Cohen

[Maroon&Black]

I doubted Cohen was the right guy for the job. I still don't like his personality. And I despise coaches that make a living leaning into pitches.

But... The man keeps on coaching all season and we get better. Not just better, but good. Ole Miss, Florida...who else wishes they had ended the season better?

 

[Original48]

Yeah a lot of people don't care for Nick Sabans personality either. Are you freaking kidding me with this post??? You need to reach between your legs and find out if you have a pair of Girodos!! Yes he came in and stamped his personality on our program. And guess what? You've been watching post season baseball the last three years because of it!! I hope you can get over your personality clash with Cohen enough to enjoy our trip to the Collee World Series.

And this line..."And I despise coaches that make a living leaning into pitches."

Did you hear about how we did in the draft this year? Or our first rounder last year? Yeah Cohens gonna continue to draw a check by a leaning into pitches philosophy. Man your post was bad. Or still bitter.

 

[Thirty-Two Dive]

What he did at Kentucky proved to me that given time, he would have similar success at State. That alone, sold me on his ability to build a competitive college program. Kentucky's program was below abysmal.

 

[was21]

you 17 troll...take the highway son

 

[AFDawg]

I do not care how Ole Miss and Florida end their seasons. Also, John Cohen can come to my house and cuss me out every day if he takes us to the CWS.

You may also notice that the IB is--at least superficially--less of an IB this year. He has a great rapport with this team. Why? Because he recruited (and coaches up) guys who fit his style (baseball wise and personality wise) and now can let them have a little fun.

 

[lasher8]

I think I'm with you...not the only trollish post from Maroon&Black. Not even the only one today...

you 17 troll...take the road

 

[RocketDawg]

I have no problem with his "personality". What's your problem with him, specifically? He's done an outstanding job and is the right man for the job.

 

[Wicked Pissah]

I honestly cannot remember the last time I saw us lean into a pitch

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

He's not bad for a .500 coach.**

Seriously, I think he has done a good job and he and Butch have shown they can develop players. I am really pumped to see what we can do with our bullpen in the CWS.

 

[esplanade91]

I do not care how Ole Miss and Florida end their seasons. Also, John Cohen can come to my house and cuss me out every day if he takes us to the CWS.

You may also notice that the IB is--at least superficially--less of an IB this year. He has a great rapport with this team. Why? Because he recruited (and coaches up) guys who fit his style (baseball wise and personality wise) and now can let them have a little fun.

This. Does anyone remember all the backup players who got drafted in like the upper 20th and 30+ rounds who left in mass exodus when we hired Cohen instead of Polk's boyfriend? There was a really, really bad culture during the Polk II era and the stink just now cleared left field.

I used to not like Cohen but even as a casual baseball fan I can see the massive drop off in animosity between the staff and the players. I remember players telling kids on their visits not to come here. Now guys like Trevor Fitts are doing 10 minute Power Point presentations before the season trying to get Cohen to let them have whatever facial hair they want... I'm guessing doing so with a sense of humor.

I'll be the first to tell you I used to think Cohen got lucky at UK and wasn't getting anything done here but I'm 17ing retarded. I'll admit it and eat my crow with hollandaise. I recommend you do the same.

ETA: I'm guessing a big reason Polk's teams sucked massive dick is no one wanted to put in extra work. Forrest Moore being #1. NCAA allows 20 hours of practice a week, but any decent D1 coach is going to sit your *** if you don't "unofficially" go out there and practice on your "own" time. That's just the way it is. I'm sure Moore, the other douche who apparently backed up his story, and the dozens of players mad about Tommy not getting hired who left early were happy making Omaha every 14 years simply by doing the bare minimum and getting there by chance immediately following getting left out of the SECT. Not going to cut it anymore.

 

[KurtRambis4]

Great post, Ms. Moore**

*

 

[Shmuley]

I'll own that line, but let's be accurate ................................................

I called him a .500 league coach. Big difference. And I also said you have to be pretty damn good to be a.500 league coach in this league.

 

[hatfieldms]

Give me a break

If anything, he admitted himself that his personality, or at least the way he approached his player needed tweaked this year

 

[Maroon&Black]

I'm glad we have him. I was wrong to think otherwise. That's all I'm saying. Baseball isn't big to me. I haven't watched a pro game in 20 years. I watch us on TV ... sometimes, and that's it. As long as we play baseball I want to win. What else do you want me to say?

 

[Duckdawg]

Good friend of mine played at state with Cohen. He talked to him when Cohen took the job and asked him what his expectations were. Cohen told him "Ive got nothing. It'll take at least 3 years to be competitive here. " He's done quite well I would say.

