My thoughts on Raffo

[Todd4State]

First of all, let me say that I think that Raffo gets kind of a bad rap. Polk controls this team, and he tells the hitters what to do, and the players carry out what Polk tells them. Raffo then gets some of the brunt when we take a third strike or hit into DP's because we don't do anything on the bases. I do have some reason to believe that he will be a lot more aggressive than Polk on the basepaths.

My biggest concern with Raffo, and no this has nothing to do with Diamond Girls, is his lack of coaching experience. I would probably feel a lot better if he had coached at say, North Florida for example, for a couple of years. As it is we have no idea if he has any clue how to handle a pitching staff, if he can manage a team, and to my knowledge has never even made a lineup card out, and then there's the fact that I'm honestly not sure that Raffo really wants the job. I get the sense that if he takes it, it wouldn't be because he wants it, but because he wants to keep feeding his family. He would have to "learn on the job" a la Stansbury's first years, and we shouldn't have to put up with that.

All this said, my opinion is that we should keep Raffo in some form, I think in an administrative capacity, and try to hire someone like Cohen.

 

[Todd4State]

First of all, let me say that I think that Raffo gets kind of a bad rap. Polk controls this team, and he tells the hitters what to do, and the players carry out what Polk tells them. Raffo then gets some of the brunt when we take a third strike or hit into DP's because we don't do anything on the bases. I do have some reason to believe that he will be a lot more aggressive than Polk on the basepaths.

My biggest concern with Raffo, and no this has nothing to do with Diamond Girls, is his lack of coaching experience. I would probably feel a lot better if he had coached at say, North Florida for example, for a couple of years. As it is we have no idea if he has any clue how to handle a pitching staff, if he can manage a team, and to my knowledge has never even made a lineup card out, and then there's the fact that I'm honestly not sure that Raffo really wants the job. I get the sense that if he takes it, it wouldn't be because he wants it, but because he wants to keep feeding his family. He would have to "learn on the job" a la Stansbury's first years, and we shouldn't have to put up with that.

All this said, my opinion is that we should keep Raffo in some form, I think in an administrative capacity, and try to hire someone like Cohen.

 

[Paper Dog]

1. It is Raffo's job for the taking

2. Yes, he wants the job badly

However, overall, you make several correct points

 

[Dog in the Know]

I totally agree. I do wish Tommy would have stepped away and been called the head coach of another team however Polk has consistently made the effort to keep him in Starkville. Tommy has looked at leaving on several occasions but has remained in the Maroon and White. Raffo has his own idea(s) and I think if he ends up head coach then we support him. How do I know this? I've talked to the parties involved.

 

[dawgoneyall]

been willing to travel a little from the nest and establish himself or prove his worth as a head coach at some smaller school. That is a major knock against him. He just hasn't been willing to do the necessary things to prove he is qualified to be the head baseball coach at MSU. He may be a great head coach but we should not take that chance and it is a chance at this point.

Cohen or Shoewalter are the logical choices.

 

[Mjoelner]

**

 

[Stormrider81]

He is not qualified for this position. I don't care how long he's been here, he doesn't have head coaching experience. This isn't football or basketball where we have to settle for an up and comer or a has been with baggage. This is MSU baseball. We should be looking to hire a young head coach that has proven himself in his current position and is looking to take over a program with a strong fanbase and facilities. If we hire Raffo we are going to stay right where we are. I don't care if his ideas differ from Polk's, he's been coaching under the man for years. You can't tell me a Raffo tenure would be significantly better than the current Polk tenure.

 

[Shmuley]

that is the "search" for the next baseball coach. The Manual Typewriter has SPOKEN and the mimeograph has pistoned out copies for all the MState World to see. Tommy Raffo has been christened your next head coach. Yes, the Tommy Raffo that Kyle Veasey described this way:

<font size="2"><font size="2">Assistant Tommy Raffo, whom Polk endorsed for the job, was calm and stoic in the three or so minutes we spoke with him Thursday night.</font></font>

Yes, "calm and stoic" Raffo. Just the shot in the arm that this lackluster, underachieving program needs at this critical juncture. Let's toss the keys to this guy and ask him to drive us to Omaha. Outstanding.

