Accountability

[Player's Dad]

[quote="DiamondTerrier"]If you want to know why there is no excitement and enthusiasm among this years team, it's because it has been taken from them. They are so afraid that if they do happen to make a mistake, then they know they will have a good tongue lashing. It's not just a tongue lashing it's the way they are made to feel during it by the cursing they take. They have been forced into playing in fear.

Sorry on the last post - I'm not much of a blogger. But I could not agree more with the above. You can't play a game in which you need to be loose & relaxed in tense situations when you are playing in fear.

[Eyes of Old Main]

Admittedly, I do not follow Wofford's baseball program as closely as I should, but I do love Wofford and hope that the Terriers are successful in all pursuits. So, while I don't have much skin in this game, I do see common threads in the descriptions of what's been going on from many posters with differing perspectives here. I know making broad brush statements about programs I don't follow closely can open me up for some vitriol, but here's my concern. Wofford is a place that places a high value on it's own way of doing things. Those that follow the Wofford Way garner a tremendous amount of loyalty (sometimes extending well beyond levels that seem wise). This is a good thing, not a bad one. But, when there is underperformance on the field and most of the cause seems to stem from mismanagement and poor fundamentals, then it is time to consider a change. I can tolerate a lot of losses so longs as I see effort, hustle and wise choices, but playing with a lack of sound fundamentals falls back tothe coaches every time. I'm sure that the coaches want to win as much as anyone, but if they can't coach fundamental baseball, then they need to be given a timeline to improve in that area and an assurance that changes wil be made if things continue as they have. This season is over and plans should be in development for next year bythe coaches and players. But also, our athletic administration needs to come to terms with the fact that if the same issues of the last few seasons do not improve next year that a coaching change is probably needed.

[*BATMAN*]

Three years is enough time to determine if someone is capable of doing his job and at this level coaches should know how to coach fundamental baseball at the very minimum, not to mention conducting themselves in a professional manner , showing respect and earning respect.

[ILoveWofford]

seriously...what a huge collapse this year yet again....they had like a 4 game lead on furman with two series left and they preceded to get swept 2 straight, and to comment on one of the posters who had the records of before this coaching staff and also the record since...it is comical and down right embarrassing. If I were running athletics at this school I would look into dropping the program. Just a horrible program...and all of you supporters know its true

[BigJohn94]

Do you really not see the improvement. I mean look back at the post that had the stats of this coching staff vs the 3 years prior to this staff. We had 2 more conference wins with the current staff, and we lost fewer games overall with this staff. Really, if we keep this up, we might have a winning record by the time i hit retirement age. (Anyone picking up on the level of sarcasm here...) I don't think that dropping the program is the answer. Here's an idea. Since there are many baseball thread posters who want to sleep with Coach I, let's keep him around, and get rid of all the players and start anew. Well, we know that won't happen. Maybe we can make baseball a co-ed sport. Can't really hurt, now can it.

I know I'm opening myself up to the funding talks again, recruiting, and we have to give Coach I time, etc. What amazes me is that we were able to recruit 3 players who turned out this year to be amongst the leaders in batting averages in the SoCon. However, we were not able to recruit any pitchers who could start for the local Dixie Youth leagues. The same money that could not get us pitching was able to get us a little hitting. Is it the pitching coach? Is it the level of desire amongst the players? Is it the head coach? My take is that it's a combination of all of the above. And I really think that the desire factor amongst the players stems from the pitching coach and head coach. I know it's not the "Wofford Way" to rid itself of a coach, unless there are some off-the-field issues which have to be addressed, or something similar in nature . And I'm sure that Coach I is a pretty good guy off the field. BUT, he's got the majority of his recruits on the field, and there has been little proof of significant inprovement. If Coach I hangs around until next year, he needs to really have a "banner year," or it should be time to bring in someone else to try to get the job done. Can't really do much worse, right?

[blitz4]

Very good points by the last two posters. I think Coach I is struggling, but I think it has a lot to do with his pitching coach. He has got to be the worse pitching coach in the NCAA over the past 3 years. We have scored enough runs to win a good amount of games, but the pitching and defense has been horrible.

