Dear Coach Childress,
Being an Aggie, I like to give a helping hand to my fellow maroon-bloods whenever possible. And, it seems the honorable men of Olsen Field are poised for only their second losing record since the Eisenhower Administration. So, I thought you might benefit from some hard and fast rules to success in order to turn this thing around. I don’t know if you’re a big “character” guy, like your predecessor, Mark Johnson. Since you spent the eight years prior to now as pitching coach at Nebraska, maybe pitching will be the key to your team’s turnaround. Maybe not. Maybe you’ll emphasize hot bats.
A quick note about that “character” thing: last year, I talked to Jason Tyner about his days in College Station. He remembered Coach Johnson as a bit of a disciplinarian, who was also exceedingly truthful and loyal to his players. His personal comportment was exemplary. In fact, Jason said that he could remember one time that Johnson used an expletive for emphasis. (It starts with “S” and rhymes with quit.) That was a sign to Tyner that his coach was as angry as he could be at his players. The cuss words were almost as rare as the number of Johnson’s losing seasons (That would be: 1.)
Due to your experience, you might consider pitching to be the key to your introduction to that celestial place called the Top 25. But, be careful there. Last year, Johnson’s 3.66 team ERA, albeit the lowest in four years, got him 9th Place in the BIG 12 AND a ticket out of town. Surprisingly, the Aggies’ current 3.29 team ERA is second in the conference to Nebraska. WHOOP!-dee-doo. They are also enduring an unprecedented seven game losing streak, after Tuesday night’s loss to the kind lads from Houston.
So, is it all about batting? Maybe. But, not necessarily. Last year, Baylor finished LAST in the conference in team batting average (.269 (40 points below league leader, Kansas State.)) Recall also that those Waco Bears finished #4 in the Baseball America Poll. And, the two teams that currently lead the Big 12 in team batting avg. (Texas Tech .329 and KSU .326) are in the lower half of the conference standings.
So Coach, it isn’t all about hitting. Nor is it all about pitching. There’s really nothing hard and fast that you can always depend on to go your way. I wish I could offer you more…… Well, maybe I can.
I took my eleven year old son to College Station in May of 2003. My boy was electrified at the prospect of experiencing everything about Aggie Baseball at Coach Johnson’s scheduled camp. The timing was difficult because the Ags were scheduled to play Houston in the championship of the NCAA Regional at Olsen. They had only to beat the Houston Cougars once, in order to advance. And, as you probably know, the fine gents from Aggieland fought hard and long into the night. I believe the last out was after 11:00PM. The whole town was deflated at the sudden and shocking end of the season. My boy understood the heartbreak. And, he didn’t expect the players to be at the field to meet him the next day at 7:30A.M., given the circumstances. Well, to my everlasting surprise, every last player who was not a graduating senior was there even after the crushing defeat. Every coach was there to process the kids. And, front and center was Mark Johnson.
Coach, I trust your baseball I.Q. I know Mr. Byrne does his due diligence. But, given the circumstances, I would say that the bloom is off the rose. And, I could criticize. But, I have every confidence that you’ll return Aggie Baseball to greatness. You’ll do it with consistent pitching, defense and timely hitting. But, please Coach; remember the “character” thing. You don’t have to be just like your predecessor. But, take a page out of his book. Be the kind of man who keeps his word. Be the kind of coach who doesn’t throw his players under the bus. Earn no words other than reverent remembrances from your former players. Be a man who remembers that our kids look to you as an example. If you’ll do that, I’m sure you’ll have twenty great years, just like Coach Johnson.
Good luck and Gig’em, Patrick J. Titus ‘88
