I'm always amazed at how much bigger the legend of Polk is than the results

[Coach34]

So many people act like the only success State ever had in baseball was under Polk- and that he had some incredible career at State. While he had a very good career, I've always thought he underachieved immensely. He got to State a time when no other SEC programs really cared about baseball- yet couldnt dominate or even come anything close to something like Bertman did at LSU. .

State won 4 SEC titles in the 11 years before Polk was hired- Polk only won 4 SEC titles in 28 years. We have 16 overall titles

Polk did win 5 of our 7 SEC Tourney titles- but the Tourney didnt begin until 1977 when Polk was coach

Polk only won 6 out of 20 Regionals in 28 years....Tomorrow will be our 12th Regional win overall-33 total NCAA appearances

6 CWS appearances in 28 years at State with a 6-12 record (2 other CWS with Georgia and Georgia Southern- going 1-4....7-16 in CWS overall)


Just something I checked out after one of our fans said- "Ron Polk built MSU baseball, he had the right to tear it down"...maybe the dumbest thing I've ever seen or heard one of our fans say- and that is saying alot.

[TopDog58]

And no SEC regular season championships in going on two and a half decades. The huge crowds are great but we have a lot of fans that overvalue the "legacy" of MSU baseball. 1985-1990 was a loooong time ago, folks.

[WPDawg]

Back when there was no internet.....no college baseball on TV, You went to the game or listened to Jim on the radio. You read the box score in the newspaper the next day. Polk won a lot of games. MSU baseball was big. Bigger than most anything thing else in the area or the state. So Polk came in and built a better baseball program in Starkville and gave something for fans to crow about. Left Field was the place to be when Saturday double-headers rolled around.

So to a lot of people Polk is a legend. And there is a tradition of big crowds. Seems okay to me. The "he had the right to tear it down" comment is stupid but people say stupid stuff.

[SheltonChoked]

But you realize we had great baseball before Polk? Hell we had Great baseball before Dudy Noble. Look it up

[I seen it dawg]

Even though the stats show results you can't argue with the fact that the atmosphere that was created was largely on Polk. Even though we quit advancing as other schools caught up its undeniable that Polk built our current framework of tradition in what we have in our lifetime.

[Coach34]

But you realize we had great baseball before Polk? Hell we had Great baseball before Dudy Noble. Look it up

and that is my point- all Polk did was carry the torch and had the advantages of the NCAA expanding the NCAA Tourney, the largest baseball budget in the SEC, etc..He had a really good career and helped raise money to get things built- but his overall results dont live up to the legend

[Coach34]

Even though the stats show results you can't argue with the fact that the atmosphere that was created was largely on Polk. Even though we quit advancing as other schools caught up its undeniable that Polk built our current framework of tradition in what we have in our lifetime.

Polk, to me, is much more legendary as an ambassador for college baseball and getting the sport recognized than he is as a winning coach. His blueprint for building a program is where he is a legend.

[gravedigger]

Anyone who says polk had the right to tear it down is brain dead and I seriously doubt anyone

but the most severly brain dead would say it. But before we go off on another Ron Polk ass kicking contest make sure you understand something:

There is no ballpark atmosphere in the entire nation like what we have and it didnt just happen because our team was decent and our coach was nothing special. It was because the teams made it to Omaha. And you of all people can understand the argument that conference titles dont mean SHIT without the competition for the real national hardware. So count his sec titles all you want, but what we have today is just about ENTIRELY because of the program he built. The reason he was so successful is because the scholarship playing field was even back then.

Bottom line, hate all you want how his final tenure ended. Me too. But if you want to mitigate what happened on this campus from 1976 to the day his first tenure ended, you can sell that to the crowd that isnt old enough to know better.

I call bullshit.

[gravedigger]

How do you think we got to be the biggest baseball budget?

[Coach34]

How do you think we got to be the biggest baseball budget?

Because he started winning- and that was the only sport we were worth a shit in. He did a great job of getting people on board and supporting the program.

But I'm not 25 years old- and I do remember the name Paul Gregory, who also took us to the college world series just a few years before we hired Polk

[WPDawg]

Because he started winning- and that was the only sport we were worth a shit in. He did a great job of getting people on board and supporting the program.



Sounds legendary to me....He continued a winning tradition and was ahead of the curve on building a good baseball program in the SEC. He did not win any NCs but he had us in the running for many years to get one. People like winning with the Hope for a NC. If Gene Morgan doesnt get his ankle busted against TX in 85 and we go on to win the NC, and....everything else plays out the same, isnt he basically the same guy but with (1) NC.

[Coach34]

The NCAA also expanded the Tourney in 1975- that was a big help also

[gravedigger]

Getting us to a world series and esablishing the best baseball atmosphere in the entire nation are different, no? Gregory was a good coach. MSU baseball was good before Polk to be sure. But the difference in what Arkansas, and Ole Miss, and Alabama, and Auburn have now and what we have comes from the baseball played during ONE coaches tenure.