[BGTerrier]

I really wish everyone on this board could witness first hand what it's like to play for Coach I. I love Wofford to death, and I wouldn't trade my time at Wofford for anything. What I would trade is all the time I wasted playing baseball under Coach I. The guys on the team are not the problem, with talent comparable to other teams in the conference. Where Wofford really falls short is in coaching. The post about enthusiasm in the program couldn't have been said better. Coach I preaches baseball as a job with many sacrifices, but the real thing that is sacrificed is the fun and love for the game. Grueling pointless workouts and practices leave little time to focus on hitting, pitching, and fielding. With little focus on player development, it's no wonder the program is continually bad. Coach I only does things his way, and anything outside of what he thinks of is out of the question. The opportunity for an ex-pro hitting instructor to come work with the Wofford team came up during the fall. Coach I wouldn't even entertain the idea because he didn't know the guy. He character is very questionable, and he ego is large enough to fill all of Gibbs Stadium. He takes advantage of the players that put the most into the program and only plays his recruits. This is why the team seems to be sluggish at the end of the season. I'm not even going to comment on Coach Blake, because he should have been fired 3 years ago. Coach I wasn't qualified to get the job after Coach Traylor left, and he certainly shouldn't have the job after a pitiful 3 years.

[dialing8]

What I would trade is all the time I wasted playing baseball under Coach I. The guys on the team are not the problem, with talent comparable to other teams in the conference. Where Wofford really falls short is in coaching. Coach I preaches baseball as a job with many sacrifices, but the real thing that is sacrificed is the fun and love for the game. The opportunity for an ex-pro hitting instructor to come work with the Wofford team came up during the fall. Coach I wouldn't even entertain the idea because he didn't know the guy. He character is very questionable, and he ego is large enough to fill all of Gibbs Stadium.

This sure starts to set the record straight. Thank you for sharing what is seems many on this board already know.
As far as preaching the "job" stuff, it is a job based on the number of hours you guys have put into practice and games, BUT it still has to be fun. Even those of us that work for a living enjoy what we do or we would quit and go get a job that was fun some of the time.
Thanks for all the time you put into Wofford Baseball and all the sacrafices you made to your social life.

[*BATMAN*]

BGTERRIER,
What a great post! The time has come, or should I say overdue for a change. The arrogance of not taking advantage of an ex major league hitting coach speaks volumes about Coach I's immaturity.

[Natural]

That is a gross exaggeration. The guy you are referring to is a high school coach who was drafted in his playing days and now runs camps on the side and has written a book. Come on folks, you may hate Coach I because he chose to play the players he has recruited, but let's not distort the truth.

[american gentleman]

How can the truth be an exaggeration? The point is that we are dealing with someone who thinks he knows everything and he doesn't.

[BGTerrier]

Natural, who are you to short change a man with pro experience. I personally got to know and used the hitting instructor, and the Wofford baseball team would have greatly benefited from his help. Regardless of whether this man is qualified or not, the downfall of Wofford this year lied in the narrow mindedness of the coaching staff and the inability of the coaching staff to make adjustments. The same little league mistakes happened over and over again with no changes, and it led to the collapse at the end of the season. I do have a problem with Coach I and how much he plays players, especially since the team has been so poor during his time. It's one thing if the team is killing other teams, but when Wofford struggles to compete is raises questions.

[GoDawgs]

I as well as many others in the terrier family agree that the problem is the pitching coach, Dusty Blake, however the responsibility to make the change or over ride his decision making is the head coach. Coach I is very capable of winning games at Wofford, but he must get rid of Dusty Blake. He is letting Blake ruin his head coaching career. We have had the worse pitching staff in the conference and nation over the past 3 years and things aren’t looking any greener for next year. If Coach I can’t let go of Blake then Wofford needs to let go of Coach I.

I'm just curious what you experience with Coach I and Coach Blake are? Did you play under these guys? Either way being that pitching changes and recruiting are controlled primarily by the head coach do you feel it is fair to place all the blame on Coach Blake? Could the lack of production be from a lack of recruiting? Of the games I went to it appeared as though players were left in the game entirely too long and well after it becoming obvious that they did not have their "good stuff." However, many pitchers were capable of going out and performing on a given day. The entire coaching staff can be blamed for this lack of consistency but mismanagement falls on the head coach. Any and all feel free to respond as I am curious to hear different perspectives.

[johnd7]

hey it is not just about pitching look at eh errors in the field there where a ton and look at the lack of hitting