Dabblin' With the Cockspur: Damn Those Gamecocks!
posted by Roger Olivieri, 6/03/2009 04:37:00 PM
Why? Hell, you know why. I just knew something wasn’t going to go to plan. When I’d heard that Clemson had come back to win their regional – that was the proverbial icing on the cake.
Like some of you had said on the message boards – after the first walk you turned the television off. Same here! I had to stay because I was working the game, but I accepted the inevitable before it happened so I’d be less let down.
All of that being said, here are a few things to remember…
Even the Red Sox fans got to celebrate a championship and NO ONE had it harder than them. Seriously, say what you will, but Bill Buckner, Bucky Dent, Aaron Boone, Len Bias, the blasting from the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl – they had it rougher than anyone and still – they got theirs. South Carolina will too (I guess we just have to hope it’s in our lifetime).
Boo-hoo! (expletive, expletive, expletive) Boo-hoo, hoo!
With the whining now behind us, let’s look at the baseball program and the direction it’s headed. It’s headed up – nowhere else – only up.
Ray Tanner took a group of JUCO transfers, freshmen, sophomores and bench players to yet another 40 win season (his tenth in a row). He was within three outs of going to another Sweet 16 – something we’ve all but accepted shouldn’t be expected in the other sports (an annual return).
A third baseman played first base. A true freshman started every Saturday. A true freshman played the entire season in right field. A JUCO led the team in HR and RBI while duplicating Justin Smoak numbers. A JUCO knelt behind the plate almost everyday and gave this team a backbone while putting up some awesome offensive numbers. A sophomore who’d never played CF until college stepped up as a leader both on the field and off.
A JUCO shortstop played like Ozzie Smith in the field and wound up hitting around .300 while probably posting the best post season numbers on the team. Drew Crisp was asked to play his umpteenth position in umpteen years. He did it while hitting well above .300 and finishing way up on the all-time USC hits list.
A slew of freshmen not named Bradley (Matthews, Westmoreland, Price) played major roles in contributing to the teams success.
A year ago, with Havens, Darnell, Disher and Smoak on the way out – not to mention Cisco and more – no single expert expected this team to do a damned thing this season.
They all forgot one thing – one very important thing…
The University of South Carolina has unquestionably one of the best baseball coaches in the country – a coach most Universities would write a blank check to. Ray Tanner replaced staff, an infield, a catcher, half a staff and most of an outfield, but still won 40 games and got to within three outs of the Sweet 16.
He’s got a recruiting class ranking up there among the best right now that can only be adversely affected by Major League Baseball – but then again, he faces that same problem every year.
Don’t view this season as “another cross section of South Carolina Gamecock misery.” View this season as proof that Ray Tanner is one of the best. View this season as one of growth, proof there will always be an ability to overcome the longest odds within the baseball program and one in which we christened one hell of a beautiful stadium.
View this season as one hell of a beginning to something that may become very special over the next few seasons – Yardcock Baseball.
See you at the Stadium in February. I can't wait.
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Look, I hate it as much as you do! Going into the bottom of the ninth, I knew…
Why? Hell, you know why. I just knew something wasn’t going to go to plan. When I’d heard that Clemson had come back to win their regional – that was the proverbial icing on the cake.
Like some of you had said on the message boards – after the first walk you turned the television off. Same here! I had to stay because I was working the game, but I accepted the inevitable before it happened so I’d be less let down.
All of that being said, here are a few things to remember…
Even the Red Sox fans got to celebrate a championship and NO ONE had it harder than them. Seriously, say what you will, but Bill Buckner, Bucky Dent, Aaron Boone, Len Bias, the blasting from the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl – they had it rougher than anyone and still – they got theirs. South Carolina will too (I guess we just have to hope it’s in our lifetime).
Boo-hoo! (expletive, expletive, expletive) Boo-hoo, hoo!
With the whining now behind us, let’s look at the baseball program and the direction it’s headed. It’s headed up – nowhere else – only up.
Ray Tanner took a group of JUCO transfers, freshmen, sophomores and bench players to yet another 40 win season (his tenth in a row). He was within three outs of going to another Sweet 16 – something we’ve all but accepted shouldn’t be expected in the other sports (an annual return).
A third baseman played first base. A true freshman started every Saturday. A true freshman played the entire season in right field. A JUCO led the team in HR and RBI while duplicating Justin Smoak numbers. A JUCO knelt behind the plate almost everyday and gave this team a backbone while putting up some awesome offensive numbers. A sophomore who’d never played CF until college stepped up as a leader both on the field and off.
A JUCO shortstop played like Ozzie Smith in the field and wound up hitting around .300 while probably posting the best post season numbers on the team. Drew Crisp was asked to play his umpteenth position in umpteen years. He did it while hitting well above .300 and finishing way up on the all-time USC hits list.
A slew of freshmen not named Bradley (Matthews, Westmoreland, Price) played major roles in contributing to the teams success.
A year ago, with Havens, Darnell, Disher and Smoak on the way out – not to mention Cisco and more – no single expert expected this team to do a damned thing this season.
They all forgot one thing – one very important thing…
The University of South Carolina has unquestionably one of the best baseball coaches in the country – a coach most Universities would write a blank check to. Ray Tanner replaced staff, an infield, a catcher, half a staff and most of an outfield, but still won 40 games and got to within three outs of the Sweet 16.
He’s got a recruiting class ranking up there among the best right now that can only be adversely affected by Major League Baseball – but then again, he faces that same problem every year.
Don’t view this season as “another cross section of South Carolina Gamecock misery.” View this season as proof that Ray Tanner is one of the best. View this season as one of growth, proof there will always be an ability to overcome the longest odds within the baseball program and one in which we christened one hell of a beautiful stadium.
View this season as one hell of a beginning to something that may become very special over the next few seasons – Yardcock Baseball.
See you at the Stadium in February. I can't wait.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
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Roger Olivieri. Roger began working with GamecockCentral in December of 2007. He currently serves as the site's chief videographer. He may be reached by email at roger(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.