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Sponsored by: (insert yours here)
1) Looking the part… finally
Recruiting matters.
Give Nick Saban or Urban Meyer Wake Forest or Purdue’s roster and the results are going to be just a little bit different. And by different I mean Cleveland Browns compared to Pittsburgh Steelers different. Sure, those two future Hall of Fame coaches would elevate either of those two rosters, but that point of elevation is Mount Bonnell and Alabama and Ohio State’s is the Rocky Mountains.
But before you vigorously type up an intense retort about recruiting rankings, know that this isn’t meant to take you down that road. Simply, the truth is this: in his third year at Texas, Charlie Strong has a roster that not only looks the part of a legitimate, power-five football team, but also a roster that has talented depth too.
No, that point doesn’t correlate to an assumption that 11-14 is suddenly and completely justifiable. Rather, the 2016 roster shows that for the first time in a while at Texas, and the first time for Strong, there is a roster in place that has a top end higher than, for example, the 2015 roster. Coaches can coach a lot of things, but there’s a reason why the teams competing for the big bowls and the College Football Playoff routinely finish in the top 10 of team recruiting rankings. Because they can’t coach guys to become bigger, more athletic, more instinctive and increase their raw talent. They develop what shows up on campus. And what’s on campus for Texas now is different, in a positive way for the Longhorns.
Combine that roster with what looks like a legitimately improved offensive design, and an instinctive, talented, very likely starting quarterback that does a lot of things naturally that can’t be taught and the potential of the Texas football program is trending in the right direction. It’s also higher than it has been in a while.
Just remember, though, that potential doesn’t win football games. Production is the more important “P” word.
Will Texas start to make the journey up the potential ladder right away, in week four, or in week 11? Maybe, it won’t truly show in a way that reaches out and yanks on your shirt until 2017. We’ll see. That’s up to Strong and his staff, but there’s a reason you hear about excitement on the 40 Acres. All you have to do is look at the roster.
2) Main takeaway on the offense…
After seeing Texas up close for two practices this past weekend, here’s my main takeaway on offense:
It’s fast.
That might not seem like much on the surface, but this is legitimately the first time that Texas has said it wants to go at warp speed, and it genuinely is. During a team scrimmage period, the Longhorns get off a ton of snaps, and they’re not going to slow down for the defense to get ready. They snap the ball as quick as they can as soon as they line up, and they go.
And the promising aspect for Texas is that the offense doesn’t look lost when it does it; quarterbacks have a solid grasp of where to go with the football, receivers aren’t running the wrong routes at an alarming rate, and the offensive linemen seem in tune with it all. Because there’s a gigantic difference between just going fast, and going fast in a productive manner that also includes the offense being multiple in what it does.
A foursome of players I came away thinking that their stocks are on the rise:
WR – Armanti Foreman (junior)
RB – Kyle Porter (freshman) and Kirk Johnson (sophomore)
OT – Tristan Nickelson (junior)
Foreman got the best of Kris Boyd more often than not during one-on-one periods, and looks like an ideal fit for the play-making aspect of Sterin Gilbert’s offense, which includes deep balls down the field and giving talented outside receivers short passes with space to wiggle.
The comparisons to Maurice Jones-Drew and Doug Martin will become popular for Porter, who is a little ball of muscle bouncing off defenders and squirting through holes. He has the look of a true freshman back that could go out week one and give his team 10 carries. Johnson is often overlooked because he was never able to make a mark last season, the hype train has hitched itself behind his younger brother, Collin. This running back adds a dimension to the offense that no other running back does, and that includes getting out to the edge or in space, using his agility and quickness, and being a home run threat. He looked like a back that Gilbert will find a way to get the ball too at least a few times a game, because when he does touch it, the end zone is in play.
Not only does Nickelson look much more comfortable in his body and bigger and stronger, but he's improved enough to allow Kent Perkins to slide to guard. And that’s huge, both literally and figuratively.
3) Main takeaway on the defense…
The Texas defense has a chance to be more multiple compared to last season, and to be more creative with its blitz packages.
