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Ron and Skip SEC Storied?
Posted on 3/9/15 at 2:58 am
Posted on 3/9/15 at 2:58 am
There is a Sarah and Suzanne episode, saying it built SEC gymnastics.
Will we ever see an episode for the 2 fathers of SEC baseball?
Wasn't MSU the first school to make profit on baseball? Now several schools in the SEC make profit, while we have long been the heart of college baseball.
Will we ever see an episode for the 2 fathers of SEC baseball?
Wasn't MSU the first school to make profit on baseball? Now several schools in the SEC make profit, while we have long been the heart of college baseball.
Posted on 3/9/15 at 9:13 am to Tiger Live2
Needs to be. It would be a very interesting story. State kind of came along in the early 80's and LSU was what like 86? Would love to hear about how they went about it. Especially State.
What the appeal of Sarah and Suzanne was not just they were the 2 dominant programs in the SEC but they DESPISED each other and openly made sure people knew that. There was no mutual respect whatsoever (despite what they say) and these meets were filled with gymnasts having words, coaches having words. Very intense and they were both title contenders ever year. UGA hated Bama and vice versa. Fans always do but this was coaches openly bashing each other and players calling each other out before meets. Never sen anything like it. Not sure that bad blood existed between Ron and Skip. Just good baseball but not the soap opera stuff that makes it interesting to everybody.
What the appeal of Sarah and Suzanne was not just they were the 2 dominant programs in the SEC but they DESPISED each other and openly made sure people knew that. There was no mutual respect whatsoever (despite what they say) and these meets were filled with gymnasts having words, coaches having words. Very intense and they were both title contenders ever year. UGA hated Bama and vice versa. Fans always do but this was coaches openly bashing each other and players calling each other out before meets. Never sen anything like it. Not sure that bad blood existed between Ron and Skip. Just good baseball but not the soap opera stuff that makes it interesting to everybody.
Posted on 3/9/15 at 9:34 am to Roses of Crimson
They should just title it "Gorilla Ball"
Posted on 3/9/15 at 9:49 am to 985TigerSaint
Skip started at LSU in '84. I thought his first trip to Omaha was in '86?
Posted on 3/9/15 at 10:58 am to GFunk
Gorilla ball didn't come until the 90's
The bats in the 80's were a lot different than the ones they used in 90's
Pitching was still pretty important back then and that's what Skip's early teams were known for when you look at all that were drafted like Springer, McDonald, Leskanic, etc
Skip and Polk did share a lot of the same reasons baseball was struggling from scholarships to the NCAA. Polk acted on the NCAA and Bertman just made it work under the constraints of the NCAA. It was definitely must see baseball at that time. If you put the product on the field, the fans would make an event out of it. You take that college football tailgating passion and turn it into baseball heaven. It worked in both places and caught on once other SEC AD's bought in and made it family fun entertainment.
The bats in the 80's were a lot different than the ones they used in 90's
Pitching was still pretty important back then and that's what Skip's early teams were known for when you look at all that were drafted like Springer, McDonald, Leskanic, etc
Skip and Polk did share a lot of the same reasons baseball was struggling from scholarships to the NCAA. Polk acted on the NCAA and Bertman just made it work under the constraints of the NCAA. It was definitely must see baseball at that time. If you put the product on the field, the fans would make an event out of it. You take that college football tailgating passion and turn it into baseball heaven. It worked in both places and caught on once other SEC AD's bought in and made it family fun entertainment.
Posted on 3/9/15 at 11:14 am to nicholastiger
You could nearly fill a 1 hr time slot with Skip's jokes about Starkville. I think there's plenty there to go on.
Posted on 3/9/15 at 11:41 am to 985TigerSaint
Polk was so good early on, before Skip, and I'd have loved to have seen Skip coach Will Clark & several other La. boys that Polk stole from La.Polk paved the way for SEC baseball making a profit & Skip then stepped in & took it to a whole higher level. I know Skip's coaching tree is big but can only assume Polk's is too? Two crusty old goats & I'd love to see that story if it was ever done.
Posted on 3/9/15 at 12:15 pm to 985TigerSaint
I think Skip and Ron were good friends. When Skip retired in '01 and was doing the farewell tour, Polk was coaching at Georgia. Before the Saturday game, they held a ceremony for Skip. Someone from Georgia drove a nice car (forget what kind but it was a luxury car) with a bow on it from the outfield up the foul-territory warning track to home plate.
Skip's eyes got big because he thought the car was for him. The guy got out with a box with a bow on it that turned out to be a box of cigars.
Skip's eyes got big because he thought the car was for him. The guy got out with a box with a bow on it that turned out to be a box of cigars.
This post was edited on 3/9/15 at 12:16 pm
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