...if they pull the plug, I bet it’d happen the next few weeks . Pitching coaches are natural interims , and it’d get a head start on what’s not an easy hire at & for UK . I think odds are growing they make a move
Decisions on Mingione
- Thread starter Jjohnb5393
- Start date
The season has about a month left. I would bet IF he’s let go it will be in June. I’m still not 100% convinced he’s gone. Mitch seems to really like Mingione. You know as well as I do, if your boss likes you, you get a lot of slack. Hence the baffling extension Mingione got.
Andy Green would get my vote , tho recruiting is everything for college baseball ...and not incredibly easy @ UK. Green doesn’t have that background, but maybe could hire people who do...IDK
I still worry that the excuses will add up to not firing Mingione at all. Here is another one that you might hear:
5 of our league losses were by 2 runs or less.
So, we were just that close to 5 more SEC wins, despite all those injuries.
To me, these excuses have to be something you want to accept and not something you have to accept; if that makes sense.
5 of our league losses were by 2 runs or less.
So, we were just that close to 5 more SEC wins, despite all those injuries.
To me, these excuses have to be something you want to accept and not something you have to accept; if that makes sense.
I wouldn't be mad at hiring Green, but it would be a bit scary. It is hard to know how good an MLB coach is because so much of it relies on other people. How good is the front office at getting you talent? Is he a product of good coaching, or of getting that right talent at the right time? He did great in the minors for several years before getting moved into MLB coaching ranks, but then he struggled with the Padres because the front office traded everyone away and then fired him before he really got some good players in 2019. So, he's largely been an assistant type coach since then.
I think he'd do a great job at seeing and probably developing talent, but I don't know how he'd do with the grind of recruiting. Of course, it is a matter of who he hires to go along with it all. A major key in this game is getting a pitching coach that can find and develop outstanding pitchers. Henderson, as much as I disliked him, could do that. Henderson just couldn't put together a whole staff. He'd have a great starter or two but then the bullpen just didn't have enough solid arms. Mingione, by contrast, has not even found a great starter.
I don't know who to hire, but I am leaning towards the Tennessee assistant, Elander. He has been a major part of Tennessee blowing up as he's their recruiting coordinator and helped to bring in some top classes for them. The question there, though, is how much has his success been because of Vitello, and who can/will he bring in as a pitching coach? Still, I'd be real excited about him.
I think he'd do a great job at seeing and probably developing talent, but I don't know how he'd do with the grind of recruiting. Of course, it is a matter of who he hires to go along with it all. A major key in this game is getting a pitching coach that can find and develop outstanding pitchers. Henderson, as much as I disliked him, could do that. Henderson just couldn't put together a whole staff. He'd have a great starter or two but then the bullpen just didn't have enough solid arms. Mingione, by contrast, has not even found a great starter.
I don't know who to hire, but I am leaning towards the Tennessee assistant, Elander. He has been a major part of Tennessee blowing up as he's their recruiting coordinator and helped to bring in some top classes for them. The question there, though, is how much has his success been because of Vitello, and who can/will he bring in as a pitching coach? Still, I'd be real excited about him.
The more this season has drug on the narrative from all the media has been all the injures at UK. That to me almost guarantees Mingione will be back next season. If Kentucky makes the SEC tournament, Ill be willing to bet a good bottle of bourbon Mingione is back in 2023.
The recruiting concern is bogus IMO. If players can be recruited to U6, TN, UVA, Vandy, etc they can be recruited to UK.
We have had some rough injuries with the pitching staff, but pitching has only been part of the problem. Hitting just .242 in league play prior to today.
Basically hitting .242 against all P5 opponents. So, if you include TCU, Indiana, and Louisville.
But for ships and giggles, let's take out 2 games where UK hit a combined 42 hits. Just 2 games... and UK's average drops from .242 to .214.
So, those two huge games are really propping up that number, and it seems like it is more the standard that UK is likely to hit around say .220 in league play than they are to hit .240. So, hitting has been abysmal most of the time, and that doesn't even factor in clutch/timely hitting.
This is with a batting lineup that has been largely healthy; and I doubt that Anu brings enough to the table to change that much.
The concern is about whether or not that coach in particular can recruit, and not about whether or not we can get recruits to come to UK. Green has not ever had to recruit. He has been a major league coach from day 1. So, he has no connections in high schools or travel baseball circuits or anything like that because it has not been his job to recruit players. So, he just has no experience doing it and would be learning on the fly how to do it effectively.
