I'm wondering if anybody else thinks the team is engaging the fans more than in years past? I've never seen a batter walk to the plate like Mangum does raising his arms up to get the crowd up. And it seems the rest of the team follows his lead in trying to get the crowd going. I've never seen this from an MSU team, but I could be wrong.
Team crowd engagement
- Thread starter MSU Fan.sixpack
- Start date
Not common for a baseball team, but I love it.
When Mangum did it before his first at bat the other night, I felt like there was no way we were going to lose the game.
When Mangum did it before his first at bat the other night, I felt like there was no way we were going to lose the game.
The stadium makes a huge difference
Having a stadium where everyone is connected and on top of the field really adds a huge element to our atmosphere. Think about it like this. If everyone in stadium the held hands, then the entire stadium would be connected. That makes a massive difference in my opinion.
In the old stadium, we had 3 sections with large gaps of open space separating each group. So you had an outfield section. A bleacher section. And a grandstand section. And a lot of open space between those 3 groups. The atmosphere is is now connected and the entire stadium feels like it is right on top of the field. I think the 360 concourse design brought a great atmosphere with it.
Having a stadium where everyone is connected and on top of the field really adds a huge element to our atmosphere. Think about it like this. If everyone in stadium the held hands, then the entire stadium would be connected. That makes a massive difference in my opinion.
In the old stadium, we had 3 sections with large gaps of open space separating each group. So you had an outfield section. A bleacher section. And a grandstand section. And a lot of open space between those 3 groups. The atmosphere is is now connected and the entire stadium feels like it is right on top of the field. I think the 360 concourse design brought a great atmosphere with it.
Mangum really has grown into that number 15.
His on the diamond performance and his undeniable charisma really have filled the gap left by Dak.
His on the diamond performance and his undeniable charisma really have filled the gap left by Dak.
You know, for games where the crowd is big enough to do it, that would be pretty cool to do. Come up with a song to be the signal and have the crowd do it and then sway with the song. Call it a "Ring Game" or something.
In the post-game PCs every player that speaks seems to be channeling Jake.
Not repeating his words. They all have honest, individual observations.
But at some point they will tip their hat to the fans or the history or the Dude or the culture.
Not repeating his words. They all have honest, individual observations.
But at some point they will tip their hat to the fans or the history or the Dude or the culture.
It's one thing for the students do it...and I feel like it's still a little gay and aTm-ish but it's the students.
Feel like it'd be better if they sang the song without being locked shoulder to shoulder and swaying side to side.
As far as regular fans holding hands around the stadium....are you 17ing kidding? Talk about being weird....and weird is a lot nicer word than I want to use.
We don't need to add to what we already have at the Dude. I understand the intentions behind the suggestion but NO just leave it alone.
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It all depends on coaches and their style. Many coaches do not allow their players to interact with fans in game. As I heard one coach say one time, "Your focus should be on the game, not the crowd. Not your mom, dad, and especially not your girlfriend." There were fines issued if a player was caught looking into the stands from the dugout or on-deck circle.
Not that I disagree with Jake getting the crowd involved, but when you're in the midst of an 0-18 slump, getting the crowd pumped should be the least of your worries. A solid base hit will do the trick.
As someone who coached baseball for years I could not disagree with this more. When you are in a slump you do whatever it takes to help your team. You do whatever it takes to break the slump. If getting the crowd into the game gives your team a better chance of winning and at that time you aren't doing it at the plate then you put on the pinstripe cowbell suit and run the friggin race in the outfield.
Also, if I'm not mistaken, right after he pumped the crowd up he got his first hit and busted the slump didn't he???
Exactly. I don’t want to hold hands and sing about sawing Tony’s teeth off. Lol that bunch is weird.
I agree you do what it takes for your team. But, at the end of the day, your production in the lineup is what matters-not your "moral support". Ask any of those guys riding the pine offering their support.
I could go into "If And and But" scenarios, but that could go on forever. I firmly believe there indeed is a time and place to get the crowd involved, but there also times when a player needs to focus on his/her on-field job and let the crowd be handled by someone else. Before stepping in the box is a no for me. After the base hit occurs-by all means let's go.
Take that to the mound for example. Do you want Gordo pumping the crowd before throwing to the batter or after he retires him? It only adds pressure to one's own self doing that before. The John Rocker mentality is only effective with a select few individuals.
From my perspective, the before-AB antics give fuel to an opposing pitcher as well. In this particular case with Mangum, had he not done that before that AB, the crowd would have been EQUALLY as fired up when he ended the 0'fer streak.
I could go into "If And and But" scenarios, but that could go on forever. I firmly believe there indeed is a time and place to get the crowd involved, but there also times when a player needs to focus on his/her on-field job and let the crowd be handled by someone else. Before stepping in the box is a no for me. After the base hit occurs-by all means let's go.
Take that to the mound for example. Do you want Gordo pumping the crowd before throwing to the batter or after he retires him? It only adds pressure to one's own self doing that before. The John Rocker mentality is only effective with a select few individuals.
From my perspective, the before-AB antics give fuel to an opposing pitcher as well. In this particular case with Mangum, had he not done that before that AB, the crowd would have been EQUALLY as fired up when he ended the 0'fer streak.
That is debatable. But that coach does have one of the highest All-time win % in NCAA Baseball after 20+ yrs of coaching. Like him or not, his coaching resume speaks for itself.
As an Ole Miss fan I would say there’s no doubt that this is true. This team and the fan engagement scares me (and other SEC fan bases if they’re being honest). It feels like a special team.
Also, the stadium improvements are very impressive. Dudy Noble was always really nice, but I felt like State fans overstated its greatness the last few years (much like every fanbase), but there’s no doubt it deserves the hype it gets now. It’s unbelievable.
Finally, I hope the players engaging the fans becomes contagious for SEC teams going forward. I think it’s something that could make college baseball even that much better of a product.
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There's absolutely no doubt that it was the catalyst for major stadium improvements at every SEC program who wanted to take college baseball seriously. I've long said that the biggest driver for either program's success is the rival program succeeding as well. I know neither fan base enjoys watching the other one win or improve facilities, but it forces the hand of each our own respective leadership to get off their asses and do something.
But, the stadium improvements at Dudy Noble wouldn't look near as good without the stands being packed, so the MSU fan base deserves credit for that. The old adage of "if you build it they will come" has most definitely proved true at State. Of course I suppose for State's baseball fans it would be more aptly stated "if you build it, they'll keep coming, and bring some new ones with them".