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They finally played to their talent level, for the first time since the first half of the season

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Amend that to "since 2000."

My expectations are simple. It has nothing to do with number of wins, times to Omaha, etc.

I expect us to hit .320 on the season as a team.
I expect our pitching staff to have an ERA below 3.50 on the season.

Do that and we will all be pleased with the results.

This team is 18-7 while hitting .283 with an ERA of 3.20. Raise the average to .320 and this team is likely 21-4, and no one would have a problem with that.

.320 batting avg. might be a bit high. Maybe .310 would be more realistic in the Big 12 conference. Several of the past national champions have averages well under .320. But that's splitting hairs.

My expectation is that the AD will assess the performance (as he did with men's and women's basketball, track and field and swimming and diving)and take the appropriate action.

FYI, Bibb Falk was at tu before Gus and of course Augie. Sips baseball success goes back 50 years at least.

Coach Tom Chandler won championships, went to Omaha and coached a highly respected program among baseball people. Baseball people know that Texas A&M is no "cow college" when it comes to baseball and the hi school players know our baseball program is outstanding.

Over the years tu has been tough to recruit against but they have got to where they are through years of tradition. Gus is supposed to have said that he called the top recruits on the phone to get their committment. That doesn't have a damn thing to do with CS or cow college crap.There may be reasons that we don't get all the studs we want every year but it is not because of some goofy cow college image. We have a damn good reputation as a top program among baseball people.

I expect us to recruit two or three of the best pitchers every year. All the great programs have loaded pitching staffs. Good pitching will stop good hitting.

Top 3 Conference every year
Host Regional every year
CWS birth 2/3 years

No wonder so many complain yall have unrealistic expectations.

Is more than 1 win at Omaha every 20 years unrealistic?

I would say no... I am a current student... so really I havent even been here when we went to OMAHA... I think A&M And MJ are good though, and I think we could as easily be in the CWS as many others... I understand we havent made it their much, but I dont think it has to do with the coaching, just not enough luck to make it through.

I think Hosting a regional/ super 2-3 times every 5-6 years would be reasonable, going to a super 2 times, and a CWS once.

BeatHellOutOfTU,

That's exactly why your expectations are so low. You weren't at A&M when we used to be a perennial regional team. Under Johnson we advanced to 9 regional championship games and lost 7 of them. Since 2000 A&M has been pretty bad, that's why you can't understand what all the fuss is about.

Mark Johnson is a good man and a great baseball coach.




This is the season we find out why Coach Fran is widely considered a better gameday coach than Bob Stoops and a better recruiter than Mack Brown.

When The "DUCK" soon flies high soar vastly above all mankind with his finacial genius, we will all have a hugh contribution to make to the SISTER in support of her good works.

Et tu Jack Daniels?

Get out early Monday and save yourself! Remember that when the cow gives up buttermilk and azzholes fly tomato seeds will be the currancy standard for all society. Left Face, Harch!

I think recruiting is a big part of the equation, but I don't really think it's about location, unless you're talking about recruiting players from out of state. They may see A&M as a hard-nosed military school, but Texas high school players know better.

One of the reasons for Augie's success at Texas is that he recruits JUCO players like there's no tomorrow. If you follow Texas baseball, there are at least 2 or 3 new upperclassmen on the team every year.

When Augie loses players like Thigpen, Moss, Ontiveros, etc., he's got some unknown kid from Southern Nevada Community College to replace him. He's even getting players from other Big XII teams now. Thomas Incaviglia transferred in from Oklahoma State, and he's had a great year. He can play just about any position, and he's a great clutch hitter. You've gotta hand it to Augie. He's not just a great coach, he is one hell of a talent scout.

And in the midst of winning a national championship and being a fixture in Omaha, suddenly all of the Drew Stubbs and Taylor Teagardens in the state of Texas are taking notice, and they want to play for Augie.

I don't know much about MJ, but I do know he was the coach of the year in the Big XII in '98 and '99. Yes, that was before Augie hit his stride with Texas, but I doubt MJ is sitting in his office everyday, content with the status quo. Baseball is definitely a game of quirks, and Texas A&M just happens to be in a very, very tough conference, competing directly with one of the premier teams (and probably the best coach) in the country. That is going to make A&M a better team. And with the recognition that guys like Cliff Pennington and Jason Meyer are getting, all it will take is one trip to Omaha for A&M baseball to take off again. I honestly don't think you guys are far from that. There is too much talent on that team for this offensive slump to be an unfixable problem.

You are half right. Mark Johnson is a good man. I have the utmost respect for him as a person. He is as fine a human being as you will ever meet. That is more than I can say for some former coaches but that is not the problem.