Tracy Smith out, too
- Thread starter IUArchie
- Start date
My sentiments also. An Indiana guy who labored in anonymity until a few $Million built him a new playground, parlayed that into a good two years, and blows a%% for 'greener' pastures. Doesn't engender a lot of sympathy. He won't get ten years to get a program together down there. He basically had a lifetime deal here if he wanted it.
I'd love to see you turn down the opportunity of a lifetime in your career too. I don't know you (and not sad about that), but my guess is that it's quite a bit different when it's real life and not some internet playground. I would have figured with your hardcore conservative principles that you'd applaud someone going out and trying to achieve the very best they can with their life. And if you're blind to the built in advantages ASU baseball offers vs. IU baseball to achieve those goals, well then there's no sense continuing.
For that matter, the guy left his alma mater, where he also built something that was better than it had ever been, including a new stadium/facilities, to come to IU. I sure doubt you begrudged that move.
This is really a silly, uninformed view for college baseball. I can only assume you aren't all that familiar with the game, correct? Indiana plays in a glorified mid-major baseball conference (although much improved of late, still too many putrid schools in the bottom half that kill the conf RPI), ASU does not and location is absolutely everything in collegiate baseball. Oh and the school he went to has something like 20+ CWS appearances and has 5 national titles (bunch more runner-ups) and is top 3 overall in total alumni who have played in MLB. It would be like comparing Butler to IU in men's collegiate basketball for coaches, you see how that works? I'm sure people would have been really critical of an Indiana boy who was in relative anonymity, whose mid-major school ponied up over a million for him only to see him jump to Bloomington.
Doesn't hurt that ASU is back in Muni, a former AAA ballpark with 9,000 seats. The advantages are endless vs Indiana. Oh and that weather.
I'm learning not to waste my time with uninformed people on this board. If they can't understand ASU is a better baseball job than IU, that's thier problem. What they don't know is that skip turned down the Ohio State and Georgia jobs to stay at IU, So it's not like he "bolted for greener pastures" for an inferior job.
Thank you for all your comments and making this personal. It shows the level many members of this board have sunk to in order to massage their own egos. Hope the personal bashing makes you all feel better about yourselves. And if you like to disparage Indiana's program, go right ahead. I am an IU grad from years ago and I think IU, Bloomington, the campus, students, faculty and athletic staff are terrific. If you don't, then I suggest you find joy elsewhere. Oh -- one other thing: mid-major my *** .
If I were Tracy, I would have done the exact same thing...Success isn't guaranteed at Indiana or any B1G school. I think the almost 30 year absence from the CWS for the ENTIRE conference proves that. ASU on the other hand, has had quite a bit of success. You throw a few million, a new ballpark, a climate conducive to the sport I'm coaching year round and access to as many recruits as I want in my back yard? Hell yeah I'm going. Thank you skip for all that you've done for IU...go get'em...except when you are facing the Hoosiers.
You don't follow college baseball, that's alright there buddy!
Nothing said is remotely disparaging toward IU baseball. Ask Lew.
The Big Ten is a mid-major baseball conference, that isn't some shock-jock comment. Sorry, it hurt your feelings. Many of us have been around IU baseball/college baseball as a whole for decades.
FYI, the Big Ten is really improved in college baseball but still was only the #7 rated RPI conference. There's a reason it was such huge news that the Big Ten set a record with teams in the tourney this year.
Keep in mind, in the past, it was only the tourney winner who made the tourney--as in no at-large.
Coach leaving for ASU was a no-brainer for the weather alone. Sorry that upset you.
Okay, Gentlemen, I've calmed down. Historically, yes, the B1G has not been among the elite in baseball. But I wouldn't call recent IU standouts Schwarber, Drmuth, Travis, Dickerson, Micah Johnson, Phegley, Siegers mid-major guys. Smith did a wonderful job at IU. He put the program on a national stage. No reason for that not to continue -- unless the money was so much better at ASU. Sorry for my emotions getting the best of me.
Actually I think he's making about the same there as he was here. We offered him more money. It's just a better job.
He took a pay cut per yr (not by much) and it's only a 5 year deal. The Georgia offer a year ago was was a better financial package than ASU offered and he turned them down. It was about the opportunity to head one of the most prestigious college baseball programs ever, not the money.
Ummmm Stagehand,...You do know that a poster may not actually be 'out of' any school which that poster set up, and can change at will.
Oh wait, didn't this get explained once to you a while back?
I agreed with the post from Archie. I stated a few facts which were not disputed by any of the 'old baseball hands' (all six of them).
" Silly Uninformed View..."
Archie posted about still being ticked off about Smith leaving. I agreed, that I had little sympathy for their losing. I posted Smith labored in anonymity in 'a glorified mid-major conference' for years It is fact. I posted the AD spent $Millions. It is fact. I posted Smith had a couple of good (relative) years. It is true. I posted Smith blew a** for greener pastures. It is true.
My 'view' seems rather acute.
Why don't you pound sand!
Because your post sounded petty and immature, as does this one. He wanted to advance in his career, just like anyone else.
You seem like someone who knows a lot about collegiate baseball, that's for sure. Can't wait for more of your "takes".
There is no loyalty in anything anymore. That's why. Except IU loves being loyal to mediocre coaches in other sports.
Live in reality. We can all sit here and say we would never leave IU, but you never know. I feel like Tracy Smith reached the highest point he could at IU, the sky is the limit at ASU.
