Looking back on baseball

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

A lot if high expectations and goals to open the year were not even given a scare by this team. Found ourselves fighting for a spot in the SEC tournament yet again and not even reaching the tournament this year. I believe in this coach and believe he'll do we'll in the coming years, but I do agree with his argument that this team needs a new attitude. This team does not know how to win. They do not know how to keep leads and quite frankly, they do not know how to convert. I believe this team has a lot of fight in them, and has a lot of desire to win, but as of now, they need some sort of swagger or attitude change to really turn the program in an opposite direction. What do you want to see change next year? Discuss

[Tigerbelle 5,299]

It is the Coach's job to teach a team how to win. Look at what Gus did with a football team that was in almost complete disarray. I do not believe CSG had much faith in his team, and they felt it. And I don't have faith in CSG yet because he hasn't done anything impressive at this point. I am very much on the fence. I hope he can recruit, and do a better job of coaching next season. It is as much on the coaches as it is on the players when a team can't win.

[atleagles 1]

CSG needs to change.....Tigerbelle hit the nail on the head.

[AU64 10,122]

It is the Coach's job to teach a team how to win. Look at what Gus did with a football team that was in almost complete disarray. I do not believe CSG had much faith in his team, and they felt it. And I don't have faith in CSG yet because he hasn't done anything impressive at this point. I am very much on the fence. I hope he can recruit, and do a better job of coaching next season. It is as much on the coaches as it is on the players when a team can't win.

Belle...I see no comparison with the football situation in terms of player talent. Chiz and his staff had stocked the team pretty well so that Gus inherited some serious talent (see NFL draft,etc) and only really had to bring in a good QB to make the team viable. As I've noted before, I have problems with CSG's approach but frankly, IMO, he does not have more than a hand full of SEC quality players at the moment and most of them will be gone when the next season starts.

The Tigers are losing almost every player that contributed anything positive this season. Other than KT, this year's group of frosh have a long way to go to be competitive in the SEC and AU needs an all-time recruiting class to turn things around.

Unlike football or basketball, 2 or 3 key additions to a baseball team will have minimum effect and we need almost an entire new pitching staff to go along with a couple good glove hands for the infield.

I've seen no rumors about baseball recruiting so have no idea about CSG's ability to recruit and who might be good prospects are for the coming season. But as I said, it's gonna take a record recruiting haul for AU to improve next season.

[Mikey 16,781]

AU64 is spot-on. It will take two solid recruiting years to get the personnel on this team up to SEC standards. Looking at Pawloski's recruiting classes of the past four years, if you take out the guys that turned pro and never played a game for Auburn, the picture is very mundane. Gus was left with a pool of top-level talent but the baseball team wasn't.

[SumterAubie 3,180]

I hope Golloway rethinks some of in game decision making. It is one thing to have a 19 year old doze off at 1st base and get picked off. It is another to consistently ask base runners to try to leg out addtional bases only to have them end up as put outs.

[AU64 10,122]

I ask again.....

Does anyone have a clue about baseball recruiting...or do we just wait until we read a bunch of names on al.com to find out what the AU baseball future looks like?

So who are the kids from the region we should be after?

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

AU64, Here is the page of articles on college baseball recruiting at baseballamerica.com:

http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/t/recruiting/

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

Also 64, no mention of Auburn anywhere on that page but this is the list on ESPN.com of those we have offered, those who are considering, and those who have committed.

http://espn.go.com/high-school/baseball/recruiting/school/_/id/2/class/2014/page/considering

[AU64 10,122]

AU64, Here is the page of articles on college baseball recruiting at baseballamerica.com:

http://www.baseballa...e/t/recruiting/

d

Thanks...some good poop but I was hoping to hear something specific to Auburn.

I looked at the top 100 draft picks and top 25 HS teams and there were very few players or teams in our normal recruiting base....and none from Alabama which would seem to mean that we might be recruiting players from more distant locations....or JUCOs.

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

AU64, Here is the page of articles on college baseball recruiting at baseballamerica.com:

http://www.baseballa...e/t/recruiting/

d

Thanks...some good poop but I was hoping to hear something specific to Auburn.