Sure, there are still question marks, most notably at safety and along the defensive line. However, the Longhorns have a bevy of talented, big bodies to use along the defensive line in a number of ways, have a two-deep at linebacker that’s versatile and can make plays, and have two corners – maybe three if Kris Boyd progresses this preseason camp – that can be left on an island, or can be responsible for a third of the field in zone coverage.
Yes, the Longhorns are still very young, but unlike last season, Vance Bedford and Charlie Strong are going to have a lot of bodies to tinker with, and a lot of big, strong, athletic bodies. And they’re going to need to blitz too. Malik Jefferson fired through the offense line like he was the silver bullet train in a Coors Light commercial, and was at the quarterback before the quarterback can move. If Texas can elevate its safety position and is okay leaving those corners alone, Jefferson should be unleashed more often.
A trio of players I’m buying some stock in after seeing two open practices:
CB – Holton Hill (sophomore)
DT – Jordan Elliott (freshman)
LB – Jeffrey McCulloch (freshman)
Some of you might read Holton Hill’s name and make the kind of face I did during all of my Physics exams at Texas, but yes, I’m buying even more stock in Hill, who looked noticeably improved since his freshman year. The sophomore from Houston Lamar, who Collin Johnson was always matched up with in one-on-ones, displayed rare closing speed in one-on-one reps; when he backpedals or turns and runs and plants, he shoots up the field unlike a vast majority of high-level power-five corners. He looked like a player that’s understanding more and more what he’s seeing on the field, and how to react instead of thinking in order to allow those elite tools to show.
Elliott is blessed with a body that no one can teach. He’s big, strong, and surprisingly agile and athletic for his size. The whispers surrounding Elliott in high school is that the motor would really run hot-and-cold, and Strong did light him up during one practice. However, Strong is also the kind of personality and coach that’s going to maximize a guy like Elliott, and there’s a reason why he received some second-team reps at defensive tackle. In terms of talent and size, he has what it takes right now to compete at a Big 12 level.
As for McCulloch, you almost forget how long he is until you see him in seven-on-seven. The freshman linebacker jumped a ball heading for the slot for an interception, and made his presence felt in coverage a few times thanks to his length, athleticism, and ability to move. A product of Aldine Davis, McCulloch could be a candidate to play more than people think because of what he has the potential to do against heavy pass, spread offenses. He looked like he belonged right away.
4) As the World Turns: Big 12 Expansion Edition
We’ve now reached the point where BYU’s honor code has created an uproar (did people not realize that existed?), and a former Houston head coach that went 8-26 there, who is now an offensive coordinator at Kansas State, is implying Houston would suddenly become a recruiting juggernaut partially because of location.
So basically, Big 12 expansion is still an unrecognizable clutter floating through space.
5) All about Matt Coleman
We’re into the second week of August, and if you’re the type that doesn’t stay completely up-to-date with basketball recruiting until it nears its end, now is the time. July and its three crucial evaluation periods for college coaches are in the rear-view mirror, and the AAU season is basically done. Right now, top prospects are releasing lists of top schools, and are beginning to schedule visits. Coaching staffs are organizing their recruiting boards, and determining who to prioritize, and who to target for possible commitments.
Some of y’all right now could be thinking aloud or in your head, “Hey Dustin, who is the number one guy to follow?” Good question.
The answer is 2017 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia) point guard Matt Coleman. Rated as the No. 37 overall in the Rivals150, the 6-2 point guard is probably the most important recruit Shaka Smart has ever recruited, and he’s probably the recruit that Smart has the longest relationship with. Coleman, who is a Virginia native, is very close to former VCU point guard and NBA player Briante Weber, a three-year starter and leader at VCU, and met Smart years ago. No other coaching staff has the kind of relationship and familiarity with Coleman that Texas does.
Just a couple of days ago, the Team USA 18U starting point guard for Smart released a top 10 (in no order):
Most importantly for Texas, North Carolina, and to a lesser extent Connecticut, weren’t on the list. Coleman has listed Texas and Arizona as two likely official visits for a while now, and it seems like Arizona is Texas’ main threat with maybe Louisville in it as well.