They have got to do something. Any equity Mingione may have had was cashed in with this bs extension year we are sitting through thanks to the Covid excuse.
In that situation, he would have to find assistants who are familiar/strong in those areas. I still think UK should go after an experienced HC and avoid the reach or an asst from a good program. UK needs a guy experienced in building a program IMO.
Here’s the problem with that. And I’m really not disagreeing with you. But by going that route you limit your candidates. You either have to go with a mid major or a coach who may not be around very long to start the building process then move on. Sorta like what Rich Brooks did for football. In that case, someone like a Pat Casey would be ideal. I think there are a ton of qualified assistant coaches out there. Just have to find the right one.
Former Cat:
Also hitting .327 with 20 steals.
Also hitting .327 with 20 steals.
I also saw it was in the Sportscenter Top#10 plays
I always loved how that kid played, all effort!!
It’d help if Green were like a Chipper Jones or something ....a huge name when 18 yr olds were 12 . That’s the kind of former player hire I like in baseball . Green would have to hire good around him, and get a nice assistant coach budget ( which stoops has ben phenomenal at in football )
Haven't seen that a ton as the superstars usually play a long time and then it takes them a while to adjust to the new career. Matt Holliday was a 7 time All Star and he's serving as a volunteer assistant for his brother at Oklahoma State. That team features 3 former UK players and former UK coach Roland Fanning is their head of player development.
Not sure how much it helps them in recruiting to have him, but one would think that it has to, just for the MLB experience alone.
So, I was looking through this list:
www.baseballamerica.com
And one thing that I found interesting is that many of the guys on the list have been at their respective schools for a long long time.
Chris Hart has been at NC State for almost 20 years.
Kevin McMullan at Virginia since 2003
Scott Brown at Vandy for 10
Roger Williams 16 at Louisville
Nick Schnabel 9 years at Michigan
So, when you look at this list, it makes you wonder if these guys just don't want to leave these locations, or if they'd be willing to do so. If they are willing, how will they do as head coaches? Why have they not taken that leap yet?
Nate Yeskie, coaching at Texas A&M right now would also be on my list. Pitching coach for Oregon State when they won the College World Series in 2018. Assistant Coach of the Year in 2017 when they went to the CWS. Was on Jay Johnson's staff at Arizona in 2021 when they went to the College World Series. His first year at TAMU and they are already much better than anyone expected that they'd be.
Coaching Confidential: Which College Baseball Assistant Coach Will Make The Best Head Coach?
Baseball America this spring surveyed 90 head coaches and asked which assistant coach will make the best head coach.
www.baseballamerica.com
And one thing that I found interesting is that many of the guys on the list have been at their respective schools for a long long time.
Chris Hart has been at NC State for almost 20 years.
Kevin McMullan at Virginia since 2003
Scott Brown at Vandy for 10
Roger Williams 16 at Louisville
Nick Schnabel 9 years at Michigan
So, when you look at this list, it makes you wonder if these guys just don't want to leave these locations, or if they'd be willing to do so. If they are willing, how will they do as head coaches? Why have they not taken that leap yet?
Nate Yeskie, coaching at Texas A&M right now would also be on my list. Pitching coach for Oregon State when they won the College World Series in 2018. Assistant Coach of the Year in 2017 when they went to the CWS. Was on Jay Johnson's staff at Arizona in 2021 when they went to the College World Series. His first year at TAMU and they are already much better than anyone expected that they'd be.
Let's hope they consider what the team will look like next year if Mingione stays also. We'll likely have more players in the transfer portal also.
Speaking of Holliday, he has an 18 y/o son who'll be a high draft pick this year.
Some talk NCAA baseball will add another paid asst and an increase in scholarship numbers. Hope both happens.
That will be an interesting part of it.
We will without a doubt lose:
Fogel
Harris
Jump
Thrasher
Anu
Bosma
Hazelwoood
Harper
Harney
Williams
We likely lose, but they still have eligibility:
Ritter
**He could return in hopes to get his stock higher, but seems like he goes**
We could lose, but they still have eligibility:
Estep
Rubalcaba
Plastiak
Guilfoil
Liebert
**Almost all of these are seniors, but have their Covid year to return. Question of whether they exercise that option, or try to go ahead and play pro, or just move on**
So, we now for certain we lose 10 players and we could lose as many as 16. This, as you mentioned, is before we take into account those that might transfer due to lack of PT or whatever. Usually, you get some guys that seem to see the writing on the wall and they go ahead and leave. For instance, last year we lost Hicks, Hord, King, Burchett, and Cole (all of which were RS sophomores or younger).
