Just a Bit Outside: Keeping the wolves at bay
- By Travis Galey
- Inside the 40 Acres
- 116 Replies
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I love my dog. He’s almost always happy and loving and playful. But bless his heart, he’s not too bright. However, he’s the only dog I’ve ever had that is not able to distinguish the difference between television and real life. If he sees a dog on television, he barks at it. We just started watching "Northern Exposure" and the opening credits where a Moose walks through town gets him every time.
A couple of weeks ago I was watching “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and a pack of coyotes began howling on the show.
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As soon as the howling began on the show, my dog lost his mind. He began barking and pacing. It took 10 minutes to calm him down.
But upon reflection, perhaps I’m not giving my dog enough credit. He heard a threat and he was bound and determined to find it and scare it off. In hindsight, that seems pretty smart to me.
Texas baseball head coach David Pierce has probably done some pacing of his own this last week and maybe even barked out a few instructions as well. That seems pretty smart to me as well because after his past week, I swear I hear some howling off in the distance.
The Longhorns were 7-1, coming off of a weekend sweep of Cal Poly where they didn’t give up a single run the last time I posted my column. Now, they’ve lost four straight, including a loss at home to Texas A&M. The fact that three of the losses were to future conference rivals (A&M, Vanderbilt and LSU) is especially troubling. It’s even more troubling when you lose to your arch rival in front of a record-setting crowd at the Disch.
“Tough night. Tough stretch,” Pierce said following the A&M loss. “We basically laid an egg.”
Texas is a good baseball team. I still expect them to make a regional and play post-season baseball.
But good is not the standard when it comes to UT baseball.
“At times we look like one of the best teams in the country,” Pierce said. “And at other times, we look like one of the worst teams in the country.”
The Dude, @DustinMcComas had a pretty good breakdown of some of the problems with the current Texas team.
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The thing is, each of those problem areas that Dustin has pointed out, leads directly to Pierce’s door.
Lack of stuff/velocity/talent in the pitching staff:
Pierce is not only in charge of recruiting, but he’s also the pitching coach, which means he’s in charge of the development as well. He appointed himself as the pitching coach this offseason because he wasn’t happy with the production he was getting under his old coaches.
Certainly Pierce made a name for himself in the coaching ranks as a pitching coach, especially during his time at Rice. So I can buy into him taking over and doing it himself, if that’s what he believes is needed to be successful.
The problem with this solution is that if the pitching doesn’t get better, then there is no other remedy left than to change the pitching coach again … and in this case that means firing the head coach too.
Whiffed or not taken advantage of the portal:
It was hard not to compare and contrast the transfer portal approaches between Pierce and LSU head coach Jay Johnson as the two went head-to-head last Friday.
LSU is the defending national champions, having ridden the arm of Paul Skenes to the CWS title.
Skenes, of course, was a transfer who went to Baton Rouge via the Air Force Academy. Texas did try to recruit Skenes, but it was unable to land the hard throwing righty.
Speaking of hard throwing …
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I’m not condemning Pierce for not landing Skenes. I know that was a big time NIL battle and I’m not entirely sure Texas had the funds to stay in that race. But it’s not just Skenes.
Friday’s winning Pitcher, Luke Holman, was another transfer portal arrival, having come over from Alabama. He pitched 5 2/3 innings, striking out 12 without giving up any earned runs. LSU third baseman Tommy White (North Carolina State) hit a home run in the 6-3 win. Shortstop Michael Braswell (South Carolina) went 2-4 with 2 RBI. Left fielder Mac Bingham (Arizona) also went 1-4.
It’s fair to say, LSU doesn’t win that game without having been very active in the transfer portal.
But Pierce is convinced he has the horses to win.
“Is it a talent deal?” Pierce asked. “I don’t think so. I think it’s just putting it all together.”
Texas' roster is imbalanced:
Pierce is responsible for putting the pieces together but the puzzle has not come together to form a CWS winning picture.
There is talent on the roster, but it is mostly positional players. The Longhorns lack the elite arms needed to compete at the highest levels. That's a failure of both high school recruiting and portal recruiting.
Constant staff turnover leading to roster management and development issues:
I’ve already mentioned Pierce is now his own pitching coach, replacing Woody Williams who lasted one season after replacing Sean Allen.