When we’ve watched Coleman play – we’re now up to two EYBL sessions and two Team USA sessions of seeing him in person – it’s not hard to see why Texas has made him a top priority for years. He’s extremely competitive, and oozes natural leadership ability as a future floor general. In that capacity, he's program-changing because wherever he goes, he'll be there three, maybe four years. An ultimate team player that elevates others but can also go get buckets on his own, Coleman’s combination of mentality and skill-set as a true point is becoming harder and harder to find in basketball. He’s tenacious on defense thanks to his competitiveness, quickness and instincts, and in my opinion, you’re not going to find a point guard that controls pace better in 2017.
Over these next months until he makes a decision, which should probably be before the November signing period, he’s the one key name to follow for Texas basketball recruiting.
Here are some of our stories on Coleman over the past three-plus months:
USA BASKETBALL SCRIMMAGE NOTES
MEMORABLE CP3 CAMP EXPERIENCE PROVED TO BE TURNING POINT FOR COLEMAN
FIVE TAKEAWAYS FROM USA BASKETBALL TRIALS IN COLORADO SPRINGS
TALKATIVE COLEMAN IS A PLAYER OTHERS WANT TO PLAY WITH
COLEMAN ISN’T AFRAID TO LEAD, DISCUSSES RECRUITING
WAY BACK IN 2015 COLEMAN MENTIONS HEARING THE MOST FROM TEXAS
HIGHLIGHTS:
6) Bret Boswell and Kyle Johnston this summer
When Texas takes the field during its offseason program soon this fall, it’ll do so with the talent necessary to win a lot of baseball games. David Pierce said as much during his roundtable with the media recently. However, Pierce and his staff’s job will be to tap into that talent, and maximize it in a way that hasn’t been done the last two seasons.
A duo of players that will be at the heart of that are junior righthander Kyle Johnston and redshirt junior infielder Bret Boswell. And those two will return to Texas with confidence after a very productive campaign with the Santa Barbara Foresters in the California Collegiate League.
Boswell was named the MVP of the California Collegiate League after leading it in batting average (.383) and home runs during league play. Currently, the Foresters are competing in the NBC World Series, and Boswell has a slash line of .393/.470/.724 with nine homers, 17 doubles, and 19 walks in 145 at-bats. The strikeouts are still high at 35, but Boswell is hammering the ball this summer.
As for Johnston, he was named the CCL Pitcher of the Year, who led all starters in ERA. Right now over 46.1 innings, the hard-throwing righthander has a 1.74 ERA with a .172 batting average against, and 47 strikeouts. He’s still issuing walks at a rate that’s too high (4.8 per nine innings), but during July games that number was lower at 4.1.
If the new Texas staff is able to get the most out of those two players, it would go a long way to turning around Texas in 2017.
7) Scanning the rest of the sports globe…
--- The Rangers’ series win this past weekend over the Astros felt like the Dallas-area club took the AL West flag, and used it as a dagger to bury its Houston-area counterpart. Houston could have won that series, and maybe even have swept it after the way it opened with Dallas Keuchel tossing a complete game gem. However, the big difference right now between Texas and Houston – besides one being 25-8 in one-run games and 44-23 against teams above .500 while the other is 19-21 and 24-33, respectively – is that Texas has found a way to win those tight, toss-up games late far more often than not.
Even when the Astros clawed back Sunday in thrilling fashion, the Rangers immediately responded. That’s why they’re 11-2 versus Houston, and are so good in one-run games, which have proven to be two massive reasons why the Rangers are 7.0 games up in the AL West.
--- How about this: the hitting coach for Ichiro when he recorded his 3,000th-hit recently was Barry Bonds. Arguably the greatest hitter and power hitter of all time watched from the dugout in the same uniform as arguably the game’s best contact, singles hitter of all-time made it to 3,000 despite beginning his MLB career, after dominating Japan, as a 29-year-old.
Most hitters that reach 3,000 hits begin their MLB careers when they’re 20 or 21. Ichiro did it after breaking in that late in his career, and as a 42-year-old this year he’s hitting .314/.386/.377 in 97 games with a higher walk percentage (a career-best 10.3 percent) than strikeout percentage (9.4 percent).
