Texas Baseball: Previewing the Position Players

…from a baseball guy, I can tell you this…he could not win with his philosophy at many other places. When you sacrifice bunt 3-6 times a game, those are all batted outs you are taking away from your hitters. Think of the message you are sending your players for second. “Hey guys, I don’t think any of you can hit, so every time we get runners on, were bunting…” Furthermore, Were Texas! We shouldn’t have to play for close 5-2, 4-3, 3-1 ball games! There is soooo many good JUCO hitters, along with the HS kids, that I find it laughable that Texas has such a poor offense. I understand the scholly situation in the baseball is tough, but lets be honest, were Texas. Augie may go down as the “greatest” college baseball coach of all times, and for that I have much respect. But as someone that played 8 years of minor league ball, I feel like his philosophy can only do so much before you get to Omaha. All the teams in Omaha and pitch (thats how they got there). But the UNCs, LSUs, S Carolinas of the world can HIT. As the Phillies if having the best pitching staff in the world wins championships. It takes a well rounded club. Im not saying he should completely do away with “Augieball”. What I am suggesting is that he go out and recruit 3-4 guys that can impact the game with their bats. Again, Were Texas, this shouldn’t be difficult to find. I just ask tho, that you guys understand that Augie is no baseball genius. He plays small ball, he plays a very amateur style of baseball, and I really feel like we (HE) could do a better job of building a championship ball club

pretty good too, right? A buddy of mine is a national crosschecker for the Angels. He told me that they aren’t willing to spend money on a 21-23 year old kid who has spent his college career learning “Augieball”. Its so contradictory to the way the game is played at the next level, they just choose to look elsewhere. Its kind of like drafting a TT qb, they won’t transition to the next level very well….Texas pitchers on the other hand…theyre very much valued from the professional standpoint. Texas philosophy on the bump is big league. Attack the hell out of hitters, pitch inside, pitch off your fastball and give in to NO ONE. Just wish the offensive philosophy was a little less little league

look nothing like the lads Augie has on his roster now. Those Texas teams could HIT! Drew Stubbs, Taylor Teagarden and what was the SS’s name? Either way, those teams had the 3-4 hitters that I was referring to earlier. There is nothing of the sort on campus right now, and I think its just lazy ass recruiting by a coach that has nothing to prove.
A very close friend of mine is in the big leagues named Chris Davis. He literally tried to recruit himself to the 40 acres, but he didn’t fit “Augieball”…the dude set his JUCO conference record for HRs with 29…that guy fits EVERY system…dont know if you guys understand how easy Augie has it in Austin.

had a ton of offense. No superstars, but 1 thru about 8 in the lineup, they could hit, most could run, there was depth and versatility. We scored 12 in the CWS title game with South Carolina, with non-stars providing the biggest hits. The ’05 team had surprising power once it got outside Disch-Falk.

I expect we’ll be offensively more limited than even last year’s team was. The upside is that positive surprises in baseball are almost always (1) pitchers, and (2) the young.

We’re loaded in both areas.

baseball recruiting is NOTHING like football…Augie could find him a couple kids EVERY year that could impact the lineup by slugging the baseball. Yes, the Disch is a pitchers park. But slugging the ball doesn’t mean just HRs. We could easily find a kid that could roll in and hit 30-40 doubles a year in that ball park…what do doubles do? they drive in both runs from 1st and 2nd base SO YOU DONT HAVE TO BUNT!

nothing wrong with placing significant preasure on the defense by laying down a nice bunt. And to say that Augie’s philosophy isn’t affective is laughable at best. How many NC’s has this man won between UT and Cal St. Fullerton? I think his reputation speaks for itself.

Also, it’s not like Augie is going out and finding only defensive minded ball players only. Some of the talent just hasn’t consistantly produced the offensive production that they were suppose too. Weiss has been as good as any Freshmen that I can remember offensively. Walla had a fantastic freshmen year. Lusson even hit over .300 one of his years.