It will be interesting to see the underclassmen and what they do. A lot of the times that freshmen don't play, they leave. For instance, in 2020 we had 7 freshmen leave (Jaden Brown, Harrison Cook, Drew Grace, Alex Margot, Jared Payne, Jake Tate, Sam Wibbels). Plus RS freshmen Will Gambino and Justin Olson. All 9 left because they received little to no PT that season. This year, UK has a lot of young talent that isn't seeing the field:
Burkes - Barely playing as a RS freshman
Byers - One appearance as a RS freshman
Dallas - Barely playing
Frieda - 8 appearances and just 6 innings total, put in some bad spots, IMO.
Gannon - Redshirting
Howe - Redshirting
Kim - Redshirting
McCarthy - RS freshman, 26 at bats in 21 games. Struggling. Could see him go.
McCoy - Redshirting
Moore - Playing a lot, and competing pretty well.
Nove - Playing a good bit, but typical freshman struggles.
Pitre - Supposed to be the future at SS, but barely plays
Smith - Injured and redshirting
So, you're talking about, at best, 4 guys who have played a good bit that are RS or true freshmen. The lack of playing time, even for RS players could scare them off, especially if UK goes the way of the transfer portal heavily again.
Looks like whoever the coach is going to be is they are going to have to hit the portal or JUCOs hard.
I'd prefer to see us take our lumps. Get those freshmen and sophomores as much early PT as possible and recruit hard to PT. Get in the best young talent possible and develop it. We will be a bit slow to success, but I think that pays off better and more consistently than having to always run to the portal heavily rely on it.
🤣 I didn't even notice that. How is this a thing?! He's been there for 2 years now. lol
I agree but when has Ming developed a player yet?
I am having a hard time naming one player who was recruited, developed and was a solid draftee. John Rhodes maybe?
Mingione won't do it. If we have Mingione we will have a transfer team again.
I don't think Rhodes developed by the staff. In all honesty, I think more than anything he benefitted from playing a poor schedule and no SEC in 2020. In 2021 he didn't hit as well. Call that added pressure, or it could have been an increase in talent. Either way, I he came in as good as he ever was. I don't know that many, if any, in the program jump out as having developed.
-Bosma has another year. Graduated in 3 from Miami and Transfered to UK so he has Covid year still.
-Anu - Pretty sure Anu has another year. Went to JUCO then transfered to UK and this is his 3rd year here. Pretty sure you still have all 4 years if you want them after JUCO.
-Williams - May be able to get another year because of injury? Not sure what the limit is on games played to be able to still get a medical redshirt.
These are what I know, but there may be others
Anu would not have any additional eligibility. He played 2 years in JUCO. 2020 was his first year here. That year doesn't count against him. So, he'd have 2 to play 2. 2021 and 2022. So, this is his last season.
Bosma is listed as a graduate student, so I listed him above, but you seem to be correct that he may have another year of eligibility due to 2020.
Williams will be extremely close on being able to take a redshirt year. The injury must occur in the first half of the season and the player must not have competed in 30 percent of the games played. I believe he was injured in the 28th game of the season. There seem to be about 55 games this season as we have canceled the SEMO game and the UL game in Lexington seems unlikely to happen. Half of 55 is 27.5, so that mean Williams might have pitched in 1 game too many, or he's right there on the cusp? He also pitched in 9 games total, so if that 28 games holds up then he pitched in about 32 percent of the first half games. So, if these are the correct parameters, then his eligibility may be expired as well. Of course, not sure if they just use a standard, 'first half,' or if they go by the schedule you actually play. I imagine if he wants to return, UK will send in a request for a waiver and see if it works.
I hate you for suggesting thisNow you have to wonder: if the Cats take the series with Tennessee, does Mingione get an extension?
Is it bad to not be happy about the win over UT? Probably, but I would prefer to lose so they get rid of Mingione. Messed up feeling but that’s where I am at. Just being honest.
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Have to win enough to get into the SEC tournament. This win was a big step towards that. Probably still need 3 more wins to get to 11 and be real sure we get in. 3 out of 7 isn't impossible, but won't be real easy either.
Even still, we arent winning enough in the tournament to get to the NCAA, so that part won't matter, only but is getting 12th enough to save Mingione? I don't like taking that risk. Lol
Never, ever want them to lose to the pumpkin orange in anything!!! Will be interesting to see how they respond to losing to the lowly CATS. My guess is they got a reaming last night even though it won't affect their status.
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