If you have some spare time, do yourself a favor and search Twitter for all the Ichiro stories being posted. He’s a fascinating person with a great sense of humor, and a beloved figured in baseball.
--- If you haven’t heard by now, Tim Tebow, through his agents, announced that he’ll soon hold a baseball workout for all 30 MLB teams. How nice of him. Prepare yourself for Tebowmania on the diamond.
As much as it bugs me to say it, his swing is legitimately intriguing. Take a look:
It's fairly short, has a slight uppercut in the path, quick and strong, surprisingly balanced, and he rotates the hips well. Basically, it looks like a baseball swing.
But it’s a swing in the cage that isn’t against low 90’s with sink or a plus slider, which is what AA hitters see on a fairly routine basis.
Here’s the thing: someone will sign Tebow, and I would be shocked if all 30 teams don’t have a scout in attendance for his workout. He’s big, strong, and although he’s stiff, he’s athletic. A great thing about baseball is that you can produce in all shapes and sizes, and if you’re willing to sacrifice a normal life and decent pay, you can play at the SS, GCL, or A levels. It’s not like he’d steal at-bats from some rising phenom. Plus, Tebow has makeup and competitiveness working for him. No matter what happens, he’s going to be convinced that he can succeed, he’s going to put in the work, and he’s going to compete.
That all being said, he hasn’t played competitive baseball in 11 years. The odds of him make it to AA and succeeding are incredibly slim. I’d be lying if I said I’m not interested, though. I want to shake myself for writing that, but it’s the truth.
--- Look at these career numbers:
.295/.380/.550
w OBA of .395 and w RC+ of 141 (57th all-time)
113 career f WAR (13th all-time)
696 homers (4th all-time)
+18 career in total zone total fielding runs above average at shortstop
That player is making his exit from the Yankees, the most storied and hyped baseball franchise on the planet, on August 12th, and no one seems to care. Why? Because Alex Rodriguez is so narcissistic his obsession with himself was just as giant as his obsession with baseball. And that’s a shame because he might be the greatest shortstop ever.
---
Incredible, isn’t it?
Watching Michael Phelps win the 200m butterfly was a rush, especially after seeing this scene the night before:
--- While on the subject of dominance and the Olympics, the USA women’s gymnastics team just completed the most dominant gold medal win in Olympics team gymnastics history, and a Texan led the way, putting together a tumbling pass so magnificent it sparked a legend to call it the best one she’s ever seen. Pretty damn cool.
--- Premier League soccer begins this weekend. My crack at a preseason top four: Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal. Everton is my darkhorse, especially after the news of it signing defender Ashley Williams and its link to signing Yannick Bolasie. As for my Tottenham Hotspur, the combination of now having to juggle the Champions League, lack of elite depth, and influx of great talent and coaching into the league make back-to-back top fours too tough.
8) Anything and everything
--- After breezing through all eight episodes of Season One of Stranger Things, I highly, highly recommend it. It’s the total package of TV entertainment.
--- The recent installment of Jason Bourne was solid. It wasn’t as strong as a couple others in the series, but it included lots of Bourne being Bourne. That’s worth seeing. Just don't expect much else.
--- From now on each week I’m going to single out what is, in my opinion, an everyday thing we take for granted that is particularly awesome. This week it’s the salsa and tortilla chips that are delivered to your table when you take a seat at a Tex-Mex restaurant. Some might argue the cost of those chips and that salsa works its way into the bill somehow, but I beg to differ. Mostly because it’s enjoyable to think of it as a delicious gift upon each visit.
My favorite salsa in Austin? Without a doubt it’s Maudie’s, with Matt’s El Rancho (is it just me, or did about a year ago its salsa become suddenly more spicy in a good way?) running a distant, but solid second.
---
9) The best non-sports thing I read this week
Hate flossing? Read how an AP reporter changed everything said about flossing.
BONUS SPORTS STORY:
The New York Times presents a unique, in-depth look at what makes Simone Biles the best women’s gymnast on the planet.
