The Double T Nation Roundtable

We've never done this before you know, we're so new at this. That hasn't stopped us from anything thus far. And it won't stop us from making a fool of ourselves now.

Apparently "Roundtable" posts work thusly: We asked Double T Nation a few questions and he has answered them at his site, so please visit our Tech blog buddy to see how Seth has answered these same questions. We still wonder why the table is round, but whatever.

Just so you know, yesterday was Bond J. Bond's birthday. I had pledged to my spouse that I would not turn on my PC for 24 hours so that we could spend time together. Crack is less addictive, I'm sure. I'm still a little jittery this morning, so bear with me...but baby, I'm back!

Here we go...


When do freshmen report to Fall Camp?

Bond J. Bond: We know that players should start reporting August 7, but wonder if anyone out there has any inside scoop as to when practice dates actually are.

I really can't wait.

What does the future hold for Tech Baseball now that Spencer is on board?

Jacque Strap: Spencer will be the shot in the arm that Tech Baseball has needed for the past few seasons. The players on the field have had a tough time relating to the current staff and the combo of Spencer and Petrie will provide the youth and aggressiveness that the team really needs. The fact that Spencer has rings to show recruits and players can speak volumes as does Hays' recommendation that Spencer be his successor.

Cabron Guey: I say it's an immediate improvement in pitching. Oregon State led the Pac-10 in earned run average in both 2005 (3.06) and 2006 (3.41). Tech now has a PAID assistant coach at the pitching position.

Why has Tech Baseball struggled the past few years while other Big XII teams prospered?

Jacque Strap: I think there are a few reasons for this. Frank and Emo leaving really hurt the program. Those were the guys that the players could relate to on and off the field and that not only affects recruiting but the clubhouse as well. The rule changes in NCAA baseball the past few years made it very difficult for Hays to do the things he was doing in the past. The reliance on juco transfers is hard on a program in the clubhouse and on the field. They have no time to gel before one group is on the way out and there have been very few 4 year players.

Who will be Tech Football's next star?

Bond J Bond: I'll take the layup, thanks...his name will be Michael Crabtree. And all of the DiscoTech contributors were in agreement with this vote. We dare you to name someone else, Seth.

Just how overrated is A&M in this year's pre-season poll?

yar: About as overrated as they always are.

Researchers at Harvard University may be close to inventing a drug that deletes bad memories, but for once the Aggies are at the head of the pack when it comes to cutting-edge scientific research.

How else can you explain the annual summer drumbeat from College Station?

This is the year. McGee is the toughest Aggie since John Kimbrough. Tell us will catch 100 balls with 22 touchdowns. Javorskie Lane will demolish opposing defenses and play on more than two consecutive plays.


Javorskie demonstrates his running ability

Well, this year's no different. The Aggies are back. So what if they were exposed against Cal and outlasted by Tech. So what if their coaching staff was embarrassed by Oklahoma and they needed a goal line stand to beat Army.

Army!

So what!

They beat the worst Texas team this millennium playing its worst game in a decade by knocking out its quarterback on a dirty play! Bring on 2007! This is the year!

Old Army is back. Patton supposedly only needed a handful of Texas Aggies to win a war, but Frannie will need an avalanche of good luck to come close to matching last year's misleadingly good record.

This years Aggie collapse will be doubly sweet when viewed against the backdrop of the inflated expectations that flavor this year's maroon Kool-Aid.

Our prediction? The Aggies will be 5-1, possibly 6-0, coming into Lubbock the second weekend of October. Fine. But the second half of their schedule is brutal. On the road against Texas Tech, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. A game at home against what will no doubt be a fired-up Texas squad.

With other games against Missouri, Oklahoma State, and Miami, not to mention the Mr. Pibb Brazos River Shootout against Baylor, it's hard to see the aggies as anything better than 7-5. The more likely scenario is that Fran will finally wear out his welcome and meet the firing line after another below .500, missed bowl game season.

Cabron Guey: A&M has a lot of talent returning from last year's team, and they have arguably the best offensive line in the Big XII. However, they are playing a murderous road schedule with games at Miami, Tech, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Missouri, so while they might have their best team in years, their schedule won't reflect the fact.

Plus, that knucklehead Dennis Franchione is their Head Coach and you can always count on him screwing up somehow.

What is your favorite variety of Samuel Adams?

Jacque Strap: Sam Adams Pale Ale. Good beer for any type of drinking whether it be a meal or just knocking back one after the other when you are watching a game. Has the malt to give the beer body but enough hops to satisfy the hop heads.