Polk was no superhero. He just made us competitive enough to light a fire in our fanbase.

If our on the field success wasnt overly impressive and that means he was just an above average coach, then I contend the evidence of what our program has become wouldnt exist.

Stats quite often lie. MSU had a 'tipping point'. Polk's tenure was it. Polks personality and brand of baseball was it. "Sweet Georgia Brown" played while he fungo'd infield.

Sorry for the long rant, but rarely is a player or coach who dissapoints a fanbase deserving of the shitfests they receive. I can think of a few. But only a few.

I'm fine with beating a current coach's ass to death on here, but can we not let previous players and coaches go?

[SheltonChoked]

Agreed. Polk walked into a great program, with a history of winning, and was able to maintain over his first tenure. That's it. He came into a program that had 12 SEC Regular season titles. (before 1947 there was no national champ for baseball)

He had the luck of being the coach here when the NCAA expanded the Tournament to the regional format in 1975 from a committee selecting district teams to play. Polk walked into a situation better than Bear Bryant did at Alabama ( Bama had 9 SEC titles before Bear)

LT hiring him back set our program back immeasurably. Cohen has just now gotten us out of that hole and back to where we have been since 1909. (well close, we won what would be the SEC in 1909 and 1911)

[Coach34]

He's kind of like Stands in a way- a great 1st half of his tenure, and then a very mediocre 2nd half

1st 14 seasons- 4 SEC titles, 4 regional titles, 4 CWS

2nd 14 seasons- 0 SEC titles, 2 Regional titles, 2 CWS- 1-4 in the CWS with a loser's bracket win.

[SheltonChoked]

Our atmosphere has several things going for it. The Left Field Lounge was started when the baseball field was where Dorman stands now. IT just got improved when they enclosed it in the new park. Also, an easier and more clear path to the NCAA tournament (and there actually being one) helped him tremendously. We had good teams under Polk. Some great teams, but we should have had elite teams. We didn't. With advantages he walked into, that's a failure.


I'm not saying he was a bad coach (well Polk I anyway), I'm just saying that he's not as good as he is made out to be. Of course Dudy Noble was not that great at MSU either, at least past year 5.

[Coach34]

the 85 team not winning it all, the 89 team losing in a mf'ing Regional, and throwing Maholm in game 1 of the 2003 Regional were all extreme underachieving

[SheltonChoked]

I'm saying he was in the right place at the right time. He walked into a great program with history, a great fanbase for baseball, and a championship tournament that expanded twice during his tenure.


I disagree, the tipping point for MSU baseball was in 1947. When the NCAA created the College world series. We were a good program before that, but no ability to showcase it nationally. After 1947, we did.

[SheltonChoked]

No. We had tradition (and winning) before Polk. Again, look it up. We won, a lot before 1976. We had the Left Field lounge starting at least 10 years before he got here.

So what did he bring? NCAA Regionals? Did that when only 16 teams were invited. CWS been there too.

[SheltonChoked]

While looking at the overall history, both coaches names on the baseball stadium ran the program into the ground after starting off hot. Noble was horrible after his first 5 season. We all know what Polk 2 was.

Wonder if we can rename the place when we rebuild?

[FlabLoser]

If only an unheard of baseball poll would have ranked us #1 at the end of any season in the 80s, I would equate MSU baseball tradition with Ole Miss football tradition. Hanging on to delusions of past grandeur.

[I seen it dawg]

Jesus Christ are you listening to yourselves? Everyone ****ing one of you go back and re-read this entire thread from the top and think about this....we have arguably one of the most admired and tradition-rich baseball programs in the country (over the entire history) and are embarking on what looks to be a resurgence of glory days with a decorated alum leading our program. You guys are discussing how shitty the 2 builders our our program were in their later years and renaming the field when we build a new one?

What the **** is wrong with y'all? You all should be made to stand in timeout for 30 minutes each and punch yourselves in the balls. We have ONE ****ing tradition that is nationally known and respected in the midst of all of our losing shittyness of the last 75 years. Lets leave it alone instead of renaming the damn ballpark.

[Ronny]

Jesus Christ are you listening to yourselves? Everyone ****ing one of you go back and re-read this entire thread from the top and think about this....we have arguably one of the most admired and tradition-rich baseball programs in the country (over the entire history) and are embarking on what looks to be a resurgence of glory days with a decorated alum leading our program. You guys are discussing how shitty the 2 builders our our program were in their later years and renaming the field when we build a new one?

What the **** is wrong with y'all? You all should be made to stand in timeout for 30 minutes each and punch yourselves in the balls. We have ONE ****ing tradition that is nationally known and respected in the midst of all of our losing shittyness of the last 75 years. Lets leave it alone instead of renaming the damn ballpark.