Sponsored by: (insert yours here)
1) Looking the part… finally
Recruiting matters.
Give Nick Saban or Urban Meyer Wake Forest or Purdue’s roster and the results are going to be just a little bit different. And by different I mean Cleveland Browns compared to Pittsburgh Steelers different. Sure, those two future Hall of Fame coaches would elevate either of those two rosters, but that point of elevation is Mount Bonnell and Alabama and Ohio State’s is the Rocky Mountains.
But before you vigorously type up an intense retort about recruiting rankings, know that this isn’t meant to take you down that road. Simply, the truth is this: in his third year at Texas, Charlie Strong has a roster that not only looks the part of a legitimate, power-five football team, but also a roster that has talented depth too.
No, that point doesn’t correlate to an assumption that 11-14 is suddenly and completely justifiable. Rather, the 2016 roster shows that for the first time in a while at Texas, and the first time for Strong, there is a roster in place that has a top end higher than, for example, the 2015 roster. Coaches can coach a lot of things, but there’s a reason why the teams competing for the big bowls and the College Football Playoff routinely finish in the top 10 of team recruiting rankings. Because they can’t coach guys to become bigger, more athletic, more instinctive and increase their raw talent. They develop what shows up on campus. And what’s on campus for Texas now is different, in a positive way for the Longhorns.
Combine that roster with what looks like a legitimately improved offensive design, and an instinctive, talented, very likely starting quarterback that does a lot of things naturally that can’t be taught and the potential of the Texas football program is trending in the right direction. It’s also higher than it has been in a while.
Just remember, though, that potential doesn’t win football games. Production is the more important “P” word.
Will Texas start to make the journey up the potential ladder right away, in week four, or in week 11? Maybe, it won’t truly show in a way that reaches out and yanks on your shirt until 2017. We’ll see. That’s up to Strong and his staff, but there’s a reason you hear about excitement on the 40 Acres. All you have to do is look at the roster.
2) Main takeaway on the offense…
After seeing Texas up close for two practices this past weekend, here’s my main takeaway on offense:
It’s fast.
That might not seem like much on the surface, but this is legitimately the first time that Texas has said it wants to go at warp speed, and it genuinely is. During a team scrimmage period, the Longhorns get off a ton of snaps, and they’re not going to slow down for the defense to get ready. They snap the ball as quick as they can as soon as they line up, and they go.
And the promising aspect for Texas is that the offense doesn’t look lost when it does it; quarterbacks have a solid grasp of where to go with the football, receivers aren’t running the wrong routes at an alarming rate, and the offensive linemen seem in tune with it all. Because there’s a gigantic difference between just going fast, and going fast in a productive manner that also includes the offense being multiple in what it does.
A foursome of players I came away thinking that their stocks are on the rise:
WR – Armanti Foreman (junior)
RB – Kyle Porter (freshman) and Kirk Johnson (sophomore)
OT – Tristan Nickelson (junior)
Foreman got the best of Kris Boyd more often than not during one-on-one periods, and looks like an ideal fit for the play-making aspect of Sterin Gilbert’s offense, which includes deep balls down the field and giving talented outside receivers short passes with space to wiggle.
The comparisons to Maurice Jones-Drew and Doug Martin will become popular for Porter, who is a little ball of muscle bouncing off defenders and squirting through holes. He has the look of a true freshman back that could go out week one and give his team 10 carries. Johnson is often overlooked because he was never able to make a mark last season, the hype train has hitched itself behind his younger brother, Collin. This running back adds a dimension to the offense that no other running back does, and that includes getting out to the edge or in space, using his agility and quickness, and being a home run threat. He looked like a back that Gilbert will find a way to get the ball too at least a few times a game, because when he does touch it, the end zone is in play.
Not only does Nickelson look much more comfortable in his body and bigger and stronger, but he's improved enough to allow Kent Perkins to slide to guard. And that’s huge, both literally and figuratively.
3) Main takeaway on the defense…
The Texas defense has a chance to be more multiple compared to last season, and to be more creative with its blitz packages.