But this is actually the third straight year of staff shakeup with coaches coming and going and changing roles.
Pierce is not just in charge of roster management, he’s in charge of his coaching management as well.
I will make the same point here that I made in the pitching section. If a coach changes up his coaching staff and the results don’t get better, then it is, inevitably going to beg the question, is it the staff’s fault or is it the head coaches fault?
Is all lost? Obviously not. Just take a look at this post from my boy @Nash Talks Texas
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I want to make it clear, I am NOT calling for David Pierce’s head. I think he has done a good job so far. But again, good is not the standard at Texas and there is another level that he has yet to reach. He needs to get there soon. If he doesn’t, the wolves won’t just be howling in the distance, they’ll actually be at his door.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT RUN BEGINS …
The Texas women’s basketball team is getting ready to kick off its Big 12 tournament run. The Longhorns are riding the hot hand of freshman forward Madison Booker … the newly named Big 12 Player of the Year.
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Booker is the first freshman to win a share of Big 12 Player of the Year, averaging 20.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists during the 18-game league schedule.
Texas head coach Vic Schaefer praised Booker ahead of the announcement.
"I think they've gotten enough of a dose of Madison and realize how special she is and how difficult she is to deal with,” Schaefer said. “She got thrown into a different position, a different role, with a three day crash course and she has led her team, run this team, as the point guard, to 27-4.”
Booker had to make the switch to point guard after star guard Rori Harmon was lost for the season with a torn ACL on December 12.
“You take Madison Booker off our team, right now, with Rori Harmon going down, you have to ask yourself, are we are where we are today?,” asked Schaeffer. “I don’t think that we are. That’s the impact that she’s made on our team.”
The Horns head into the Big 12 tournament as the #2 seed and in contention for a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
“I think our team will be highly motivated when we get to Kansas City,” said Schaefer.
Booker says the team has maintained its elite level, even after Harmon went down, because it plays fundamental basketball on defense.
“If we just stick together on that end (defense) right there, even though our offense is not going the way we want it to go, it can take us very far,” said Booker. “It’s done it in the past games in conference play without Rori.”
While senior guard Shaylee Gonzales added that Schaeffer has a lot to do with it as well.
“Obviously, we’ve had a lot of ups and downs with injuries,” said senior guard Shaylee Gonazales. “Just putting us in good positions to win is what he (Schaffer) does best.”
Schaeffer has put his team in a good position. Now they just need to stick to what they’ve been doing all season and go out and win the Big 12 title and they’ll be dancing pretty in March.
TWEETS OF INTEREST:
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Tanner Witt may have picked up the loss in last night’s game against Texas A&M, but he is showing signs of progress. If he continues to get stronger as the season rolls along then he could really turn into a solid #2 starter, which will be a big deal for this team.
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Xay’s 4.21 at the Combine was absolutely insane, but it also overshadowed what was otherwise the best performance from a Texas receiver at the NFL combine I’ve ever seen. Adonai Mitchell made himself a lot of money.
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I know there are many saying that T’Vondre Sweat is too heavy to be productive in the NFL, but I maintain he will instantly improve the run defense of any team that drafts him.
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I also love how much T-Sweat loves his Momma.
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Calvin Anderson missed most of last season with a life-threatening illness, which he has not yet disclosed. He has promised he will talk about it at some point, and it appears that time may soon be coming.
Still, he has some work to do to keep playing in the NFL. Best of luck to him.
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I know the soon-to-be Las Vegas A’s are a very poorly run organization with bad ownership, and I don’t think the move to Las Vegas will fix most of their problems. But I really kind of dig the renderings of the proposed stadium.
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Caitlin Clark continues to cash in. Good for her, she’s earned it.
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###########################
On this anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo, this is just a reminder that the mission has not always been treasured like it is today. Thank God for the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.
Hopefully you all cherish your treasures.
Login to view embedded media
YOU!
Now is your chance to sponsor the column. Our previous sponsor paid for more than three months of sponsorship fees in the first two weeks of signing up. That can be you! Contact Orangebloods' new sales lead, Cody Clearman ( codyclearman@orangebloods.com ) if you want that kind of successful promotion for your business. Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity!
