Mingione has closed a disaster of a season by losing his two top assistant coaches. Lead asst and recruiting coordinator Fanning left a few days ago and now pitching coach Belanger has taken the pitching coach job at FSU. This is a turning point for Mingione's program it would seem, better get this right.
OT: UK Baseball
- Thread starter mrschwump
- Start date
Seems like Mingione has been more of a drain than a fountain for the baseball program.
Here’s my two cents. Fanning’s Contract was up and wasn’t retained because of the lack of talent we’ve had since he’s been RC. Belanger was also told he wasn’t going to be welcomed back either since our pitching staff was horrendous. I believe Mingione either realized that the whole staff had to be changed or was told by the higher ups that if it wasn’t than Mingiones job would not be renewed. We just built a 50 + Million dollar Stadium and it’s time to win now.
If he doesn’t win next year, time for him to get the hell out town.
I like Coach Ming. I hope we get this mess straightened out and back on track. Folks were ready to toss Coach Stoops out after yrs 3 and 4.
All rah rah very little substance and fundamentals in my opinion.
Everyone knew it was a rebuilt this year. Hate to see top assistants leave but that what happens all over every year. He's earned a year or two to get going back in the right direction.
Usually when you rebuild you feel like you have gained something and gotten somewhere. After this year, we have no clear pitcher who can and will take over as a weekend starter. Jimmy Ramsey, Daniel Harper and Mason Hazelwood will be juniors and non have necessarily shown an ability to be SEC starters, especially not consistently. We will have a ton of sophomores, and none of them seemed to progress over their first year as someone who could and will step up to take on a starting position. Certainly, after a year in the off season things could change a lot, but this did not seem like a productive rebuilding year, especially in the bullpen.
Maybe the guys in the field will get better as well, but it is a similar story. We have projected starters, but very few of them were trending upwards to end the year and it is very hard to look at their season and say that we improved at anything.
He didn't lose them. Fanning was let go/fired. Fanning quite clearly did not want to leave UK and was surprised by it. Belanger seemed to see the writing on the wall for him and he jumped ship. Further, both of them were at the end of their contracts (expired June 30, 2019), so it was just as easy for UK to cut bait now than to renew them for another period.
Like I said, maybe this is why the assistants are being let go. A good staff goes a long way, see Stoops.
Mingione needed to make a change at least to the pitching coach given that our ERA has been ranked in the 100s and 200s (don't remember exact numbers) the past two seasons. Last year it was worse than this year despite returning three weekend starters and having a good core group of relievers.
Mingione apparently has Fanning's replacement in mind. As poor as his pitching staff was, Belanger landed on his feet at FSU. Didn't the pitching staff have substantial injury problems?
Will Coggin is replacing Fanning. Coggin was on the Miss State staff in the same role in 2017 before being let go. Since he's worked as an agent.
The injury thing depends on how you look at it. We had at least 3 pitchers that came in as freshmen that had TJ surgery before they ever stepped on campus. Staff should have known and been prepared for them not to play. Haake, a top JUCO transfer slipped on ice on campus and sustained an early injury that set him back, but he never missed significant time. The biggest blow was Thompson being hurt for the majority of the SEC slate. Still, our other two SEC starters, one of which was returning SEC pitcher of the year, had ERAs that hovered around 5.00. We failed to find anyone who could be a solid consistent 3rd and 4th starter. We finished with one of the worst, if not the worst, ERAs in the SEC.
Nope. I imagine it won't be easy to find a replacement given the relatively poor staff and the possibility that Mingione is only here another year or two if this trend continues.
If things are like this in another year or 2 Ill get on the debbie downer train, but this year was going to be a down season from the get go. If we are just as poor next year then Ill start worrying. As much as we lost and as young as we were this year in the SEC meat grinder I dont know how anyone expected anything other than a bridge year.
You think next year will be better?
How much of this being a down year is on the staff for loading up on JUCO talent?
Did that work out in 2018?
The one thing that is really disappointing about the program is what is our identity? We haven't pitched well, we aren't really athletic, don't have a ton of power, don't know what this years defensive numbers looked like but in previous years we were not very good. We need to recruit and develop, the stoops model and quite honestly I haven't seen that at all. We have to have an identity! I always look at UL and how their teams play, they have an edge and play with maximum effort and confidence.
I have no clue what is wrong with UK baseball... But I know that people won't go and see UK play if they suck no matter how nice the stadium... UK doesn't even have to compete against a AAA team. Mingione might have till 2021 but his performance so far makes it look like he will need to be a better magician than coach.
The 18’ team was more of a disappointment than the 19’ ... we were loaded in 18’ to not make the tournament, grant it we were screwed
I live in Indianapolis. I came to Lexington at least one weekend with my wife for the last four years to see a series and came to the 2017 regional. I was really looking forward to coming down to see a series this season in the new stadium, but after seeing how bad they were, I didn't want to make the trip and pay for hotels and restaurants just to see them get swept or go 1-2. I am hoping (against hope?) that I can see a more competitive team on the field next year.
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