Why did Polk not recruit ex players sons?

[Bulldog Bruce]

Some one had left a tidbit in a post last week and it got me to thinking. They had mentioned Mark Gillaspie's (G-Man) son was not offered a scholarship by Polk. This was obviously a few years back since Conor Gillaspie just finished his junior season at Witchita State (He was an All American by the way and drafted in the first supplemental round 37th overall). Also saw a mention about Palmiero's son and it is not clear he was offered a schollie. I also know about John MacDonald's son played at Maryland or Virginia years back.

So I am just wondering how come there hasn't been a "legacy" recruiting effort. You would think MSU would have a leg up on these kids of former players. I know we have had some football players son's. but I can't really think of a baseball players son playing at MSU.

My nephew just finished his sophomore year in High School. He is going to be a good player. I mentioned him a few times to the staff, but never got any follow ups. Maybe the new staff will consider him.

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

Some one had left a tidbit in a post last week and it got me to thinking. They had mentioned Mark Gillaspie's (G-Man) son was not offered a scholarship by Polk. This was obviously a few years back since Conor Gillaspie just finished his junior season at Witchita State (He was an All American by the way and drafted in the first supplemental round 37th overall). Also saw a mention about Palmiero's son and it is not clear he was offered a schollie. I also know about John MacDonald's son played at Maryland or Virginia years back.

So I am just wondering how come there hasn't been a "legacy" recruiting effort. You would think MSU would have a leg up on these kids of former players. I know we have had some football players son's. but I can't really think of a baseball players son playing at MSU.

My nephew just finished his sophomore year in High School. He is going to be a good player. I mentioned him a few times to the staff, but never got any follow ups. Maybe the new staff will consider him.

 

[Duane Chapman]

I have no personal knowledge of this, but I would speculate that it might have something to do with the close relationship Polk develops with his "boys," and thus not wanting to sign their sons out of fear of something happening to harm the relationship. Kinda like not wanting to do business with friends and family.</p>

 

[Shmuley]

to Cohen, it goes up on his grease board immediately. Sumbitch is a recruiting animal.

 

[Indndawg]

That's how Cohen described Burrough's recruiting. Got feeling barely adequate SEC players is gonna change quickly

 

[bulldogcountry1]

it's not like i can name a bunch of sons that got snubbed, but i can't think of any good examples that didn't. scott clark, will's bro was signed by pat, i believe. maybe he is worried about nepotism, but surely there has been numerous worthy sons, brothers, and nephews along the way that would have loved to play at state. the only think i can think of is that they didn't come to the camps.

polk complained all those years about scholarships, but he didn't utilize other avenues to maximize what he had, like going after sons who would play for next to nothing, letting football players play, etc.

 

[DerHntr]

i was listening to a radio show the day we announced the hire and they had a sports reporter on from Lexington, KY who said that with his recruiting abilities that "hiring John Cohen at Mississippi State is like giving a terrorist a nuclear weapon."

 

[msu71]

Mark called coach Polk and told him about his son when he was in high school. He really wanted Coach Polk and Coach Raffo to come see him play. Polk told him to come to one of his camps and he would take a look at him but that he didn't have the time or the energy to be going all over the country looking at past players sons. Conner signed with Wichita State because Gene Stevenson personally went to see him play a high school game. He offered on the spot and Conner committed.

Basically, this scenario has been happening for at least the last 5 years and that is why "the same old song and dance" just wasn't acceptable to most Bulldog fans and to Greg Byrne. Cohen is a go-getter and so is Lane Burroughs. Heck, Lane was down here in Jackson last night to see a bunch of kids play at Smith-Wills. I have been there on numerous occasions at these showcase events and have never seen Raffo, McNickle, or Polk in the last 4 years.

Nuff said.

 

[dawgstudent]

[No message]

 

[8dog]

than even I imagined.

Add to that some guy on GP the other day that said his kid had a good baseball schol. and never played. The family went to the University and found more money for him. He said his son was a good student but not any sort of nat'l merit.

 

[Porkchop.sixpack]

I have always heard that Polk simply does not recruit. At all. Everyone is just supposed to want to play for the legend and come beg him. Seriously, I have always heard that. And that fact combined with the proliferation of "serious" baseball programs now has just crippled our talent level.