Bond J. Bond: The original is fine by me. I'm more of a Knob Creek Kentucky Bourbon kind of a guy.

DiscoTech's Extra Credit Question! After football practice ........ who is the longest in the showers?

Bond J Bond: I love a good double-entendre as much as the next guy, I'm Bond for goodness sakes. Yes ladies, I am a cunning linguist as well.

I'm going to have to play this one straight, though. This comes from actual knowledge of the location and layout of the showers inside the Jones. I know for a fact that the exit for the showers happens to be to the left-of-center...and since we have a player that has a tough time with his left-of-center vision, I'm going with Graham Harrell.

Thanks, DTN for the chance to have this discussion, we'll look forward to the next go-round when you ask DiscoTech! your questions!

Until then, Wreck 'em.

DoubleTNation, thanks for typing so I don't have to

Seth explains this whole Baseball coaching thing...

Thanks Seth, it's rainy outside and I don't wanna...

Josh Bard is nothing but trouble

ESPN.com

• About that home run ...: San Diego was leading 2-0 with Mike Cameron on second when Bard hit a pitch off the foul pole in the left field corner and hopped out of the batter's box. He then threw up his hands in disbelief after third base umpire Brian Knight ruled it a foul ball. After Padres manager Bud Black argued the call, the umps huddled and Bard was given the home run. Red Sox manager Terry Francona came out and spoke with crew chief Dana DeMuth, then vented on Knight and got tossed.

So when he finally does get the call, the opposing manager goes postal. "You #@$%$#& aren't being consistent!" Francona was heard screaming..."You umps should know that when he hits a homer you make sure you send him back to his dugout! What's going on here?"

Josh Bard did show some restraint last night, but you have to figure that for about 2 minutes there he was ready to hand in his MLBPA card and go home.

Good job Josh - I love it when you send the opposing manager to the showers...especially Francona.

Congrats to our Roger

Roger Kieschnick...named to the final 20 man roster of Team USA Baseball last week...

MLB.com

Six of the players who have accepted invitations to join the 2007 USA Baseball National Team have previous international experience with the organization. Three of those players were members of the 2006 USA Baseball National Team including, Roger Kieshnick (OF, Texas Tech), whose selection was announced today, and Pedro Alvarez (IF, Vanderbilt) and Jemile Weeks (IF, Miami FL) who were announced in May. Other alumni joining Kieschnick, Alvarez and Weeks on the roster will be Danny Espinosa (2003 USA Baseball Youth National Team), Tommy Medica (2006 USA Baseball Junior National Team), and Tyson Ross (2004 and 2005 USA Baseball Junior National Teams).

Name	Position	Year	School	Hometown
Pedro Alvarez	INF	So.	Vanderbilt	New York, NY
Ryan Berry	RHP	Fr.	Rice	Humble, TX
Jordan Danks	OF	So.	Texas	Round Rock, TX
Danny Espinosa	INF	So.	Long Beach State	Santa Ana, CA
Ryan Flaherty	INF/OF	So.	Vanderbilt	Portland, ME
Logan Forsythe	INF/OF	So.	Arkansas	Memphis, TN
Brett Hunter	RHP	So.	Pepperdine	Moorpark, CA
Roger Kieschnick	OF	So.	Texas Tech	Rockwall, TX
Lance Lynn	RHP	So.	Ole Miss	Brownsburg, IN
Brian Matusz	LHP	So.	University of San Diego	Cave Creek, AZ
Tommy Medica	C	Fr.	Santa Clara	San Jose, CA
Jordy Mercer	RHP/INF	So.	Oklahoma State	Taloga, OK
Preston Paramore	C	So.	Arizona State	Allen, TX
Josh Romanski	LHP/OF	So.	University of San Diego	Corona, CA
Tyson Ross	RHP	So.	California	Oakland, CA
Cody Satterwhite	RHP	So.	Ole Miss	Jackson, MS
Justin Smoak	INF	So.	South Carolina	Goose Creek, SC
Jacob Thompson	RHP	So.	Virgina	Danville, VA
Brett Wallace	INF/OF	So.	Arizona State	Sonoma, CA
Jemile Weeks	INF	So.	Miami FL	Altamonte Springs, FL

(Bold = USA Baseball alumnus)

My suggestions to save Tech Baseball

No need to worry Texas Tech Baseball fans! Passive Aggressor is here to save the day. Here is my five step program to save the sport.


