This forum is pure hardball. Bring the heat in this discussion of Flames baseball.

Moderators: jcmanson, Sly Fox, BuryYourDuke

By Chippy
Registration Days Posts
#508034
flameshaw wrote:
thepostman wrote:
flameshaw wrote:Sorry guys, Toman isn't going anywhere, unless he wants to. Hate on.
Why?

I don't ask that to be a jerk. I honestly want to know why you believe he is untouchable.
He is not untouchable forever, but the results from this year won't be what gets him. A couple more years of less than stellar results and he could be in trouble. We lost a lot of talent last year and the players have just not executed this year like projected, especially the pitching. Toman doesn't make many mistakes when it comes to X's and O's, it is not a very easy job. When you recruit real good players, you usually only get 2 years out of them. There are a lot of things that make baseball recruiting much harder than most sports. We had a guy locked up for next year, who was the real deal, big left-hander. But he has played so well in his senior year in high school, he is going to be a high round draft pick and will make a million plus in signing money, that is hard to compete with. That is not really an excuse, just reality. Everyone knows it going in. You just can't have an off year in recruiting at our level.
Kiriloff might also get drafted which would be disappointing as well.
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By jinxy
Registration Days Posts
#508040
The thing is that we can't even out recruit the big sout lately. This is 2 bad years in a row. No shot he gets heat this year. But 3 bad years in a row and he better.
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By BJWilliams
Registration Days Posts
#508045
The thing is, its one thing to outrecruit the other teams in the Big South...its a completely different thing to actually develop that talent and then outperform them when the pitches actually count come springtime. That is where I think our biggest disconnect is with the baseball team.
By Humble_Opinion
Registration Days Posts
#508055
BJWilliams wrote:The thing is, its one thing to outrecruit the other teams in the Big South...its a completely different thing to actually develop that talent and then outperform them when the pitches actually count come springtime. That is where I think our biggest disconnect is with the baseball team.
The point here is, either one of those being the problem is a reflection upon the coaches. Our coaches should have far fewer excuses for poor performance year-over-year in comparison to the other members of our conference. Losing the series to Campbell is not a good thing. Blips in baseball are common. No matter how good you are, you will never come close to winning them all. However, we continue to have issues competing against our conference in virtually all of the large sports, when the gap between us and them should be widening. Sadly, thus far through the season, baseball is underperforming expectations.
By WestPAGator
Posts
#508073
BJWilliams wrote:The thing is, its one thing to outrecruit the other teams in the Big South...its a completely different thing to actually develop that talent and then outperform them when the pitches actually count come springtime. That is where I think our biggest disconnect is with the baseball team.

You hit the nail on the head. The players tell me that there is absolutely no coaching going on there. They get no help from anybody. If they are struggling, they have to work it out themselves. If you want D1 performance from the raw talent, you need D1 coaching and that goes for pitching, batting, all of it. We should also have a sports psychologist on staff like other major programs do.
By Baseballgirl16
#508076
Toman has shown that he can recruit in the past at USC and here at LU, but he hasn't been out on the road assessing talent like he use to do. He has been making questionable game decisions and just doesn't appear to be "on his game" day in and day out. He is in his mid 50's, maybe the game has caught up with him and starting to pass him by?
By Baseballgirl16
#508077
BJWilliams wrote:I will say on the record FFG that I do think a change will probably be necessary the way things are going this year, but I only say that because Toman probably will have his number up for contract renewal. Im as rah-rah as they come I will agree, but even I have to shake my head at some of the things I've seen this year and the past couple years since we won the Big South in our stadium, because I know, and Im sure you and the rest of the "doom squad" will agree that we are and should be better than this. If Im the coach, the first thing I need to do is step into my office and take a long hard look in the mirror because youre right...it starts with the coaching. Anyway, like I said, as frustrated as I am, Im still wearing my red today and hoping for a better result than last night.


Mr. Williams, I am afraid all Coach Toman sees when he looks in the mirror is someone who is over qualified for this job and deserves to be at an SEC or ACC school as a HC, or at least that is what I overheard him tell someone outside the batting cages on the first floor not long ago. I have never been on this message board but decided to just join and see what people really think about this man. I have been around him a little over the last few months, and quite honestly, he seems full of himself. Just MHO.
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By flameshaw
Registration Days Posts
#508078
WestPAGator wrote:
BJWilliams wrote:The thing is, its one thing to outrecruit the other teams in the Big South...its a completely different thing to actually develop that talent and then outperform them when the pitches actually count come springtime. That is where I think our biggest disconnect is with the baseball team.

You hit the nail on the head. The players tell me that there is absolutely no coaching going on there. They get no help from anybody. If they are struggling, they have to work it out themselves. If you want D1 performance from the raw talent, you need D1 coaching and that goes for pitching, batting, all of it. We should also have a sports psychologist on staff like other major programs do.
:BS
By ballcoach15
Registration Days Posts
#508080
In baseball, softball, football and basketball we should own the Big South.

Looking down the road, once all our new athletic facilities are finished, I think it will help recruiting.
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By BJWilliams
Registration Days Posts
#508088
I agree with that...Im just saying that itll be up to the coaches to actually take those lumps of high school clay and turn them into top level D1 college players. That said though, you aren't going to win every game (even the UConn ladies have to lose eventually), so you do the best you can to learn from the losses and improve so that the next time that situation comes up, you can make that play on the ground ball and start a key double play, or instead of hesitating on a called strike 3, you get the bat around and rip an important single to drive in an insurance run, or you make the tweak in your timing that leads to your changeup going for an out instead of going over the fence.
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By flameshaw
Registration Days Posts
#508096
I am continually amazed by people, who have never played sports at a high level, believe it is so easy to do. In addition we have a poster who has been around Toman for a "couple of months" and can successfully psycho analyze him? That is pretty good, hope you are majoring in that field.
I am no Toman apologist, by a long shot. I have been quite critical of him in the past, (easy to prove). However, for anyone who has followed the program closely, there has been a definitive improvement in his coaching style, etc. I am not going into detail here on his past shortcomings, but to keep piling on, based on a couple of less than stellar years is short-sighted in my opinion. He was the coach who got us further in the playoffs than we have ever been, had more players drafted, won the biggest games in program history, stays in touch with former players better than any other coach, shows honor and respect to previous coaches, etc. "Come on Man"
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By BJWilliams
Registration Days Posts
#508099
I'll say one thing flameshaw...I definitely don't think its easy to do...Since I never got a chance to play sports at a high level, I decided to sink myself into watching sports and analyzing all the many moving parts that make up every part of most games. I don't talk to D1 coaches as some claim to do, Im not some "insider" to the program...just a fan who enjoys sports, loves his alma mater and wants to see it do well, and a broadcaster trying to hone his craft in the best way he can. That's also why I am not as quick to pull the trigger on coaches as some are.
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