 

[8dog]

me too...but I always just went on the assumption we used our camps and didn't really get after it in looking all over the country for players.

I never dreamed a former player could lay a superstar in Polk's lap and he wouldn't flinch.

scholarship inequities my ***.

 

[Shmuley]

and too many mimeographs and thank you notes to grind out, dammit. Can't be hopping on every steam engine to every far flung hinterland to recruit superior athletes.

 

[TR.sixpack]

it shouldn't be the only recruiting tool.

 

[Shmuley]

unless you want to claim it first.

 

[DerHntr]

nm

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

Polk would not look at my brother when I was at school. He would have been able to play SS, 2B or CF for MSU. I know he could have played and played well.

Like I said I knew about Johnny Macs kid and I also remember about the Clark and the Sottile brothers. I just know if G-Man had called me and told me his son was good, I would have believed it and done what I could have.

It just seems stupid to not take advantage of that legacy, especially if the player is talented. Maybe it was because Polk knew he could not have sold some of the BS that he always has and would have had to keep his word.

 

[Shmuley]

nm</p>

 

[Shmuley]

Maybe it was because Polk knew he could not have sold some of the BS that he always has and would have had to keep his word.

This could get interesting.

 

[bulldogcountry1]

a guy here in vickburg kept calling raffo and telling him they better sign him. it took a while, but it just shows you how lazy they were. it doesn't matter if a kid is in 5A or the lowest academy, if they put up numbers like busby did, the coaching staff better at least know who he is.

i went to baseball camp one year, and hank thoms and eric dubose were there. hank was on my team. all the coaches were kind of courting him, but you could tell they really didn't know much about him. he still went to juco for a year before they signed him, and a couple years later, he was pitching in the college world series.

it's been obvious for years that msu baseball camps are esentially a huge walk-on tryout and not an avenue for kids to get better at baseball.

 

[Keyser Soze.sixpack]

I know for a fact that a former player watched Connor play in the high school state finals in nebraska at rosenblatt stadium. He said as soon as he watched Connor play one game in which he hit one 50 ft out of yard that he immediately called Polk and told him he needed to sign him as soon as possible. Polk's response was that he did not have any schollys available. Well 17ing make room for a scholly. (ex: cut a bunky cateon)

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

When I was recruited (Polk came to Long Island and I never went to the baseball camp) he verbally told me that I was to receive an 80% accumulative scholarship. That meant 40%, 80%, 100% and 100% for the four years. Now remember you only actually sign a 1 year deal, not that I knew that at the time. I had full offers from many schools in the northeast, but I wanted to go south so I took it.

I played as a freshman and platooned at 3rd. Hit 260 with 6 HRs playing in about half the games that Dixon and Kocol who each had 8. So after the season is over you have a meeting and he only offered to bump my scholly to 50% because I had a bad second half of the season. This is where collusion of the NCAA comes in and sucks for players, you have no real negotiating power because you lose a year if you go somewhere else. So I took that.

The next year I hit about 270 with 8HRs playing full time at 1B. The whole team started slow that year. I hit 7HRs over the last 20 games and bumped my average up during that time. So I know he can't give me the BS about a bad second half. So he comes up with how my grades where iffy and they couldn't be sure I would be able to keep my eligibility. I had 1200 on my SAT and a 5 on my Algebra AP test. I couldn't fail out of MSU as a PE major if I tried. So he offers 55%. Again 17'd by the NCAA.

The next year I am an All American and set records for 29 HRs (NCAA, SEC, AND MSU) and 98 RBIs (SEC, MSU). After the season since there is a good chance I will get drafted I get a 100% offer. Giants draft me in 19th round so I come back.

I understand the limits that a coach has to work with, but it still pissed me off.

I am just saying if I had a kid that Polk recruited, I would now know the BS on the front end and would be better prepared to negotiate when you actually have the power.

 

[Shmuley]

nm

 

[Original48]

Also fact...Mike Hutcheon at Air Force called Polk and told him that he HAD to go after Conner Gillespie and Polk's response was "I don't have a scholarship."