This is exactly what we've all come to expect from Dear Ol State.

 

[futaba.79]

"I will not support Raffo"</p>

Not go to the games? What?</p>

 

[oem]

"I will not support Raffo"</p>

Not go to the games? What?</p>

I'm betting it means he'll be on here bashing him every time he logs on. But on the slight chance he means he won't be attending any games or giving any money, it will have the same affect as that one man pep rally that goof ball held a few years back.

Or better yet, his non support of MSU baseball would have a similar affect to the program that the MSU Outback protest has had on that company.</p>

 

[bizZaX]

hire someone young and ambitious, that is eager to continue/build his own dynasty. ex: (cohen).

As for Raffo: He isnt a head coach, he wont be, he wont succeed at it.

 

[saddawg]

I know Tommy. He and I were at State together.Although he is older than me, we were involved in some of the same things together. He is genuinely one of the nicest guys ever. A good ole boy if there ever was one. I would do anything I could to help him.
That being said, I think maybe that's his draw back. He is not a big enough ******* to do what needs to be done.
The old saying of never follow a ledgend, follow the guy that follows the legend may apply here. I think we may need to get an ******* in here to kick asses and do what needs to be done. The pressure on Tommy would be huge. You gotta be a don't give a ****, hard *** to follow Polk and try to get things right. Again, I don't think Tommy is a big enough bastard to do that.
If they do hire him, I'll support him.He loves State as much as me or any of you. He's a State boy just like us.He wants to win,too. But he better get it done if he takes it or all that won't mean ****. And I think he understands that.

 

[Stormrider81]

I will not support him as head coach. He is highly unqualified. Does it mean I will never come to a game in Starkville or root against him? No. But I won't support him as head coach. Put it this way, Stansbury has done a good job, I support him. Croom is starting to gain my support by going to a bowl game last year and winning 8 games. I do not believe Raffo should be head coach. I believe we should hire someone with head coaching experience.

Basically, if we hire Raffo it will not excite or energize me at all. I'll feel the same way about our program as I have for the last several years.</p>

 

[bulldogcountry1]

when i got the news today was disappointment. i would have thought i would be more excited, but i know what's going to happen. i guess the reality of it just got a step closer. that reality is that we have a golden opportunity to get this program back on the right track, but we're just going to do they typical state thing and hire from within.

if polk's plan all along was to hire raffo, when didn't he allow him to go off and run another program for a few year like macmahon? i don't care how long he has been with the program, he still hasn't been a head coach. if you hire from within a program on the fall, there is a lot more room for failure than success.

there is just no excuse for msu baseball to not hire a proven head coach. if raffo was worthy or running a team with this history, you would think someone else would have wanted him by now.

damn.

 

[DowntownDawg]

....this is MSU baseball. We are not naturally disadvantaged like we are in football, and to a somewhat lesser extent, basketball. We don't need to promote from within, especially when the previous tenure has been, at best, consistently mediocre. This program needs youth, new blood, and a shot of energy. Hiring Raffo just continues the apathy. Wasn't it Raffo who recently said "Mississippi State baseball recruits itself" or something like that? That is the kind of BS attitude that has allowed OM to surpass us in this state.

Everything about the program is stagnant, and will remain stagnant if Raffo is hired. I would wager that IF Raffo is hired, it would be second worst MSU coaching hire in the last 20 years, second only to Ron Cooper.

 

[MTNDawg.sixpack]

but all this anti-Raffo stuff is ridiculous. He doesn't have the obvious qualifications of head coaching experience but who knows what he will do if he has a ballclub of his own. Everybody has to start somewhere, he just might be lucky enough to start with alot better team than North Florida. I would rather have Cohen, UL's coach, Baylor's coach etc. because you know what you are getting.