I looked at the top 100 draft picks and top 25 HS teams and there were very few players or teams in our normal recruiting base....and none from Alabama which would seem to mean that we might be recruiting players from more distant locations....or JUCOs.

I know it's not much of anything just some guys around the country. I posted the ESPN site below it that is just kind of a basis as to who we have committed and who is considering, but there is not much else when it comes to who we are after.

[WDE_OxPx_2010 5,546]

I hope Golloway rethinks some of in game decision making. It is one thing to have a 19 year old doze off at 1st base and get picked off. It is another to consistently ask base runners to try to leg out addtional bases only to have them end up as put outs.

IMHO the extra base hustle forces teams to execute. I like the aggressive running. I think CGreer will recruit small ball guys and this sort of plan will pay dividends. Thinking sort of like coach Madden with Tampa Bay

[Mikey 16,781]

"Small ball" only wins big when your pitching and defense is better than the other guy's pitching and defense. I see no reason to think we'll be superior in those areas and now the balls have been livened up next year. We need a balanced team with smart base running and some good hitters.

Small ball, by definition, gives up the possibility of big innings in order to get one run. I'm not a fan.

[PowerOfDixieland 3,236]

Ten were signed in November for the 2015 class:

Colton Campbell (LHP; Orlando, Fla.), Kyler Deese (C/IF; Auburn, Ala.), Montrell Marshall (3B; Snellville, Ga.), Austin Murphy (OF; Jacksonville, Fla.), Cody Nulph (IF; Orange, Calif.),Alex Polston (IF; Midwest City, Okla.), Dalton Rentz (RHP; Mobile, Ala.), Dakota Robbins (C; Miami, Fla.),Hunter Tackett (IF/OF; Heiskell, Tenn.), and Izaac Yarbrough (LHP; Vinemont, Ala.)

http://www.auburntigers.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/120613aaa.html

[AU64 10,122]

Thanks POD....don't recall seeing that....came out during the height of football season and I was probably distracted.

Looking at the list, they are mostly CC/JUCOs plus a couple HS. Do you have any idea what kind of seasons any of them had? I did a quick look and did not see anything much.

I realize that baseball is not like football where AU get's top 10 players in just about every positions.....so what's the analysis to date?

Is this the talent we need to be a factor in the SEC?

Will there by more...or is this it?

[aucanucktiger 1,988]

Getting swept final series of the season by a total of 29-4 runs is less than ideal.

[Tigerbelle 5,299]

It is the Coach's job to teach a team how to win. Look at what Gus did with a football team that was in almost complete disarray. I do not believe CSG had much faith in his team, and they felt it. And I don't have faith in CSG yet because he hasn't done anything impressive at this point. I am very much on the fence. I hope he can recruit, and do a better job of coaching next season. It is as much on the coaches as it is on the players when a team can't win.

Belle...I see no comparison with the football situation in terms of player talent. Chiz and his staff had stocked the team pretty well so that Gus inherited some serious talent (see NFL draft,etc) and only really had to bring in a good QB to make the team viable. As I've noted before, I have problems with CSG's approach but frankly, IMO, he does not have more than a hand full of SEC quality players at the moment and most of them will be gone when the next season starts.

The Tigers are losing almost every player that contributed anything positive this season. Other than KT, this year's group of frosh have a long way to go to be competitive in the SEC and AU needs an all-time recruiting class to turn things around.

Unlike football or basketball, 2 or 3 key additions to a baseball team will have minimum effect and we need almost an entire new pitching staff to go along with a couple good glove hands for the infield.

I've seen no rumors about baseball recruiting so have no idea about CSG's ability to recruit and who might be good prospects are for the coming season. But as I said, it's gonna take a record recruiting haul for AU to improve next season.

Talent is not really the point. Good Grief.

The point is that the coach was once again saying the players were at fault for not buying into small ball. It was HIS JOB to convince them....just like Gus convinced the football team to buy into his system. Just like Chizik got everyone to buy into "all in".

That's why I think CSG never had faith in the team anyway. If he had....they would've been more eager to buy into what he was supposedly selling them. I also think he didn't learn who this team was before making decisions on what to do with his players.

