The more names that are mentioned ..

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Originally Posted by CaptainObvious

Both Auburn and Kentucky have some really good looking true Freshmen playing everyday. Is it because of Butch and Nick great recruiting or were they destined to play at Auburn and Lexington? I like to look at where the young guys that are very talented come from to see if they are choosing based on best offer or they have their pick and choose. Example: Duke and Wake not previously known for baseball all of a sudden recruits at same level as NC and Virginia. Louisville wasn't all that until McDonnell. Some of the directional Carolina teams have been fairly successful at baseball over the years based on such a hotbed in that triad of NC/SC/East GA.

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Wake Forest hired an elite pitching coach who somehow got them to build a pitching lab and hire elite people to manage it.

Pollard is a really good recruiter and developer of talent who uses analytics and tech despite having high school baseball facilities and also has a staff member with deep connections to Perfect Game for recruiting.

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Originally Posted by Todd4State

having high school baseball facilities.

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I was at Duke a few weeks ago, there is some but not much hyperbole in the above.

I was shocked. One small covered grandstand. Concession trailers . Toilet trailers.

Delta State equals or exceeds them.

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Originally Posted by Todd4State

Wake Forest hired an elite pitching coach who somehow got them to build a pitching lab and hire elite people to manage it.

Pollard is a really good recruiter and developer of talent who uses analytics and tech despite having high school baseball facilities and also has a staff member with deep connections to Perfect Game for recruiting.

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Pollard's latest signing class at Duke has more Top 100 players than any school in the country except LSU, Texas, and Tennessee. Incredible.

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Originally Posted by ScottH

I was at Duke a few weeks ago, there is some but not much hyperbole in the above.

I was shocked. One small covered grandstand. Concession trailers . Toilet trailers.

Delta State equals or exceeds them.

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Originally Posted by HoopsDawg

Pollard's latest signing class at Duke has more Top 100 players than any school in the country except LSU, Texas, and Tennessee. Incredible.

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Yeah! And it's crazy because we have fans that are like "yeah but he has the same record there as Lemonis."

One guy did it with the equivalent of a Harley Davidson.

The other is doing it with a Moped.

Perfect Game connections is what got us into the current situation. Coaches looking for analytics and easy recruiting and not finding out who (the person) they really were recruiting. We need dirtbags with some dawg in them.

Mingione is a viable candidate. Not a top target but a suitable one we can probably get. So it would not be a surprise. Although there are some here who seem to have a distaste for him, likely going back to his time in Starkville.

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Originally Posted by EdwardDrayton

Mingione is a viable candidate. Not a top target but a suitable one we can probably get. So it would not be a surprise. Although there are some here who seem to have a distaste for him, likely going back to his time in Starkville.

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No. He's not.

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Originally Posted by EdwardDrayton

Mingione is a viable candidate. Not a top target but a suitable one we can probably get. So it would not be a surprise. Although there are some here who seem to have a distaste for him, likely going back to his time in Starkville.

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We aren't paying that buyout.

You better be elite if we're gonna dish out that kind of money and he is not that.

Rooney said today on the broadcast that he was surprised at UK?s ?success?, but was impressed with the freshmen contributions to this team?s success. It all comes back to Ming?s approach, bc they don?t a lot of power (hr). His approach is like Cohen at the plate, and I agree. They hug the plate, hit by pitch, walk, and aggressive on the base paths.

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Originally Posted by KOdawg1

We aren't paying that buyout.

You better be elite if we're gonna dish out that kind of money and he is not that.

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Source for the buyout? His salary is only $700,000.

Update:
OK, finally found his contract extension from a few months ago. He would owe Kentucky the remaining four years if he takes another coaching job, making the buyout $6 million. Unless Mitch Barnhart is no longer there, then the buyout would be half of that or $3 million. Wow. The Gus Malzahn of baseball contracts.

He ain't leaving Kentucky even if he wanted to. So, no, from a money standpoint, he's not a viable candidate. Wonder how many other candidates on our list are problematic from a buyout perspective.

2025 $1.175 million
2026 $1.275
2027 $1.375
2028 $1.575
2029 $1.775

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Originally Posted by Homedawg

No. He's not.

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Yes. He is. We can do this all day but it's pointless.

Update: You're right from a money standpoint. My statement was as a viable head coach baseball wise. But I found his extension from a few months ago and his buyout is insane. Kentucky better hope he lives up to his potential.

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Originally Posted by EdwardDrayton

Source for the buyout? His salary is only $700,000.

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Kendall Rodgers, Robbie Faulk, Steve Robertson, and pretty much anyone else who can do simple math.

It's over $6 million. That $700,000 must be his old salary because he's making $1.1 now

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Originally Posted by EdwardDrayton

Yes. He is. We can do this all day but it's pointless.

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Homedawg knows what he's talking about here.

Mingione isn't a legit option.

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Originally Posted by EdwardDrayton

Source for the buyout? His salary is only $700,000.

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He was extended to $1.175 MIL this season and increases every year until 2029 to $1.775 MIL. If he leaves, he owes full amount of the contract as his buyout unless Barnhart is no longer the AD, he would owe only half then.

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Originally Posted by KOdawg1

Homedawg knows what he's talking about here.

Mingione isn't a legit option.

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Nor should he be.

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Originally Posted by KOdawg1

Homedawg knows what he's talking about here.

Mingione isn't a legit option.

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Yeah. My statement was as a viable head coach from a baseball perspective. Found the extension right before you posted. So he's definitely not viable from a money perspective. Wonder how many other candidates are problematic money wise. I'm blown away Kentucky gave him that kind of security.

You folks close to the program seem to have predispositions towards him. What's the story.

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Originally Posted by KOdawg1

Kendall Rodgers, Robbie Faulk, Steve Robertson, and pretty much anyone else who can do simple math.

It's over $6 million. That $700,000 must be his old salary because he's making $1.1 now

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Edited KO. My bad. Misread it and took it originally as a dig.

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Originally Posted by EdwardDrayton

You folks close to the program seem to have predispositions towards him. What's the story.

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He's a goofball. It's unprofessional. I don't mind having fun. His teams act like softball teams. Or worse. It's over the top. And then his style of play is more suited for a mid major in California- not a SEC blueblood.

When he was our hitting coach we weren't that great. And it got better as soon as he left and we replaced him with Coggin.

If we wanted a watered down version of the Savannah Bananas and tons of small ball he would be our top guy.

But we don't want that. And hell he just got his ass swept by a team with no coach. So what's the appeal?

Clown's total package is around 1.4 per now. Makes more than Lemon did

Just like we have our Bulldog Foundation- other schools have these as well to supplement salary.