1) Fire Larry Hays- I am a Larry Hays fan, hell when I was at Tech our team was badass but lately Larry Hays has been like Don Nelson in his last season with the Mavs-Just showing up not really caring and the team just kinda coasting with no direction. Tech needs to find a coach like either a young unproven hungry genius or a veteran coach looking to prove something and not keep some guy who just wants to get to some milestone victory platform.

2) Improve Dan Law Field-

I love Dan Law Field but it to small and cramped where it’s at. TCU had the same problem a few years back, their solution was to build a brand new state of the art ballpark just a few blocks down the road. Tech has plenty of Land let’s build a badass ballpark.

3) Don’t Bring in Dumbasses - Seriously how the hell does a D1 athlete in one of the major sports not keep his/her grades up? Be a fucking dumbass that’s how. It’s hard to grow a program if you keep losing scholarships because you have stupid idiots not making their grades.

4) Have free admission for HOT Females wearing little to no clothing- Hot women at sporting events increases attendence for evdience please see this hot soccer fan.

I would attend anything if the stands were filled with these.

5) Serve Beer- This will ensure a good time no matter how well the team performs. Plus nothing beats beer, a dog, hot chicks and baseball.

Boof Mania

It’s officially summer and our baseball team officially sucks worse than anything that has even sucked before. Even Paris Hilton.

Okay, that was too easy, but you get the point.

The real point is that it’s summer, and football can’t get here fast enough. I’m not going to bore you with some overzealous diatribe about OMFG Graham Harrell is GOING TO BE SOOO ALLSOME THIS YEAR!!1!

What I do want to talk about is a movement that in no uncertain terms is taking over the sports nation. Boof mania.

That’s right, I said Boof.

What is Boof, you might ask? Is it some new snazzy drug the kiddies are popping between homeroom and sixth period? Or, better yet, is it something I'm not aware of that is a euphemism for a woman’s vagina that I missed the "boat" on for years before I finally figured it out?

(Damn you, Pink Taco, you elusive adumbration!)

No on both counts.

Boof is, simply put, the most retarded name two parents ever bestowed on a human being. And he just happens to be a pitcher for your Minnesota Twins.

http://boofnation.blogspot.com/

It is his real name. I looked it up.

He really isn’t that bad of a pitcher. I watched him pitch a Sunday night game kind of recently, and he didn’t have terrible stuff.

Okay, and I admit, the Boof Nation is only pop. 1, looking at the blog.

I would seriously love to know what this guy had to go through as a kid. Hell, I wonder what he goes through now as an adult.

“Your last name, sir?”
“Bonser.”
"Your first name?”
“Boof.”
“What?”
“It’s Boof.”
“Huh?”
“Boof. B-O-O-F.”
“Ha ha ha! No, really. What’s your real name?”

And Ron Gardenhire has given him the ball every fifth day ever since that fateful conversation. God bless a country where a man named Boof can.. well... do whatever it is Boof does.

I just want to go to a game at the Metronome (errrr.. Dome) so I can say what it is I’ve wanted to say this whole entry.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOF!!

I’d also like to meet his parents, and ask them to come up with the name for the protagonist in my upcoming novel “Why I shot up my school.”

Screw it. I’m a Boof fan for the summer. That will give me something to do.

Should He Stay or Should He Go?

As the 2006-2007 school year winds down, so too does the Red Raiders' baseball season. By spanking the Oklahoma Sooners by a score of 15-5, the Red Raiders somehow manage to end the season on the plus side of the Win-Loss record, with a 28-27 mark. This includes a dismal 8-18 record in league play.

The 28 wins on the season brings Red Raider Head Coach Larry Hays' career total to 1483 wins. There have been many grumblings amongst the fan base regarding the future direction of Red Raider baseball, and it has proven to be a very divisive issue. "Should he stay or should he go?" seems to be the question on everybody's mind right now. On the one hand, you have a camp that argues Hays has been great for Texas Tech and that he should be allowed to stay for another season to reach 1500 career wins. Others argue that another season in the Big XII cellar can only be detrimental to the future of the program.

Any decision made at the Head Coaching position will not be an easy one as you risk upsetting either side. However, it is my humble opinion that it is time for a new direction. Fan support for the program is at a low not seen in years, graduation rates are horrible and the NCAA may punish Tech because of that fact, the team is wildly inconsistent, and our team is teh suck in general. It's time for fresh ideas and a new philosophy. It's time to return the Red Raider baseball program to the glory days.

- Cabron