[Tigerbelle 5,299]

"Small ball" only wins big when your pitching and defense is better than the other guy's pitching and defense. I see no reason to think we'll be superior in those areas and now the balls have been livened up next year. We need a balanced team with smart base running and some good hitters.

Small ball, by definition, gives up the possibility of big innings in order to get one run. I'm not a fan.

Smart base running starts with smart coaching, and smart decisions about who to send at the right time. IMHO that was lacking this year.

[autigeremt 7,458]

Someone doesn't like the current coach. I get that. Problem is, he proved he could win with 15 straight regional appearances and a trip or two to Omaha. This team lacked SEC talent. Much of that was carryover. The current coach played a lot of freshman, and it cost us a game or two. It also provided playing time.

I'm not giving up on CSG just yet. I like him, like his forward approach, and expect things to improve next season. If we are 28-28 again at the end of 2015, I'll start beating the drum.

[AU64 10,122]

Someone doesn't like the current coach. I get that. Problem is, he proved he could win with 15 straight regional appearances and a trip or two to Omaha. This team lacked SEC talent. Much of that was carryover. The current coach played a lot of freshman, and it cost us a game or two. It also provided playing time.

I'm not giving up on CSG just yet. I like him, like his forward approach, and expect things to improve next season. If we are 28-28 again at the end of 2015, I'll start beating the drum.

I'm good with this ....

[Mikey 16,781]

I'm giving him three years barring some nuclear explosion type of situation. It's hard to overstate the mess he inherited.

We haven't had smart base running since Coach Renfroe was here and I don't understand why that's such a problem. Your average high school team does better.

[AU64 10,122]

I'm giving him three years barring some nuclear explosion type of situation. It's hard to overstate the mess he inherited.

We haven't had smart base running since Coach Renfroe was here and I don't understand why that's such a problem. Your average high school team does better.

IMO, CSG was pressing to score runs and took lots of chances on the bases....most of which turned up snake-eyes.

Early in the year he express the view that he wanted to force the other teams to "make plays"....but SEC defenses for the most part are pretty solid with good arms and turned out the odds were not in his favor. Sunny's not a likely lottery winner.

[80Tiger 909]

Someone doesn't like the current coach. I get that. Problem is, he proved he could win with 15 straight regional appearances and a trip or two to Omaha. This team lacked SEC talent. Much of that was carryover. The current coach played a lot of freshman, and it cost us a game or two. It also provided playing time.

I'm not giving up on CSG just yet. I like him, like his forward approach, and expect things to improve next season. If we are 28-28 again at the end of 2015, I'll start beating the drum.

Exactly right. They can't get over that their guy had four years and was time for him to leave. I wish the haters would come clean as to why they are such supporter of Paw.

[PowerOfDixieland 3,236]

I wish the haters would come clean as to why they are such supporter of Paw.

Pawlowski was a really good guy. Couldn't get the job done, but he was a nice man who supported a really good cause by way of his daughter's illness.

Golloway is brutally honest, sometimes overly abrasive. And his daughter appeared in Playboy. That frightens people.

We went from one end of the coaching extreme (soft), to the other (brash). Many think it's too far, and that he's too tough on his young players and that he shouldn't speak openly about their on-field shortcomings. Some how that's not the Auburn way (which has gotten us zip in the previous three regimes).

I played for Nix and Baird (and Renfroe was there). They were very different in their styles, but I'll tell you I'd rather have a guy tell me what my shortcomings are than one who plays games with you and leads you to believe something may be coming your way. Sunny is not playing games.

[Tigerbelle 5,299]

First of all....no one should assume they know the all the reasons another poster dislikes CSG. One big reason I am not feeling the love has never been discussed here by me, and it won't be mentioned in a public forum by me ever.

As far as CSG....he hasn't gotten us anywhere either, and his record at AU is worse that CJP's at this point. It's way too early to know how how successful CSG will become at AU. His way of coaching this season left AU out of post season play. He needs to prove he can win in the SEC.

Contrary to popular opinion...CSG has been known to lead players on as well if we are to believe some of the talk by his former players. He was a polarizing coach at OU, and apparently that trend is continuing. Not too many seemed to care that he left, and that worries me.

You can be a tough coach without being a jerk about it.