 

[FlotownDawg]

I've got to eat a little crow myself about Cohen

Although I really wanted him to get the job and was excited when he was hired, I was getting discouraged with the constant overmanaging he tends to do and started to doubt whether he was good enough to ever take us over the top. However, I think he has done a fantastic job managing the team throughout the entire postseason, especially the pitching. He and Butch really have worked miracles this postseason, getting to the CWS with one starting pitcher. This team has a chemistry like we haven't really seen in a long time and a lot of that can be attributed to Cohen.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

I can live with that.

Too happy to sling much **** anyway.

 

[CadaverDawg]

That's all I'm saying. Baseball isn't big to me.

Well then no offense, but would you please shut the 17 up about it then. For someone who cares nothing about baseball and would be fine losing the program...you sure do continue to say dumb **** and stick your foot in your mouth.

You are either a horrible troll, or a clueless fan.

 

[Maroon&Black]

Although I really wanted him to get the job and was excited when he was hired, I was getting discouraged with the constant overmanaging he tends to do and started to doubt whether he was good enough to ever take us over the top. However, I think he has done a fantastic job managing the team throughout the entire postseason, especially the pitching. He and Butch really have worked miracles this postseason, getting to the CWS with one starting pitcher. This team has a chemistry like we haven't really seen in a long time and a lot of that can be attributed to Cohen.

He's coaching 'em. Plain and simple. If your assistants can coach at practice , you can get away with a little micromanaging.

You can turn a basketball team around with one class (though it might take two years for them to take over a team). It probably takes two classes for baseball ( pitching hitting and defense) if your in the bottom Hal of your conference. When the AD at Zole Miss gave Bianco another year vthat is huge for us. His micromanaging comes without coaching. I think they may have a couple players that were drafted as high or higher out of high school as their junior year at Ole Miss. No developing and getting the best out of your players. We should be much better than them and if we get a few that he is after this next year, we could approach LSU level in baseball. If I was a sought after plate in a MS high school, no way I'd pass up the bulldogs.

 

[Wicked Pissah]

anyone that knows even the basics of baseball knows that cohen is one of the top 5 coaches in the country and will lead us to a NC. I laugh at the cohen bitchfest threads on this web site. Cohen is the best we can do and maybe the best anyone in the country can do. He is going to build a juggernaut here.

 

[State82]

I'm guessing the former.

 

[Todd4State]

As far as overmanaging

Although I really wanted him to get the job and was excited when he was hired, I was getting discouraged with the constant overmanaging he tends to do and started to doubt whether he was good enough to ever take us over the top. However, I think he has done a fantastic job managing the team throughout the entire postseason, especially the pitching. He and Butch really have worked miracles this postseason, getting to the CWS with one starting pitcher. This team has a chemistry like we haven't really seen in a long time and a lot of that can be attributed to Cohen.

Our fans need to understand that sometimes we are going to try and do things and it's not going to work. I understand that criticizing a coach when something doesn't go right comes with the territory. My issue is we have very few people that note when something actually goes right or Cohen makes the right call- which is more often than not. Also, if we don't put guys like Myles Gentry into tough pressure situations- we will have no idea come post season whether they can handle things or not. The other option is to pitch Ross and Holder until their arms fall off.

I think we have a lot of fans that are used to seeing Polk do it by the book so much that they still haven't adjusted to Cohen's style- at least to a degree. But I think people are starting to warm up to it.

Being a Cardinals fan, I'm sort of used to the complaints because their fans used to ***** about Tony LaRussa's overmanaging all the time.

 

[drt7891]

Bingo. All in all, it's a tradeoff of playing aggressively. Aggression pays off dividends if it works, if it doesn't, you can look like a fool... but all in all, it's an approach designed to put pressure on opponents and get in their head as opposed to standing around and waiting for the other guys to mess up. There isn't a team in the nation that plays aggressive ball that hasn't blown a play or guessed wrong... just part of it. Cohen does a pretty damn good job of it, though.

 

[Philly Dawg]

I think Cohen or Butch, whichever one is making the calls, manages the pitching staff better than Polk did. The complaints I'd have about over-managing are (1) too much bunting and (2) too much tinkering with the lineup. Both got much better as the season wore on.

 

[drt7891]

Honestly, we didn't bunt near as much this year as we have in years past. We opted to swing the bat in many situations.

On the flip side, Polk would NEVER pull a pitcher until he was deep in a jam. Only a few times this year have we not made a timely change, and most of those times were early in games.

Also, I think the tinkering with the lineup is a good thing, too... in that it allows guys to play a variety of spots, gain good experience (in case they are needed), and allows us to put the right guys in the right places. Intrasquad scrimmages don't allow you to develop a lineup near as well as actual games do.

 

[coach66]

I agree, Cohen has grown as a coach

This year by doing less and by connecting with his players. Bright future.

 

[RockstarFromMars]

I didn't give y'all much of a chance due to your lack of stellar starting pitching and poor play in the field, but y'alls bullpen is just ridiculous, your bats have been hot, and your starters have been adequate. Holder's breaking ball is absolutely nasty when he's ahead in the count. Congrats to you and your team on a great season.

