We’ll see one or two over 85 during the regular season and then a couple more in post season play. Over 90 is probably 1 every 4-5 years.

Bear in mind that I coach in the largest class in the state, but I live in South Dakota. Our most prestigious baseball alumni include Mark Ellis and Terry Francona, both quality ball players, but clearly not the cream of the crop. But, we’ll always have Sparky Anderson to fall back on

Curious – as a HS coach how many different pitchers do you see each year who throw harder than 85? How many are legitimately in the 90s?

Also I didn’t know the Pope could resign, must be developing a football coaching mentality at the Vatican.

Go Irish

Speaking of which, baseball statistics have always had this odd and subjective culture/context of “what would have happened in a (near) perfect world.” Thus, for batting average, baseball scores a strikeout the same as getting on base via screaming grounder to third that gets bobbled. Imagine if football stats were scored the same, e.g., a RB’s yards after a missed tackle don’t count. It would be bizarre, but we accept it in baseball.

That being said, the loose nature with which statistics are kept at the high school level could mean that some sophomore sitting on the bench “keeping the book” mistakenly scored a defensive indifference as a stolen base.

I know that my players would have scored a DI as a stolen base.

To those that vigorously object to grammar comments, good writing is a sign of respect to your audience. After all, you are writing for others. I will also note that this is a Notre Dame site. Grammar does not need to be always perfect – we have limited time and do make mistakes – but I do expect to see higher quality and effort here than in other places, and thankfully this is usually the case.

Those comments combined with his Eagles flirtation before the body was even cold have totally changed the way I think about BK. Still a very good/maybe great football coach; and a fantastic recruiter and I’m glad he’s still at ND. I haven’t forgotten that those are the most important things.

But ND isn’t his “dream job”. It’s his “current” job. And he’ll be gone no later than after 2014.

I also tend to be hyper-competitive and while the thrill of victory is cool, the agony of defeat is what really lingers and makes you practice harder. Losing really sucks.

Speaking of basketball, what did you think of the epic 5OT victory last night?

Puma, Pass might have been a bad choice of words… But after watching a lot of plays where Diaco put them in a good position to get off the field and they not only didn’t tackle, but barely impeded the runners progress.

So I will say slightly less annoyed

Go Irish!!

avg ab R H RBI 2B HR SB
.406 69 18 28 17 7 4 5 Pitching 1w 1L 15 ins 1 save 1.87 era 33ks

I concur I want to see Mahone bust up the middle Bama style.

That said was still a great season and surpassed all expectations.

Great article anyways and I do believe the idea of getting winners is genius. When you are used to winning it is just an added intangible and most games are relatively close and come down to a few plays, where the winners take over. Speaking from my own perspective winners don’t even get off on winning we just can Fk’n stand losing. And sometimes that is all it takes. Guys who get used to losing or are used to losing accept it easier, while the winners will not die.

I am looking forward to great things from ND football over the next few years!! Can’t wait!

Typos, bad spelling and bad punctuation drive me nuts.
The thing I see with increased frequency is the use of the word “of” as a verb. “I could OF puked”, for example.

Where the fu** did THAT come from?

Smells like a text era thing.

I could probably dig up where Vanerdoes plays on the baseball field via Google, but having coached high school baseball for a number of years, I can tell you that the only logical places to put this guy are at the corners, 1st and 3rd.

I did have a 6’3, 240 lbs kid play for me that ended up winning a couple National Championships on the D-Line at North Dakota State. He handled 1st base, DH, a little 3rd base and an emergency appearance at catcher.

There are clowns on Rivals who keep banging the Ty Isaac drum; seems that USC fired their OC (who was also Isaac’s recruiter, I think) 1 day after NSD. Some feel that’s grounds for being allowed to decommit. I doubt it.

Besides, he went to a Catholic HS 2 hrs from ND and never visited. So clearly he ain’t crazy about the Irish. And frankly, with Folston and Bryant and the guys already on the roster, they don’t exactly need another RB. I’m actually very anxious to see Will Mahone play. Sounds like a bruiser who can take over a game in the 4th qtr.

Fox and Calabrese – flip a coin. Sounds like they’ll both be back, especially if Nichols goes on medical and Slaughter is denied.

BTW, I am intrigued by the fact that Vanderdoes plays BASEBALL??? Anybody know what position? Dude must have some outrageous power.