Augie Ball

Last weekend when TCU was battling UT in the NCAA Super Regionals I was reminded with the rare style in which the University of Texas Longhorns baseball team plays with. This style has been known in the baseball world as 'small ball'. Small ball is a common baseball philosophy that preaches the importance of base running, situational hitting, and good pitchers with good control. Idea is to limit the other team from scoring while you position runners for an attack like a chess match. This is a very respected thing with baseball purist, many consider it to be the ideal way of organizing a disciplined team. Most others complain it is boring, conservative, and untrustworthy. These three elements arguments against the style of baseball in which UT has perfected also struck my interest.

In order for Texas to continue to be a powerhouse in college baseball they have to continue playing their own style of baseball. It is just strange that this rare strategy is being used by such a dominant program, especially since the powerhouse school of the 90's had their own nickname for the style the used to succeed--'Guerrilla Ball'. These conflicting styles are more different than here and China. China would probably play small ball...just FYI. It is very strange that in a sport where the Aluminum bat has dominated that a team would compete with pitching...ever more so weird that the coach that has adopted small ball--Augie Garrido.

I was once told a story of a drunken man stumbling outside of Eddie V's Prime Seafood in Austin, Texas, he was shouting obscurities and and his eyes were half closed. One of the valets quickly noticed the man stumbling out--He had several friends on the Texas Baseball team and spoke with Augie frequently-- so he quickly ran to Mr. Garridos car to pull it to the curb for him. When Augie approached the car the valet couldn't help but say something about AGs black-out state he was in....he offered to call him a taxi. Augie quickly got in, closed and locked the doors, rolled down the window and said "I am Augie Garrido...I have 8 CWS rings...PISS OFF!'

This probably wasn't the exact quote but it was the same principle.

This wasn't a smart comment seeing as he was arrested leaving the same restaurant a month earlier for a DWI...but he is Augie Garrido...it couldn't happen to him again...and sure enough...it did. He was arrested later that night for his second DUI.

Pretty risky moves for a guy that has established his name by being conservative....

The moral of this story...when you are being a belligerent drunk at night, don't be a belligerent drunk at your regular bar. People know you. People know you are important. I mean c'mon AG....MADD is at everywhere now-a-days. But most importantly....keep on winning games champ. It's not like you get paid 7 figures to conserve lives is it Augie?

What is more corrupt...Politics or Colleges?
They are too much of the same to even ponder the answer.