Sure, there are still question marks, most notably at safety and along the defensive line. However, the Longhorns have a bevy of talented, big bodies to use along the defensive line in a number of ways, have a two-deep at linebacker that’s versatile and can make plays, and have two corners – maybe three if Kris Boyd progresses this preseason camp – that can be left on an island, or can be responsible for a third of the field in zone coverage.
Yes, the Longhorns are still very young, but unlike last season, Vance Bedford and Charlie Strong are going to have a lot of bodies to tinker with, and a lot of big, strong, athletic bodies. And they’re going to need to blitz too. Malik Jefferson fired through the offense line like he was the silver bullet train in a Coors Light commercial, and was at the quarterback before the quarterback can move. If Texas can elevate its safety position and is okay leaving those corners alone, Jefferson should be unleashed more often.
A trio of players I’m buying some stock in after seeing two open practices:
CB – Holton Hill (sophomore)
DT – Jordan Elliott (freshman)
LB – Jeffrey McCulloch (freshman)
Some of you might read Holton Hill’s name and make the kind of face I did during all of my Physics exams at Texas, but yes, I’m buying even more stock in Hill, who looked noticeably improved since his freshman year. The sophomore from Houston Lamar, who Collin Johnson was always matched up with in one-on-ones, displayed rare closing speed in one-on-one reps; when he backpedals or turns and runs and plants, he shoots up the field unlike a vast majority of high-level power-five corners. He looked like a player that’s understanding more and more what he’s seeing on the field, and how to react instead of thinking in order to allow those elite tools to show.
Elliott is blessed with a body that no one can teach. He’s big, strong, and surprisingly agile and athletic for his size. The whispers surrounding Elliott in high school is that the motor would really run hot-and-cold, and Strong did light him up during one practice. However, Strong is also the kind of personality and coach that’s going to maximize a guy like Elliott, and there’s a reason why he received some second-team reps at defensive tackle. In terms of talent and size, he has what it takes right now to compete at a Big 12 level.
As for McCulloch, you almost forget how long he is until you see him in seven-on-seven. The freshman linebacker jumped a ball heading for the slot for an interception, and made his presence felt in coverage a few times thanks to his length, athleticism, and ability to move. A product of Aldine Davis, McCulloch could be a candidate to play more than people think because of what he has the potential to do against heavy pass, spread offenses. He looked like he belonged right away.
4) As the World Turns: Big 12 Expansion Edition
We’ve now reached the point where BYU’s honor code has created an uproar (did people not realize that existed?), and a former Houston head coach that went 8-26 there, who is now an offensive coordinator at Kansas State, is implying Houston would suddenly become a recruiting juggernaut partially because of location.
So basically, Big 12 expansion is still an unrecognizable clutter floating through space.
5) All about Matt Coleman
We’re into the second week of August, and if you’re the type that doesn’t stay completely up-to-date with basketball recruiting until it nears its end, now is the time. July and its three crucial evaluation periods for college coaches are in the rear-view mirror, and the AAU season is basically done. Right now, top prospects are releasing lists of top schools, and are beginning to schedule visits. Coaching staffs are organizing their recruiting boards, and determining who to prioritize, and who to target for possible commitments.
Some of y’all right now could be thinking aloud or in your head, “Hey Dustin, who is the number one guy to follow?” Good question.
The answer is 2017 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia) point guard Matt Coleman. Rated as the No. 37 overall in the Rivals150, the 6-2 point guard is probably the most important recruit Shaka Smart has ever recruited, and he’s probably the recruit that Smart has the longest relationship with. Coleman, who is a Virginia native, is very close to former VCU point guard and NBA player Briante Weber, a three-year starter and leader at VCU, and met Smart years ago. No other coaching staff has the kind of relationship and familiarity with Coleman that Texas does.
Just a couple of days ago, the Team USA 18U starting point guard for Smart released a top 10 (in no order):
Most importantly for Texas, North Carolina, and to a lesser extent Connecticut, weren’t on the list. Coleman has listed Texas and Arizona as two likely official visits for a while now, and it seems like Arizona is Texas’ main threat with maybe Louisville in it as well.
