Tony Gwynn answers some tough questions

by jbox on Feb 20, 2008 9:23 AM PST in News

Union-Tribune Staff Writer Kirk Kenney conducted an awesome interview with Tony Gwynn. He really stuck him with some tough questions and to Tony's credit he answered all of them really well. Tony fully admits that things have not gone well but he thinks the team is improving.

Here's an example of one of the questions that all SDSU fans have been wondering about:

Q. When you look at USD's program, it isn't blessed with the facilities that SDSU has, it doesn't have the name recognition SDSU has and it doesn't have a coach who's in the Hall of Fame. Yet the program has climbed into the national rankings. What is USD doing that SDSU needs to be doing?

I bet Tony winced when he was asked that question.

Or maybe this one:

Q. If you were the consummate student of hitting, why is it that SDSU is not one of the top hitting programs in the country?

This isn't one of those interviews where they wash Tony's balls and talk about how great he was with the Padres. This looks at his shortcomings as a college head coach. It's terrific! Well done Kirky Kenney, way to needle a San Diego legend!

I'm pretty sure the first Aztec home game is this coming Friday, go out and support Coach Gwynn.

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this is a great interview

Very well done. I really like that Gwynn is convinced that he can make for a great coach. I believe in you, Tony!

by Dex on Feb 20, 2008 9:50 AM PST reply actions

Usually

those that can...can't teach...but from what I've seen of Gwynn, and how he approaches the game..it makes sense that he'd be a good teacher. I've also heard interviews with him where he talked about how hard it was initially, because he assumed the kids had a lot more knowledge and discipline...now that he knows they don't..he's harder on em.

He'll have some success if given the time, I'm sure.

by thenerdhater on Feb 20, 2008 11:31 AM PST reply actions

here's what I think happens

I think half of it is that great players turned coaches assume that their players have the same work ethic. However I think the other half is that people who get coached by great players think that it should come automatically. Like they figure that the greatness should arrive by osmosis and they don't need to do any work.

by Dex on Feb 20, 2008 11:40 AM PST up reply actions

I'm not convinced that you can teach hitting

If Tony Gwynn and Ted Williams didn't have outstanding hitters on their clubs then isn't that proof enough?

I think when Williams managed the Senators there was a spike the first season in a few guys but then they fell back to earth after that.

by jbox on Feb 20, 2008 12:22 PM PST reply actions

There some basics

You can teach every player some basic fundamentals or remind him of tips and tricks to optimize his abilities, however there's some very innate, instinctive things that happen when hitting a baseball which I'm not sure can be transmitted from one person to another.

That's not to say TG can't be a great coach - if nothing else, his resume should net him some awesome players, giving him a better jumping-off point than most other coaches in the NCAA - but it's clear he needs to look back at his own coaches, and see that they never assumed talent was there in their players, and they ballbusted until the lessons were taken to heart, or finessed their roster to maximize the team's talent. That's a skill that not every person has, Hall of Famer or not.

by California Penal on Feb 20, 2008 12:40 PM PST reply actions

NCAA

is about recruiting, and I just don't think Tony is recruiting enough.

"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. " ~Frank Sinatra

by Sammy G on Feb 20, 2008 1:52 PM PST reply actions

Recruiting

NCAA Baseball is really tough because it's not just a matter of going out and recruiting the best players. You have to go after good players that you know (or hope) aren't going to get drafted and sign professionally. It's a delicate balance.

by Drama on Feb 20, 2008 2:38 PM PST up reply actions

I heard it explained like this from a few people.

I played against a lot of guys like Sanchez and O'Sullivan at one point or another, and assuming those guys are graded "A" on a grade scale, as a college coach, you really can't just recruit "A" guys- you will have an excellent recruiting class until the draft rolls around.

You have to recruit solid "B" guys just as hard as you recruit "A" guys, because if you don't, you will end up "looking for a bunch of bodies" (from Tony's words in the article) and a lineup of "C" and "D" players.

Charlie, here comes the deuce. And when you speak of me, speak well.

by JBro12 on Feb 20, 2008 4:57 PM PST up reply actions

Exactly.

T's first recruiting class really showed his inexperience in this regard.

This is from an article in the NY Times from last May.

In his first year on the job, Gwynn signed 13 recruits. Seven of them were drafted by major league teams. Six signed professional contracts and never played an inning at San Diego State. Gwynn recognized the hard truth about college baseball: He needed to find the best recruits who were not necessarily going to be the highest draft picks.

After snagging all those guys T must have been thinking "Shoot...this is gonna be easy." Then...POOF! Six are gone just like that.

by Drama on Feb 21, 2008 6:46 AM PST up reply actions