White or Lombardi

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duck58
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White or Lombardi

Post by duck58 »

I really don't know what to make of everything I've read about the situation. It does seem to me that the players leaving was more about White and the AD rift than it was Lombardi. On another thread, someone wondered if Sievers might leave. I thought that might be the real test for Lombardi; if she could recruit well and keep those freshmen who hadn't played under White. She kept those freshmen recruited by White: the #10, 11, 73,& 96 rated by Flosoftball. She got the #20 recruit to flip from ASU. She recruited the #20, 28, & 31 this year. More important one is the #3 HS pitcher. That is our weakness this year. McGrandle could be adequate but Dail would have to improve considerably to be good in PAC-12. Not sure about walk on Krueger, but I wouldn't expect much. Burks(18), BowdeN(23), Utecht(MaxPrep 1st team AA) were top recruits. We had top quality backups. Obviously we lost more; 2 starting OF, 1st base, catcher, and 3 AA quality pitchers. We do have some quality talent, but no longer any depth and probably mediocre pitching. Hopefully, Lombardi can recruit at least i or 2 more quality pitchers along with Makenna K. We are picked #9 in PAC-12. I bet we do better; 5-6.
oregontrack
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Re: White or Lombardi

Post by oregontrack »

i would be stunned if we finished 7th, honestly. it's just the reality of playing in such a deep, talented conference. stanford is bad enough that i can envision a scenario where we avoid the basement, but there's almost no way we finish better than 8th. we will be the team everybody else is banking on sweeping to pad their w/l records, and considering we've won 5 of the last 6 pac-12 titles a lot of teams are going to enjoy stomping on our face.

my only hope is that this board does not lose it's collective **** every time we lose a game or series. we lose a basketball game nowadays and people will devote two pages or more to repeating the same things they've said a dozen times over in other game threads, pointing out our problems. we are going to be bad this year. it's just the reality of the situation.

that said, since we haven't started games yet, i'll just say: it's an awful situation. i get why mike white would chase the money, but i also get why our athletic department would be hesitant to throw more at a guy who threats to leave all the time. there's mike white's version of what went down, and i'm sure the AD has their version. we may never know definitively what actually transpired and when. i don't fault lombardi for any of the transfers unless maggie balint's story is true and she knowingly lied to players about mcgowen. if she knowingly lied, that's legit messed up. if balint is blurring the lines of what she was actually told, then i see some leeway for lombardi. and again i doubt we'll never know for sure what actually transpired.

if we suck for a year (or two) but lombardi brings in (and keeps) the talent then hopefully this is all just a bad memory.
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Duck07
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Re: White or Lombardi

Post by Duck07 »

I don't blame White for taking a bigger paycheck, I do blame him for being emotional over the process and feeling the need to act like a Kardashian about it instead of just moving on.

I don't blame Lombardi for the transfers and I recognize how this whirlwind has set-back the time table and immediate expectations for this team. What I am hopeful for is that the players that stayed really bond and that we see growth and buy-in from them to their new coach. I'm not grading her on Wins and Losses, though I do think we can win a game or take a series we have no business winning this season too.

What I'd really love to see is for this to have been ML's Blount Punch moment and for the response to be what it was from Chip.
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duck58
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Re: White or Lombardi

Post by duck58 »

Reading Lombardi's post on McGowan, It seems she thought McGowan could play. If that's the only thing Balint thought she lied about I feel Balint is overreacting. If Lombardi was comparing UO to Oklahoma, that was wrong. I can see why players might be upset. She's no longer at Oklahoma, UO is not Oklahoma, and it doesn't matter what White's teams did or did not do in the past. She needs to concentrate on now. It's her time.

I may be the ultimate optimist. We do have talent, though limited and inexperienced. How good will Cid and Sievers be as freshmen. Bowden and Burks aren't without talent. Utecht was very good as a pinch hitter and very limited playing time. All but one hit was for extra bases. Of course Haley Cruze was a starter and very good. Lexi Wagner could be another potentially good freshman. Just hoping McGrandle really surprises us. Maybe Dail could be a miracle. Okay, I change my prediction; 6-7.
Merganzer
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Re: White or Lombardi

Post by Merganzer »

Duck07 wrote:I don't blame White for taking a bigger paycheck, I do blame him for being emotional over the process and feeling the need to act like a Kardashian about it instead of just moving on.

I don't blame Lombardi for the transfers and I recognize how this whirlwind has set-back the time table and immediate expectations for this team. What I am hopeful for is that the players that stayed really bond and that we see growth and buy-in from them to their new coach. I'm not grading her on Wins and Losses, though I do think we can win a game or take a series we have no business winning this season too.

What I'd really love to see is for this to have been ML's Blount Punch moment and for the response to be what it was from Chip.
Well said, 07. There's nothing to be gained by dwelling on what has transpired; all involved can only get better by looking forward. Oregon @.The Jane built a reputation of being one of the toughest places for a visiting team to play. The team isn't going to be the force it had been, but give it the support & time it takes and it will be a fun ride.
shoparound
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Re: White or Lombardi

Post by shoparound »

If Balint is overreacting or misunderstood, I wonder if there's a chance she changes her mind. I think she still has Oregon softball up in her twitter account.
With that said, she might have already said some things to make things worse between her and the team.
duck58
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Re: White or Lombardi

Post by duck58 »

shoparound wrote:If Balint is overreacting or misunderstood, I wonder if there's a chance she changes her mind. I think she still has Oregon softball up in her twitter account.
With that said, she might have already said some things to make things worse between her and the team.
Like 07 said, and after watching this years team, it's time to drop the past. But, I will say, that a lot of things are said in heat. The past would be forgotten. I'm quite sure if it's possible, and she wishes, she could rejoin the team. These coaches and players would welcome her.
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