Kentucky Baseball 2022
- Thread starter Comebakatz3
- Start date
If Jones wants to know why players left the baseball program… call those players. Ask them. Ask their families. Call past players who are vocal on social media and ask them. Would not surprise me if some of them were willing to come on and tell their side. Ask some local HS or travel coaches their thoughts on the current staff and talk about that on the air. At that point, armed with those testimonies, he should bring on Barnhart and ask him to address those issues. Ask him if he has concerns that life-long UK fans that came to UK to fulfill a dream are leaving the program because of these issues. Ask if he’s addressed them with Mingione.
Of course, no questions will matter because it will always be ‘coach speak.’
Of course, no questions will matter because it will always be ‘coach speak.’
As I recall, Mingione said they left because of playing time which we know very few of those players left for that reason. Mingione is a smooth-talker, so he can talk himself out of any issue.
If I was to speak to any family of a player my first choice would be the Shelby's. IMO, that would be very interesting!!
If I was to speak to any family of a player my first choice would be the Shelby's. IMO, that would be very interesting!!
Barnhart said baseball is a sport that always has a lot of movement (transfers) and went into average per SEC school (8). Also said baseball program needs to do better but nothing more. Basically head in the sand answers.
We all know a KY sports show won’t buck the system unless they want to lose all access.
I actually got to listen and you can tell Barnhart was armed with the questions beforehand. He responded with stats that he wouldn't have known off the top of his head. Players with less than 100 ABs and less than 30 innings pitched. That was in direct reference at Hill and Marsh. Why did these players have those stats? That's a major question that will never be addressed. I wish Jones had made a remark on why Kessler left because it certainly wasn't the lack of PT, and if not drafted, he would've been transferring for some reason.
I know the transfer portal has movement, but what is concerning is the players leaving were players that had been in the program for several years.
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The same type of company line that Mingione fed a few months ago. Trying to point to other teams and claim that UK isn't much different from others. That is fine, but buries the head in the sand about the fact that many of our guys were older players that were not happy with the coaching staff and the way he treated them and wasn't merely, 'a lack of PT.'
Less than 30 innings pitched is an absolutely ridiculous number. We had 2 pitchers that weren't starters than threw more than 30 innings. Marsh wasn't upset that he didn't get over 30, that is just silly. He was likely upset because he was disrespected and used poorly and in a way that he couldn't succeed.
As for Hill... he had 94 at bats. That number was under 100 because the UK staff jerked him around for the better part of 2 months and only allowed him to pinch hit. So while PT was a factor, it was more that he lost his starting position despite never being told he was losing it and despite the fact that he had an excellent fall. He was hitting over .270 when the staff sent him, without explanation other than 'we're giving you a rest,' to the bench. This after just 8 games. Then, others like Rhodes and Estep were given chance after chance and were not removed from the lineup despite struggling as much, or worse than Hill. Not to mention that the move harmed the team defensively to such a degree that the pitchers had to essentially revolt to get the staff to change the lineup. So, while PT was certainly a part... there was a whole lot more to it.
You’re exactly right. You could tell Barnhart was prepared for the baseball question.
Excellent post.
I was told that the moves the staff made were for the benefit of two players, Rhodes and Schultz, nobody else mattered. Then having 2 DHs in the lineup, so one of them had to go somewhere. Why did that experiment last so long?
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You also had a pretty weird thing where UK seemingly refused to move the lineup around at all. So, Rhodes struggled at the 2 or 3, but it took them months for them to move the lineup and shake it up to something that might help him see better pitches and get into a groove. Basically they had how they wanted the lineup to be and they tried to make that work even if it wasn't. Then the only change they wanted to really make were minor shuffling at the bottom and to take Hill out.
Whoever takes over for Mingione, whenever that is, will have to spend a ton of their time mending fences with parents, high school and travel coaches. It will take years to fix this mess.
I just wonder if there was some sort of background between Mingione and Hill? I know he wasn't a Mingione recruit and was a Henderson commit and had spoken with Mingione prior to the season and discussed transferring. Do you think that had anything to do with the way he was treated? Just strange that their best defensive outfielder was benched for so long.
Need a coach that can be honest and upfront with their expectations, have previous experience in being a head coach and most of all be willing to develop players. A little patience will be needed.
Hopefully, Mitch is and has been doing all the above and assigning some of the inquiries to an asst AD to get a true picture.
I don’t know the ins and outs of the baseball program so the transfer numbers while seemingly high are explained away by Mitch. We should be better. Lots of talent around Lex and instate
Kessler had he not been drafted was transferring to TENNESSEE! Ha. The way Mingione has handled some young men who played for him as well as young men coming into his program is beyond unbelievable. He’s spineless. Gutless. And elite travel programs have figured him and the program out.
When you have older players who got to play and produced for the most part transferring you have major leadership issues.
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