When we’ve watched Coleman play – we’re now up to two EYBL sessions and two Team USA sessions of seeing him in person – it’s not hard to see why Texas has made him a top priority for years. He’s extremely competitive, and oozes natural leadership ability as a future floor general. In that capacity, he's program-changing because wherever he goes, he'll be there three, maybe four years. An ultimate team player that elevates others but can also go get buckets on his own, Coleman’s combination of mentality and skill-set as a true point is becoming harder and harder to find in basketball. He’s tenacious on defense thanks to his competitiveness, quickness and instincts, and in my opinion, you’re not going to find a point guard that controls pace better in 2017.
Over these next months until he makes a decision, which should probably be before the November signing period, he’s the one key name to follow for Texas basketball recruiting.
Here are some of our stories on Coleman over the past three-plus months:
USA BASKETBALL SCRIMMAGE NOTES
MEMORABLE CP3 CAMP EXPERIENCE PROVED TO BE TURNING POINT FOR COLEMAN
FIVE TAKEAWAYS FROM USA BASKETBALL TRIALS IN COLORADO SPRINGS
TALKATIVE COLEMAN IS A PLAYER OTHERS WANT TO PLAY WITH
COLEMAN ISN’T AFRAID TO LEAD, DISCUSSES RECRUITING
WAY BACK IN 2015 COLEMAN MENTIONS HEARING THE MOST FROM TEXAS
HIGHLIGHTS:
6) Bret Boswell and Kyle Johnston this summer
When Texas takes the field during its offseason program soon this fall, it’ll do so with the talent necessary to win a lot of baseball games. David Pierce said as much during his roundtable with the media recently. However, Pierce and his staff’s job will be to tap into that talent, and maximize it in a way that hasn’t been done the last two seasons.
A duo of players that will be at the heart of that are junior righthander Kyle Johnston and redshirt junior infielder Bret Boswell. And those two will return to Texas with confidence after a very productive campaign with the Santa Barbara Foresters in the California Collegiate League.
Boswell was named the MVP of the California Collegiate League after leading it in batting average (.383) and home runs during league play. Currently, the Foresters are competing in the NBC World Series, and Boswell has a slash line of .393/.470/.724 with nine homers, 17 doubles, and 19 walks in 145 at-bats. The strikeouts are still high at 35, but Boswell is hammering the ball this summer.
As for Johnston, he was named the CCL Pitcher of the Year, who led all starters in ERA. Right now over 46.1 innings, the hard-throwing righthander has a 1.74 ERA with a .172 batting average against, and 47 strikeouts. He’s still issuing walks at a rate that’s too high (4.8 per nine innings), but during July games that number was lower at 4.1.
If the new Texas staff is able to get the most out of those two players, it would go a long way to turning around Texas in 2017.
7) Scanning the rest of the sports globe…
--- The Rangers’ series win this past weekend over the Astros felt like the Dallas-area club took the AL West flag, and used it as a dagger to bury its Houston-area counterpart. Houston could have won that series, and maybe even have swept it after the way it opened with Dallas Keuchel tossing a complete game gem. However, the big difference right now between Texas and Houston – besides one being 25-8 in one-run games and 44-23 against teams above .500 while the other is 19-21 and 24-33, respectively – is that Texas has found a way to win those tight, toss-up games late far more often than not.
Even when the Astros clawed back Sunday in thrilling fashion, the Rangers immediately responded. That’s why they’re 11-2 versus Houston, and are so good in one-run games, which have proven to be two massive reasons why the Rangers are 7.0 games up in the AL West.
--- How about this: the hitting coach for Ichiro when he recorded his 3,000th-hit recently was Barry Bonds. Arguably the greatest hitter and power hitter of all time watched from the dugout in the same uniform as arguably the game’s best contact, singles hitter of all-time made it to 3,000 despite beginning his MLB career, after dominating Japan, as a 29-year-old.
Most hitters that reach 3,000 hits begin their MLB careers when they’re 20 or 21. Ichiro did it after breaking in that late in his career, and as a 42-year-old this year he’s hitting .314/.386/.377 in 97 games with a higher walk percentage (a career-best 10.3 percent) than strikeout percentage (9.4 percent).
