Sasquatch wrote:A huge factor was the fact that Virginia obviously wanted it more than we did...and that makes them the better team. When the UVA players on 1st and 2nd BOTH stole 2nd and 3rd, I knew we were finished. They were playing to win...we were playing not to lose.
I quit watching when we bunted after getting a lead off double and then getting the 1st out at 3rd base. That's not good baseball and that was NOT playing to win. That was early in the ballgame and we were playing for a 1 run win. That was an opportunity to open up the offense.
IF, big if, Miller would have come up with a base hit there, the place would have erupted and I don't think we would have looked back.
Instead, we lay down a poor bunt right to the pitcher, who has an easy play at 3rd base. He was out by 3 steps. That let all the air out the balloon and the momentum was g o n e. I went out and enjoyed the weather and the pool.
That was by far the most baffling of the bad decision all series long. I have tried to rationalize the move six ways from Sunday, but for the life of me I can't. Even if you don't have confidence in your teams offensive ability (which obviously he didn't), at some point you have to let your team prove they have the mettle to get the job done.
We have all said it before, coaches don't execute, players do, but as a coach you are responsible for putting your players in a position to execute, on several occasions this weekend it appeared Bianco was at a minimum hampering more than helping.
lewindha wrote:If our players don't think this season was a failure, then I want to some new players.
I completely agree. Go ask the 8 teams in Omaha if they would consider their season a failure if they hadn't made it there. By Bianco's own mouth the REASON we play is to get to Omaha and win a national title. Therefore, this season was a failure according to Bianco. How many times are we going to watch opposing teams celebrate on our field? I'm tired of hearing "Texas" "Canes" and "UVA" chants at the end of our Super Regionals.
That's just it right there....Bianco's own words..... Yes, the season IS a failure (my opinion) because we didn't get to Omaha (and I'm so sick and tired of getting that email about what OMAHA is an acronym for). But back to the original topic.....still no way we get rid of Bianco because he hasn't made it yet to Omaha. I remember in his second and third season as coach....it was discussed whether we should keep him because these regional "appearances" were just not good enough....this after twenty years of really sh1tty baseball....and we needed a coach to get us over the hump. Now, a few short years later....we're all b1tching about SUPER-regional let-downs......progress is being made towards a successfull PROGRAM standpoint.....mark this: in two to three years time....we will be b1tching and moaning about not being able to get over that hump in omaha and make it to the final two teams. Its called PROGRESS.....and i for one am happy to follow Mike Bianco and the Ole Miss Rebels baseball team. Dissappointed about the 2009 season? Yep, I am.
It is not whether or not Mike is the guy to get us to the next level. It is whether he should be fired. Who in their right mind fires a coach after winning the SEC? You must be crazy.
lewindha wrote:If our players don't think this season was a failure, then I want to some new players.
I completely agree. Go ask the 8 teams in Omaha if they would consider their season a failure if they hadn't made it there. By Bianco's own mouth the REASON we play is to get to Omaha and win a national title. Therefore, this season was a failure according to Bianco. How many times are we going to watch opposing teams celebrate on our field? I'm tired of hearing "Texas" "Canes" and "UVA" chants at the end of our Super Regionals.
That's just it right there....Bianco's own words..... Yes, the season IS a failure (my opinion) because we didn't get to Omaha (and I'm so sick and tired of getting that email about what OMAHA is an acronym for). But back to the original topic.....still no way we get rid of Bianco because he hasn't made it yet to Omaha. I remember in his second and third season as coach....it was discussed whether we should keep him because these regional "appearances" were just not good enough....this after twenty years of really sh1tty baseball....and we needed a coach to get us over the hump. Now, a few short years later....we're all b1tching about SUPER-regional let-downs......progress is being made towards a successfull PROGRAM standpoint.....mark this: in two to three years time....we will be b1tching and moaning about not being able to get over that hump in omaha and make it to the final two teams. Its called PROGRESS.....and i for one am happy to follow Mike Bianco and the Ole Miss Rebels baseball team. Dissappointed about the 2009 season? Yep, I am.
So then what's the time frame? Give him another 5 years to get TO the CWS, then another 10 years to get an NC? I'm sorry, but if not wanting to wait 15 years (20 total if you include the past 5 years of supers failure) for a title puts me in the "gotta have it now" category, then slap a bumper sticker on my a&& and call me sally.
Some teams out there don't have to wait to get to CWS and NC's. They have coaches who learn from their mistakes and fix them the following years. Can anyone honestly say we're doing that?
For the record: We overachieved big time this year. We were overrated at the beginning of the year and losing Bittle should have doomed us long before the SECT. Our guys stepped up and played hard enough to get to the super, but did not have enough mental fortitude to get all the way. Don't fire MB now. No way. But, it IS time to give him a deadline. 2 or 3 years to GET to CWS. After that, 2 or 3 to WIN it. Given his advantages with our program (yes, I know he built it), those should be VERY, VERY attainable.
