Saturday, May 26, 2012

Randomly mused together: an apple, an orange and the baseball program

Sometimes I rant. And sometimes things just need to be said. There was no easy way to type how I feel about Coach Perno being retained. Yet I don't regret it. Just because we're all Dawg fans doesn't mean we can't disagree.


But after reading and hearing reactions, here's some clarifications and other points I'd like to make.


Just because I think the program needs some new leadership doesn't mean I'm not going to support the baseball team next season. I'm not a season ticket holder, but I'll go to games next year just as I did this year. I'll watch on tv whenever I can too.

I'll cheer just as loud if not louder next season in hopes of being proven wrong. If you don't believe that, then you simply don't know me. At all.

I don't profess to know the inner workings of the decision to keep Coach Perno. It could've been McGarity's decision and/or the board's. It could've been financial. It could've been emotional given all of the circumstances involved. To speculate is useless. Move on people.

To compare administrative decisions involving coaching hires/fires, even on the same campus, is a dangerous and illogical game. Perno is an apple, Landers is an orange. Perno didn't help establish the game of baseball at the collegiate level. Those who are frustrated with the baseball standings have firm ground to stand on when they wonder why changes aren't being made. Those who are frustrated with the women's basketball team making the tournament but not winning it just need to accept the fact that they'll have to wait for Landers to retire. If you don't understand that, I can't help you here.


To complete the recent coaching changes at UGA as compared to fruit, I guess Jay Clark was a banana. You just can't replace a legend so he was doomed at some point.


Back to the apple and orange...one similarity I will accept. Landers isn't going to be fired because who would want to come replace one of the founding fathers of the sport when they were shown the door? Perno might not fit that description completely in terms of college baseball, but he's shown he can take a team the distance. Or at least within a game of the ultimate prize.


Lastly, I mentioned the other day that Perno taking over the pitching seems to have worked thus far. But perhaps some self-analysis within the staff can lead to some helpful tweaks in other areas. With the new CBA in MLB the coaching staff should be ready to recruit even more aggressively. My hope moving forward is that we see something similar to the football staff after the 2010 season. Some momentum on the recruiting trail that brings more energy to the dugout.

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