Brandon Walker asked a good question on Keep it 100...

[dawgstudent]

Is Butch Thompson leaving the best thing that could have happened to Mississippi State baseball?

 

[hatfieldms]

It almost seemed like Cohen was pushing for him to take the job

I remember when he was interviewing Coehn saying something to the effect that Aubrun would be crazy not to hire him. I thought it was strange when he said it, and made it seem like he had someone else in mind he wanted and was almost pushing for him to get the job

 

[patdog]

Not the best thing that could have happened. But I do think we upgraded at pitching coach. Best thing that has happened to our baseball team is we've recruited some non-midgets who can flat out hit the ball, and hit with some power, and we've cut way down on the bunting.

 

[KurtRambis4]

The best thing

that happened honestly was the change in balls. It made Cohen scrap his small-ball philosophy (which wasn't unsuccessful), and revert to what he knows.

 

[leeinator]

Ron Polk Big Inning Gorilla Ball !!!.....And I like it. This is exactly the type lineup I would like to see us model every year. We've got 4-5 guys you just can't pitch around. One of them is gonna get cha!!

 

[121Josey]

Is Butch Thompson leaving the best thing that could have happened to Mississippi State baseball?

Mean Gone leaving is the best thing that could have happened to State.

 

[Dogariffic]

During the game the announcers stated Auburn would not bunt much...... Just not their/butch's style...... Or something like that. Thought that was interesting!!

 

[Philly Dawg]

Butch did a great job for us. Arguably, Johnson is more suited for the new balls, but Butch has done a lot of coaching with the current staff.

 

[msstate7]

Butch did a great job for us. Arguably, Johnson is more suited for the new balls, but Butch has done a lot of coaching with the current staff.

Thompson had more to do with Hudson than Johnson. Hudson developed cutter toward end of last year and that pitch propelled him.

Johnson has been good though and I think he'll be better for us going forward than Thompson would've been

 

[coach66]

Yep, and we have 17 pitchers with meaningful innings. Cohen appears to be

On the verge of becoming an elite coach with elite talent and development.

 

[johnson86-1]

I remember when he was interviewing Coehn saying something to the effect that Aubrun would be crazy not to hire him. I thought it was strange when he said it, and made it seem like he had someone else in mind he wanted and was almost pushing for him to get the job

I'm guessing it was more of just wanting to see somebody he had worked with be successful. I'm sure he had a list of candidates, and maybe feeling like the new ball did not play to Butch's strengths made Cohen less conflicted about pushing for Butch to get a job, but I think it's pretty normal for successful head coaches to push for their top assistants to get better jobs after they've been with them a while. Saban talked up Kirby Smart a good bit the last couple of years, and I don't think he was itching to move on from him.

 

[engie]

Ask me again in 4 years.

Johnson has done a great job with what we have, no doubt, and I think his mentality is more suited to Cohen. But he didn't recruit any of these guys, and he has never really been anywhere long enough to fully know what kind of recruiter he is. I suspect that will also be true at MSU, which is still a testament to him. This staff, as much as everyone seems to think it's elite, and it certainly being more traditionally-built, is at best behind one and equal to two more, of Butch's last 4 staffs here. The disaster of last year is just fresh on everyone's minds I guess.

 

[57stratdawg]

I don't think so. This staff was going to be pretty loaded no matter the coach. Our inability to find something on Sunday's the first 2/3 of the SEC season might cost us a conference title.

 

[121Josey]

Our inability to find something on Sunday's the first 2/3 of the SEC season might cost us a conference title.

That doesn't trump pulling an All-SEC caliber starter with 60 pitches and the lead and 2 outs and 2 strikes on a hitter batting below the Mendoza line. You can hang any failed reg. season title on that nail.

 

[BiscuitEater]

Not the best thing that could have happened. But I do think we upgraded at pitching coach. Best thing that has happened to our baseball team is we've recruited some non-midgets who can flat out hit the ball, and hit with some power, and we've cut way down on the bunting.

Actually .. we have bunted MORE this year (47 of 62 76% in 52 games) than last year (41 of 51 80% in 54 games). Think it is just not as noticeable this year because we are winning and a failed bunt attempt is not as 'memorable' when we end up winning .. big.

 

[patdog]

Huh? Stats I'm looking at show we have 25 sacrifice bunts this year vs. 41 last year. Maybe I'm looking at it wrong.

As for failed attempts not being noticed as much, we did have a failed attempt that won't go down as one Saturday. I think it was Rooker in the 8th. Tried twice to bunt and got down 0-2, then hit a double.

 

[msstate7]

Actually .. we have bunted MORE this year (47 of 62 76% in 52 games) than last year (41 of 51 80% in 54 games). Think it is just not as noticeable this year because we are winning and a failed bunt attempt is not as 'memorable' when we end up winning .. big.

Probably a lot more opportunities this year with the leadoff man or 2 getting on with no outs

 

[mount lefroy]

Is Butch Thompson leaving the best thing that could have happened to Mississippi State baseball?

Correlation does not equal causation.