...Ron Polk had been successful in his frenzied quest to get more scholarship money for college baseball players, he would currently be one of my life-long heroes.

Here we have a guy who refused to leave Oktibbeha County to recruit, yet he became a tempestuous militant over scholarship money.

I agreed with Polk on the scholarship money thing, but he went about it all wrong & it ended up discrediting his legacy.

Plus, if you'll notice, Cohen is not claiming the large regional crowds are scaring his kids.

[I seen it dawg]

In no way am I saying that as a State grad and baseball guy that I am not pissed about what could have been and how much Polk was a jackass at the end, and sometimes when he was employed. When he "retired" during Polk 1, I remember the meltdown on campus and throughout Bulldog land, and the euphoria when he ended his retirement, albeit a short lived one. I agree with most that he hurt us tremendously towards the end as well. However my point is that we are always pissing and moaning about being relevant on a national level and the one thing we have that is relevant is our baseball program and tradition. Ole Miss doesn't have anything close to what we have and we rank at the top of a short list of enduring and lasting traditions on a national level in NCAA sports. I don't feel the need to spew vitriole on the one thing we can actually thump our chests about.

Eta....and there ain't no way in HELL I would trade Cohen for Polk. This isn't a comparison about the 2 so there isn't a need to introduce it. The thread was never about that.

[tenureplan]

Jesus Christ are you listening to yourselves? Everyone ****ing one of you go back and re-read this entire thread from the top and think about this....we have arguably one of the most admired and tradition-rich baseball programs in the country (over the entire history) and are embarking on what looks to be a resurgence of glory days with a decorated alum leading our program. You guys are discussing how shitty the 2 builders our our program were in their later years and renaming the field when we build a new one?

What the **** is wrong with y'all? You all should be made to stand in timeout for 30 minutes each and punch yourselves in the balls. We have ONE ****ing tradition that is nationally known and respected in the midst of all of our losing shittyness of the last 75 years. Lets leave it alone instead of renaming the damn ballpark.


34 just felt like arguing today...a few people took the bait

[I seen it dawg]

Bite my balls

[SheltonChoked]

The renaming the ballpark thing was a joke.

I just thought it was funny. That apparently for over 100 years, if you have a strong start (win the SEC once) in any sport at MSU you can coach until you run the program to the ground.

[BeastMan]

A lot of great points in this thread

[Todd4State]

Sorry to bump this, but the reality is Polk elevated our program to very good, one of the best in the South to Nationally elite. The problem is we brought him back and we NEVER should have done so. That's not Polk's fault that we didn't have the balls to say no and defend our program.

That said, Polk is extremely arrogant and he does like to make people believe that he is THE reason why we are/were successful in baseball. The truth is, pretty much EVERY SINGLE coach we have had has had success at MSU except for Jimmy Bragan who was here for a year and left to take a job in MLB. In fact, the truth is our media guide used to only show results from 1976-present and not any of our other coaches and teams won/loss results. Coincience? Probably not. Pretty much, with Polk, you are either one of "his guys" or you aren't. And if you aren't, you pretty much aren't a part of the program. Heck, Cohen has been very proactive trying to reach out to guys that played for Gregory to try to mend fences. My Dad, who played for Gregory, Bragan, and Polk actually shut off Polk from sending him letters and cards because he wouldn't do the same for his ex-teammates and wouldn't invite them to player alumni functions.

That is the reason why I use "Polk I" and "Polk II" when referring to Polk. Polk I was proactive and wanted to win and was about MSU. Polk II was about selfish and about his own agenda and didn't care if he ran the program into the ground because who are you anyway?

At the end of the day, Ron Polk is a brilliant baseball mind that was done in by own insecurites and his refusal to adjust to modern technology. He wanted to be "the coach" and he wanted to be the one that came up with every "correct" strategy and so he tried to make his program the complete opposite of Augie Garrido and Skip Bertman's despite the fact that they were having success. I think that was due to his vast inferiority complex. If he was up on technology, I think he would have been able to keep up with current baseball and recruiting trends a LOT better than he was.

[Todd4State]

The renaming the ballpark thing was a joke.

I just thought it was funny. That apparently for over 100 years, if you have a strong start (win the SEC once) in any sport at MSU you can coach until you run the program to the ground.

We really have only just begun to run our AD like a real D-I school and not some backwoods Mississippi high school. You know- "Well, Ron's the baseball coach in town and he wrote a book about it, so I guess he knows what he's doing". Neither Dan, Rick Ray, nor Cohen have gotten to the point where being replaced is a serious option at this point yet. It will be interesting to see what happens if/when it does get to that point. I expect that we will do the proper thing when that time comes though.

[Will James]

At Mississippi State we have few legends to hang our hat on. Because of that we elevate him probably more than he deserves but that's ok.