Breaking: Tennessee hiring Texas hitting coach Ehren Earlywine

[volaholic1969]

He will.find he doesn't have the horses

Maybe he saw enough of our mares first hand and understood they need better grooming.

 

[GameTime]

It's simple guys....With Coach Earlywine as our hitting coach, there will be some "big hitters" coming here to be taught how to improve their swing mechanics and how to better hit college pitching...In short, how to carry the big stick...

Also, we just took a valuable coach away from the Longhorns...No 3 peat for you guys...

 

[DeerPark12]

Karen continues to want to play small ball. That's just a fact ..

Not if you watch the games, it’s not. They still bunt runners over in obvious situations, like two on and nobody out, but they haven’t played small ball consistently in a decade.

 

[chuckiepoo]

Assume Karen plans to turn this new coach loose to coach hitting how he wants

I believe herein lies the problem, as she won’t allow the hitting coach the free reins. Change of heart or philosophy? I’ll believe it when i see it.

 

[Memvol44]

How exactly does hiring the batting coach for the hot-hitting national champions translate to small ball?

How she recruits.

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

I believe herein lies the problem, as she won’t allow the hitting coach the free reins. Change of heart or philosophy? I’ll believe it when i see it.

Don't disagree but would be a waste of a good hitting coach to do that. SB philosophy's have changed, especially in the hitting dept., and if Karen won't change her thinking then it may be time to consider going home with Ralph.

 

[DeerPark12]

I believe herein lies the problem, as she won’t allow the hitting coach the free reins. Change of heart or philosophy? I’ll believe it when i see it.

I have not seen that be the case with either of the last two hitting coaches. Seems both Chriz Malveaux and Craig Snider implemented and executed exactly what they wanted.

 

[DeerPark12]

How she recruits.

Outside of Knight, who the nation's leading hitter last year at Boise, who has she recruited to play "small ball?" Seems like Dodge, Clarke, Butt, Morrison and the Leach sisters were all recruited to hit line drives and home runs and it seems like that's what they've done. You would like for them to hit for a higher average and hit more home runs, and that's why you went a got a new hitting coach.

 

[chuckiepoo]

Seems both Chriz Malveaux and Craig Snider implemented and executed exactly what they wanted.

As opposed to polishing a previously successful approach. I believe they attempted to fix something that never was broken. I went back and rewatched JT Gasso’s Rally Cap interview. Yes, i believe Karen is far too rigid for such a philosophy.

 

[BruisedOrange]

I believe herein lies the problem, as she won’t allow the hitting coach the free reins. Change of heart or philosophy? I’ll believe it when i see it.

I would've said the same about Rick Barnes.

But I think the level of analytics today--and the models for comparing philosophies/approaches head-to-head--provide coaches who want their kids to win with sufficient reason to change.

After all, it isn't that their original philosophies were wrong, it's just that other things in or around the game have changed to erase the advantages previously enjoyed by those approaches. For Barnes, I think it's the way traveling is (not) called that has erased the benefits of well-played defense. When he saw the numbers (and Michigan), I think he was convinced.

For Karen, the era of her philosophy's success may have succumbed to the increased strength and athletic ability of female players today, and maybe even longer hits from the increased velocity of pitches (if that has happened). AND of course...

Dey gotta be juicin' da ball for TV ratings, man!