 

[Todd4State]

Until we get a bunch of Hunter Renfroe's

I think Cohen or Butch, whichever one is making the calls, manages the pitching staff better than Polk did. The complaints I'd have about over-managing are (1) too much bunting and (2) too much tinkering with the lineup. Both got much better as the season wore on.

We're going to bunt. The thing is, we have a lot of fans that don't understand the difference between a sac bunt and a drag bunt. We try to bunt for hits a good bit- and that makes sense with the team speed that we have. See Willie Mays Hayes in Major League. Lou Brown explains it as well as anyone. It puts pressure on the defense and it keeps us out of double plays.

Everyone tinkers with the lineup until they find one that works the best. Even in MLB. The difference is, they have the benefit of going through spring training to see how things work and college teams don't. That's one reason why I advocate playing four exhibition games against a D-2 team like Delta State for teams across the country. I much prefer a coach that tinkers with the lineup over one that just keeps trotting the same one out that isn't working as well just to be consistent.

 

[messageboardsuperhero]

I've never minded tinkering with the lineup either. Cohen plays around with it so much that he eventually does find an order that he likes and he sticks with it. The most important part of the regular season is the postion you put yourself in for the postseason. As long as Cohen continues to put us in position to host regionals, and he finds the right lineup at the right time, he can tinker all he wants in the early part of the year.

I think that's the point behind Cohen's messing with the lineup: to try pretty much every possible combination and make sure you have the best possible lineup for the postseason. It is no mistake that he always has us playing our best at this time of the year.

 

[CEO2044]

We're going to bunt. The thing is, we have a lot of fans that don't understand the difference between a sac bunt and a drag bunt. We try to bunt for hits a good bit- and that makes sense with the team speed that we have. See Willie Mays Hayes in Major League. Lou Brown explains it as well as anyone. It puts pressure on the defense and it keeps us out of double plays.

Everyone tinkers with the lineup until they find one that works the best. Even in MLB. The difference is, they have the benefit of going through spring training to see how things work and college teams don't. That's one reason why I advocate playing four exhibition games against a D-2 team like Delta State for teams across the country. I much prefer a coach that tinkers with the lineup over one that just keeps trotting the same one out that isn't working as well just to be consistent.

Hi, Coach Howie.

No, but really I love that guy. And I'd love playing a DSU against a coach that is pretty smart in his own right and have to out-coach him.

 

[SECDawg]

I doubted Cohen was the right guy for the job. I still don't like his personality. And I despise coaches that make a living leaning into pitches.

But... The man keeps on coaching all season and we get better. Not just better, but good. Ole Miss, Florida...who else wishes they had ended the season better?

He wasn't hired to be your friend.

 

[RocketCityDawg]

Thanks for your analysis, Rock Star.

You know we were waiting for that.

Actually, you were kinda bland, so I won't get vitriolic.

RocketCityStar

 

[Todd4State]

Ha! I know Coach Howie

Hi, Coach Howie.

No, but really I love that guy. And I'd love playing a DSU against a coach that is pretty smart in his own right and have to out-coach him.

As you know, he and Kinneson were together at Madison Central for a year or so. Coach Howie taught me driver's ed. I showed up maybe five times to his class. I thought Howie was a joke as a teacher, but then my Dad told me who he was at that he was a baseball coaching legend.

But yeah- you know Coach Kinneson and Coach Cohen would go at it even though it doesn't count for squat. I was at the last MSU/DSU game in 1997- I think it was Polk's 1000 win- and we darn near got into a fight with them when DuBose plunked one of their guys in the back after he gave up a home run to one of them. One of the most fun games I went to at MSU.

 

[Philly Dawg]

We've had some adventures in the field recently, but MSU's fielding percentage was very high and MSU was near the national lead in double plays turned.

 

[patdog]

We need to start recruiting some more Hunter Renfroe's. Seemed like every one of UVA's players was 6'2" and 200+. We need to be like that. And yes, engie, I know we signed 2 of the top 20 HS home run hitters this year. So I'm cautiously optimistic. As for playing a few exhibition games, that's not a bad idea. I remember back in the glory days, the DSU series was tougher than a lot of our conference series were.

 

[boatsandhoes]

I don't care as long as we win

That is all that matters to me. Getting us back to the days of lore. It has been a great year. The Kids** have hit the ball better this year in clutch times than I can last remember. If Cohen gets a few more big star players in recruiting with this post season run look out. Not to be negative, it seems to me the only thing we were missing to be excellent was an ace and better quality starting pitching. Maybe a few less errors in the field. You can't always have it all.

I think the guy is on the right track. I don't care what style he plays as long as we make post season runs every year. Augie at Texas has had much success playing ugly small ball, putting alot of pressure on the defense all game long. that gets old if your fielding it.

 

[HueFreeze]

math is great**

cause if you don't love baseball and you chose msu, you sir must be an engineer.