I don't believe we should win a NC every year, I just want to win a game or two in the CWS... is that to much to ask for... I am also not calling for him to be fired, just questioning the situation.
It is a lot harder to make the CWS than it is to make the BCS. If you win the SEC in football, you are automatically in the BCS. Whereas winning the SEC in baseball only assures you of a birth in the tournament. But to answer your question, no I would not be happy that we lost all three, however making it the BCS three years in a row would mean LSU would be pretty successful possibly winning the SEC a couple of times. I also don't think LSU fans would be calling for the football coach's head in that scenario like fans are for Laval's every season. :geaux:
I am not calling for his head either nor do I expect an NC every year. I expect LSU to be competetive in the CWS though. Laval's teams have not done that yet.
This is an idiotic statement...and no, I'm not being too harsh, nor am I being touchy... He has won on the tournament level...This would equate to you saying that Brady should be fired, but he should be fired for not winning games once he's reached the Elite 8 or Final Four...Straight up... The NCAA baseball tournament now has both sub- and super- regional rounds, and hell, the Super Regional round was devised as a direct way to limit the SEC-and LSU drove the SEC to that point-from having too many teams in the College World Series (See the Super Regional's first year, in '99, when LSU played Bama for the right). Smoke Laval has never NOT been to the Super Regional Round...Which means he has never NOT been to the Elite 8 of his respective NCAA tournament. Out of his three trips there, he has WON on that level two out of all three times he's been. He has consistently won at LSU, and he's won CHAMPIONSHIPS on both the Division & Overall Conference level...He's produced All-Americans, 1st round draft picks, and overcome injuries to his pitching staffs to make it to the promised land in each of his three years at the helm. Bottom line, Smoke Laval is NOT a liability, and anyone who says so is sadly misinformed...and mistaken.
Also, the ultimate responsibility for last year's failure in the CWS was Lane Mestepey's ankle injury, which was suffered during a dogpile, which inexplicably was blamed on Smoke somehow... Don't say you people don't remember it, because it's CRYSTAL clear in my memory there were people on this very site who said that Smoke should not have let them dogpile... Had Mestepey's ankle not been injured, our rotation is set up differently, and what about this...How about we not have to play a conference foe in the 2nd round-the same conference foe-two years in a row? I'm not saying we have issues with USC...but I think the NCAA likes giving us a tough road...Lest anyone forget, we lucked out last year when Texas &AM's guys knocked out the Goliath of collegiate baseball last year on the ROAD in Rice and Jeff Nieman...
A lot of younger members here need a history lesson. Believe it or not, kids, there was a time when LSU never made it to the postseason in baseball. Not winning a CWS game should not be perceived as an issue. At that level, every team is top notch. In fact, Smoke should be placed on a pedestal and bowed to for getting the last 2 teams to the CWS, given the lack of pitching we've had.
Here here SabanFan. I'll drink to that. I remember when the Grennies and ONU had much better programs than LSU, much better. How can anyone say Smoke has not proven he can win on the tourney level when he has made the CWS that many times? How can anyone doubt his abilities when he keeps bringing in these kinds of recruiting classes and then coaches them to the CWS? Like I said, the fact that this thread even exist is disheartening to me.
Hosting regionals and taking trips to Omaha, doesn't get much better than that. The good thing about this thread, it has got me looking foward to that first pitch!
To answer the original questions....I think Smoke's job is safe for several years to come. I think the program would have to have a total collapse. Not winning the WS, or getting to the title game, or 0-2 and bbq is not a collapse. Disappointing yes, collapse no. Let's Play Ball!