===========================================================================
I love my dog. He’s almost always happy and loving and playful. But bless his heart, he’s not too bright. However, he’s the only dog I’ve ever had that is not able to distinguish the difference between television and real life. If he sees a dog on television, he barks at it. We just started watching "Northern Exposure" and the opening credits where a Moose walks through town gets him every time.
A couple of weeks ago I was watching “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and a pack of coyotes began howling on the show.
Login to view embedded media
As soon as the howling began on the show, my dog lost his mind. He began barking and pacing. It took 10 minutes to calm him down.
But upon reflection, perhaps I’m not giving my dog enough credit. He heard a threat and he was bound and determined to find it and scare it off. In hindsight, that seems pretty smart to me.
Texas baseball head coach David Pierce has probably done some pacing of his own this last week and maybe even barked out a few instructions as well. That seems pretty smart to me as well because after his past week, I swear I hear some howling off in the distance.
The Longhorns were 7-1, coming off of a weekend sweep of Cal Poly where they didn’t give up a single run the last time I posted my column. Now, they’ve lost four straight, including a loss at home to Texas A&M. The fact that three of the losses were to future conference rivals (A&M, Vanderbilt and LSU) is especially troubling. It’s even more troubling when you lose to your arch rival in front of a record-setting crowd at the Disch.
“Tough night. Tough stretch,” Pierce said following the A&M loss. “We basically laid an egg.”
Texas is a good baseball team. I still expect them to make a regional and play post-season baseball.
But good is not the standard when it comes to UT baseball.
“At times we look like one of the best teams in the country,” Pierce said. “And at other times, we look like one of the worst teams in the country.”
The Dude, @DustinMcComas had a pretty good breakdown of some of the problems with the current Texas team.
Login to view embedded media
The thing is, each of those problem areas that Dustin has pointed out, leads directly to Pierce’s door.
Lack of stuff/velocity/talent in the pitching staff:
Pierce is not only in charge of recruiting, but he’s also the pitching coach, which means he’s in charge of the development as well. He appointed himself as the pitching coach this offseason because he wasn’t happy with the production he was getting under his old coaches.
Certainly Pierce made a name for himself in the coaching ranks as a pitching coach, especially during his time at Rice. So I can buy into him taking over and doing it himself, if that’s what he believes is needed to be successful.
The problem with this solution is that if the pitching doesn’t get better, then there is no other remedy left than to change the pitching coach again … and in this case that means firing the head coach too.
Whiffed or not taken advantage of the portal:
It was hard not to compare and contrast the transfer portal approaches between Pierce and LSU head coach Jay Johnson as the two went head-to-head last Friday.
LSU is the defending national champions, having ridden the arm of Paul Skenes to the CWS title.
Skenes, of course, was a transfer who went to Baton Rouge via the Air Force Academy. Texas did try to recruit Skenes, but it was unable to land the hard throwing righty.
Speaking of hard throwing …
Login to view embedded media
I’m not condemning Pierce for not landing Skenes. I know that was a big time NIL battle and I’m not entirely sure Texas had the funds to stay in that race. But it’s not just Skenes.
Friday’s winning Pitcher, Luke Holman, was another transfer portal arrival, having come over from Alabama. He pitched 5 2/3 innings, striking out 12 without giving up any earned runs. LSU third baseman Tommy White (North Carolina State) hit a home run in the 6-3 win. Shortstop Michael Braswell (South Carolina) went 2-4 with 2 RBI. Left fielder Mac Bingham (Arizona) also went 1-4.
It’s fair to say, LSU doesn’t win that game without having been very active in the transfer portal.
But Pierce is convinced he has the horses to win.
“Is it a talent deal?” Pierce asked. “I don’t think so. I think it’s just putting it all together.”
Texas' roster is imbalanced:
Pierce is responsible for putting the pieces together but the puzzle has not come together to form a CWS winning picture.
There is talent on the roster, but it is mostly positional players. The Longhorns lack the elite arms needed to compete at the highest levels. That's a failure of both high school recruiting and portal recruiting.