That said "I won't support him" is also ridiculous. I call ********. You won't support him if he doesn't work out and will say I told you so. If he comes in, wins a couple super regionals, keeps us in the CWS are you still not going to support him? You'll say no to support your argument but who looks stupid then?

 

[BriantheDawg]

is the guy that's already followed the legend. The guy that followed the guy that followed the legend is the 21st Century version of what once was the legend. It's now time to go get the guy who followed the guy who followed the guy who followed the legend.

 

[saddawg]

Was an ******* too.He took us to the CWS his 1st year.

 

[clandbulldog]

she has never wanted the family to get too far from home. I can understand that, but for a guy to possess the coaching skills to coach an SEC school, he needed to move on to a few different schools like Cohen did and get the necessary experience. I was talking to a friend of mine two weeks ago at the Saturday night Mississippi game and we both were questioning as to why Raffo has been scared to move on and further his career. And guys, that is the biggest knock against him among many MSU fans. We shall see! Good opening post !

 

[omaha08]

He's a great person, I think we all know that. However, I just think he is way too soft to coach in the SEC which has become a hardnose fast paced league. I don't think he has the balls to be successful as a head coach at a big school. just my opinion.

 

[Todd4State]

that is the life of a coach. I know that's really shallow of me to say, but that's one reason why a lot coaches get divorced, and moving around is the nature of the business. I mean, I love MSU as much as anyone, especially baseball, but if I was a coach, and really wanted to be the HC one day, I would do what Cohen has done- get a job as a HC at a small school like Northwestern State, then go be an assistant or HC at a school in a major conference like Mizzou and Florida, then take over a BCS school that has a poor program and prove that I can build it like UK.

It's not like a lot of jobs where you get the job and can stay 25-30 years if you want to. (Although LT has tried to make MSU an exception)

 

[Stormrider81]

If we hire Raffo and he wins big I will gladly admit I was wrong.

My issue isn't whether or not Raffo might be good head coaching material. I don't think Raffo is a terrible coach. That being said, he also hasn't set himself apart as an excellent assistant either. Still, that isn't my issue with him. We don't have to take a chance on an assistant, and that is my issue with hiring him. Raffo might work out and might not. Why should we take that chance? Why not hire away a proven winner? And that's why I won't support Raffo as head coach, he is unqualified for this job. I would support Cohen, McDonnell, Smith, etc. Raffo will have to earn that same level of support.

 

[ArmyofDoggness]

after this chicken **** scandel RP has under way, and it will be. I love RP, but he is being a big titty baby. I am steadily losing respect for him by the day.

 

[MTNDawg.sixpack]

because everyone knows we could get a proven coach...if we are stuck with him which would be typical I only hope he is extremely successful and wins that support</p>

 

[HammerOfTheDogs]

He loves State as much as me or any of you. He's a State boy just like us.He wants to win,too. But he better get it done if he takes it or all that won't mean ****. And I think he understands that.

But I bet that if he has a talented athlete for a son, he'll probably sign with LSU.</p>

 

[saddawg]

 

[Todd4State]

How ironic would that be?</p>

 

[GrenadaDawg]

Mike Kinnison! I've always thought that he's the type of guy we needed to get us going again. This guy can flat out COACH. He's a stickler for details (like Polk) but will get onto a kid when he needs getting on to..(like Bianco). If Cohen doesn't want the job, I say Kinnison should be the next guy we talk to.

 

[patdog]

We could do a lot worse than Mike Kennison. He's a damn good coach. On a personal note, I bought his house from him and Cindy when he left the Jackson area to go back to Delta St. In what little time I spent with him, he seemed like a good guy, a very intense guy but a good guy.

 

[Todd4State]

Kinneson has done one thing that no other baseball coach in the state has done- won a NC.

He also knows the coaches in the state very well, and more importantly has shown that he can develop players. I always enjoy watching Delta State play because they play the game hard and the right way.

In short, Kinneson is badass.