We’ll see who emerges this year for the Horns, but what you are saying about Augie’s “style” is ridiculous. The guy is a proven winner, and he sends his share of players to the big leagues as well.

isn’t to bash Augie’s philosophy, but rather to shed light on the fact that he builds his ball clubs in an unusual manner. He has a great reputation among FANS. But baseball people don’t watch Augie Garrido coached ball clubs and think, “wow, what a coach!” If anything, he could have more NC’s than he currently does if he built his team the way he COULD. LSU won as many championships in the 90s as Texas has in its history (i believe). Did they do with pitching and defense? Augie has only won championships at Texas with teams that had hitters. Weiss is good, but he should be hitting leadoff, not 3 hole.
Chupita, hitting over .300 with metal bats in college baseball does not impress anyone. What was his slugging %? I promise you, Augie could do a better job of putting together a lineup…
Do you think Augie ball would work at Texas State? Hell no it wouldn’t. Augie ball looks intelligent because he has a AA pitching staff out there hiding his horrid offensive strategy

having a football team who’s goal is to score more than 17 points because their defense won’t give up anything….ya, it sounds great, but what happens when a team puts up 35? can you hang?
Same thing with Texas baseball…we win a ton of games with the best pitching in college baseball…its honestly a AA pitching staff…but when we get to Omaha (and all the scrub teams are no longer helping our OPS), can we hang with S.Carolina? LSU? I really don’t think we can right now. Those teams that won NCs could tho because they could hit. You cannot win baseball games at the highest level without offense, period.

…and in that short time he has won 2 CWS, and has guided his team to 7 in the 2000’s and, sure LSU had a nice run in the 90’s with CWS wins, and yet have only mustered 5 total visits to Omaha in the 2000’s and often don’t even make the friggin NCAA tournament period. If that is the mark of a more “successful” program then shoot me in the head. I would crawl under a rock if UT wasn’t even playing in the NCAA tournament period. That’s just pathetic… not to mention, the Big 12 is a better baseball conference than LSU plays in the SEC.

Augie has won 6 NC’s during his career. Yep, SIX – that is as many as LSU has won in their entire history.

Augie can’t make this guys hit the ball and he has done a standup job bringing in hitters, but they just haven’t been consistant.

And yea – I’m pretty sure that we can handle teams like LSU in Omaha since they are chillin in Baton Rouge every other year during the CWS. And sometimes, even during the NCAA tournament in general.

but i completely disagree 100% that the big12 is better than the SEC in baseball…I played against teams from both conferences, and let me assure you, the SEC is better. LSU, Arkansas, Auburn, Alabama, Ole Miss, Miss St…and thats just the SEC West.

LSU has had a better past 20 years of baseball, there is no argument. I hate LSU too. Hate them. Played two season in New Orleans, and those fans are the worst. But I will give them credit for being the cream of the crop in college baseball over the past 20 years….

And dude, don’t shoot yourself in the head over amateur baseball, I promise, its not worth it. Follow a big league team, and those feelings are acceptable, but college baseball? I hope that was just a massive overstatement.

Augie has 12 college world series appearances in his career since 1969. Most of those years at Fullerton. 7 of those trips have come as a Longhorn. Obviously, he is doing well here. I hate that I feel like Im bashing a UT coach, because Im usually the ultimate glass half full guy. Just don’t like how we play the game, thats all really

When I think about baseball I think about the Big 12 and the PAC (whatever). Look at the most storied programs in the nation and that would consist of your Texas, Arizona State(s), USC’s, etc.

What in the hell has Arkansas, Auburn, Bama, Ole Miss or Miss St. done anyway? Hell, Bama hasn’t made a CWS since 99 and has 0 titles! Auburn, hasn’t made a CWS since 97 and also has 0 titles. Arkansas has made it twice since the 2000’s started and only 6 times total…again, with 0 titles. Old Mrs.? 4 times total in the CWS, and the last time was in 72! I wasn’t even friggin born yet! Mississippi State has made it to the CWS one time since the 2000’s started and 8 times total! Again, no titles for them as well.

Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have been to more CWS than all of these teams combined and you can add all of their appearances at the CWS together and still not equal to Texas by themselves.

Yea, South Carolina won the last two CWS’ but they were their first. And, again, LSU didn’t even make the friggin tournament last year at all.

what about Vandy? Florida? Georgia? South Carolina? Tennessee?

take it from someone that played 4 years against these teams…theyre better than the big12…

maybe Im just biased because my career ERA vs the big12 was probably 3 points lower than against the SEC….

I do know this though, Texas offense put very little pressure on opposing pitchers. It doesn’t bother us when people bunt, THOSE ARE FREE OUTS that we didn’t have to work to get.

The thing thats cool is….
there is more than one way to skin a cat…baseball is such a beautiful game because different philosophies can work. Augie’s obviously works for us, but I just think we could be even better with a litttttttle bit more pop in the lineup