Constant staff turnover leading to roster management and development issues:
I’ve already mentioned Pierce is now his own pitching coach, replacing Woody Williams who lasted one season after replacing Sean Allen.
But this is actually the third straight year of staff shakeup with coaches coming and going and changing roles.
Pierce is not just in charge of roster management, he’s in charge of his coaching management as well.
I will make the same point here that I made in the pitching section. If a coach changes up his coaching staff and the results don’t get better, then it is, inevitably going to beg the question, is it the staff’s fault or is it the head coaches fault?
Is all lost? Obviously not. Just take a look at this post from my boy @Nash Talks Texas
Login to view embedded media
I want to make it clear, I am NOT calling for David Pierce’s head. I think he has done a good job so far. But again, good is not the standard at Texas and there is another level that he has yet to reach. He needs to get there soon. If he doesn’t, the wolves won’t just be howling in the distance, they’ll actually be at his door.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT RUN BEGINS …
The Texas women’s basketball team is getting ready to kick off its Big 12 tournament run. The Longhorns are riding the hot hand of freshman forward Madison Booker … the newly named Big 12 Player of the Year.
Login to view embedded media
Booker is the first freshman to win a share of Big 12 Player of the Year, averaging 20.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists during the 18-game league schedule.
Texas head coach Vic Schaefer praised Booker ahead of the announcement.
"I think they've gotten enough of a dose of Madison and realize how special she is and how difficult she is to deal with,” Schaefer said. “She got thrown into a different position, a different role, with a three day crash course and she has led her team, run this team, as the point guard, to 27-4.”
Booker had to make the switch to point guard after star guard Rori Harmon was lost for the season with a torn ACL on December 12.
“You take Madison Booker off our team, right now, with Rori Harmon going down, you have to ask yourself, are we are where we are today?,” asked Schaeffer. “I don’t think that we are. That’s the impact that she’s made on our team.”
The Horns head into the Big 12 tournament as the #2 seed and in contention for a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
“I think our team will be highly motivated when we get to Kansas City,” said Schaefer.
Booker says the team has maintained its elite level, even after Harmon went down, because it plays fundamental basketball on defense.
“If we just stick together on that end (defense) right there, even though our offense is not going the way we want it to go, it can take us very far,” said Booker. “It’s done it in the past games in conference play without Rori.”
While senior guard Shaylee Gonzales added that Schaeffer has a lot to do with it as well.
“Obviously, we’ve had a lot of ups and downs with injuries,” said senior guard Shaylee Gonazales. “Just putting us in good positions to win is what he (Schaffer) does best.”
Schaeffer has put his team in a good position. Now they just need to stick to what they’ve been doing all season and go out and win the Big 12 title and they’ll be dancing pretty in March.
TWEETS OF INTEREST:
Login to view embedded media
Tanner Witt may have picked up the loss in last night’s game against Texas A&M, but he is showing signs of progress. If he continues to get stronger as the season rolls along then he could really turn into a solid #2 starter, which will be a big deal for this team.
###########################
Xay’s 4.21 at the Combine was absolutely insane, but it also overshadowed what was otherwise the best performance from a Texas receiver at the NFL combine I’ve ever seen. Adonai Mitchell made himself a lot of money.
Login to view embedded media
###########################
I know there are many saying that T’Vondre Sweat is too heavy to be productive in the NFL, but I maintain he will instantly improve the run defense of any team that drafts him.
Login to view embedded media
I also love how much T-Sweat loves his Momma.
Login to view embedded media
###########################
Calvin Anderson missed most of last season with a life-threatening illness, which he has not yet disclosed. He has promised he will talk about it at some point, and it appears that time may soon be coming.
Still, he has some work to do to keep playing in the NFL. Best of luck to him.
Login to view embedded media
###########################
I know the soon-to-be Las Vegas A’s are a very poorly run organization with bad ownership, and I don’t think the move to Las Vegas will fix most of their problems. But I really kind of dig the renderings of the proposed stadium.
Login to view embedded media
###########################
Caitlin Clark continues to cash in. Good for her, she’s earned it.
Login to view embedded media
###########################
On this anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo, this is just a reminder that the mission has not always been treasured like it is today. Thank God for the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.
Hopefully you all cherish your treasures.
Login to view embedded media