If you have some spare time, do yourself a favor and search Twitter for all the Ichiro stories being posted. He’s a fascinating person with a great sense of humor, and a beloved figured in baseball.
--- If you haven’t heard by now, Tim Tebow, through his agents, announced that he’ll soon hold a baseball workout for all 30 MLB teams. How nice of him. Prepare yourself for Tebowmania on the diamond.
As much as it bugs me to say it, his swing is legitimately intriguing. Take a look:
It's fairly short, has a slight uppercut in the path, quick and strong, surprisingly balanced, and he rotates the hips well. Basically, it looks like a baseball swing.
But it’s a swing in the cage that isn’t against low 90’s with sink or a plus slider, which is what AA hitters see on a fairly routine basis.
Here’s the thing: someone will sign Tebow, and I would be shocked if all 30 teams don’t have a scout in attendance for his workout. He’s big, strong, and although he’s stiff, he’s athletic. A great thing about baseball is that you can produce in all shapes and sizes, and if you’re willing to sacrifice a normal life and decent pay, you can play at the SS, GCL, or A levels. It’s not like he’d steal at-bats from some rising phenom. Plus, Tebow has makeup and competitiveness working for him. No matter what happens, he’s going to be convinced that he can succeed, he’s going to put in the work, and he’s going to compete.
That all being said, he hasn’t played competitive baseball in 11 years. The odds of him make it to AA and succeeding are incredibly slim. I’d be lying if I said I’m not interested, though. I want to shake myself for writing that, but it’s the truth.
--- Look at these career numbers:
.295/.380/.550
w OBA of .395 and w RC+ of 141 (57th all-time)
113 career f WAR (13th all-time)
696 homers (4th all-time)
+18 career in total zone total fielding runs above average at shortstop
That player is making his exit from the Yankees, the most storied and hyped baseball franchise on the planet, on August 12th, and no one seems to care. Why? Because Alex Rodriguez is so narcissistic his obsession with himself was just as giant as his obsession with baseball. And that’s a shame because he might be the greatest shortstop ever.
---
Incredible, isn’t it?
Watching Michael Phelps win the 200m butterfly was a rush, especially after seeing this scene the night before:
--- While on the subject of dominance and the Olympics, the USA women’s gymnastics team just completed the most dominant gold medal win in Olympics team gymnastics history, and a Texan led the way, putting together a tumbling pass so magnificent it sparked a legend to call it the best one she’s ever seen. Pretty damn cool.
--- Premier League soccer begins this weekend. My crack at a preseason top four: Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal. Everton is my darkhorse, especially after the news of it signing defender Ashley Williams and its link to signing Yannick Bolasie. As for my Tottenham Hotspur, the combination of now having to juggle the Champions League, lack of elite depth, and influx of great talent and coaching into the league make back-to-back top fours too tough.
8) Anything and everything
--- After breezing through all eight episodes of Season One of Stranger Things, I highly, highly recommend it. It’s the total package of TV entertainment.
--- The recent installment of Jason Bourne was solid. It wasn’t as strong as a couple others in the series, but it included lots of Bourne being Bourne. That’s worth seeing. Just don't expect much else.
--- From now on each week I’m going to single out what is, in my opinion, an everyday thing we take for granted that is particularly awesome. This week it’s the salsa and tortilla chips that are delivered to your table when you take a seat at a Tex-Mex restaurant. Some might argue the cost of those chips and that salsa works its way into the bill somehow, but I beg to differ. Mostly because it’s enjoyable to think of it as a delicious gift upon each visit.
My favorite salsa in Austin? Without a doubt it’s Maudie’s, with Matt’s El Rancho (is it just me, or did about a year ago its salsa become suddenly more spicy in a good way?) running a distant, but solid second.
---
9) The best non-sports thing I read this week
Hate flossing? Read how an AP reporter changed everything said about flossing.
BONUS SPORTS STORY:
The New York Times presents a unique, in-depth look at what makes Simone Biles the best women’s gymnast on the planet.
