KEEP HOPE ALIVE
Here's why Aggies season is still alive despite catastrophic setback
Sep 14, 2022, 9:41 am
The Aggies will try to right the ship against Miami. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.
Jimbo Fisher: Culture is the number one thing in an organization
In a shocking, unexpected, and flat-out unacceptable turn of events, the Texas A&M Aggies of the SEC lost to Appalachian State of the Sun Belt Conference 17-14 at Kyle Field last Saturday. It had been 15 years since the Mountaineers shocked the college football world in 2007 by upsetting the Michigan Wolverines at The Big House. Even though App State did not pull off any upset since that win in 2007, the small school in North Carolina has developed a reputation for being David, always ready to knock off Goliath. We saw it come true on Saturday at Kyle Field once again.
Early in the season, I wanted to focus on the three things that I thought would be most important to the Ags’ success in 2022. That being quarterback play, freshman impact, and DJ Durkin's first year as Defensive Coordinator. All three of those things failed the Aggies Saturday as well as many other factors.
Trends and storylines for the Aggies be damned for the 2022 season, no one saw this one coming. The Aggies were less than impressive against Sam Houston in week one but still took care of business handly with a 31-0 win. The Aggies had a prime-time matchup on the horizon against Miami in week three to look forward to, but it was up to Coach Jimbo Fisher to get his men ready for a scrappy and experienced Appalachian State team. He did not succeed as the Mountaineers were more physical, more energized, and just flat-out more determined than the Aggies last Saturday and the scoreboard reflects that.
For a program trying to reach the levels of Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, and Clemson, something like this cannot happen. Teams with superior talent and skill do not lose to lower levels of competition. These seem like obvious statements but it all comes into play when a program wanting to become a powerhouse loses to a group of five opponents. As a graduate of Texas A&M writing this article is not fun, plenty of jokes have been made, and lots of ridicule from family and friends, but the eternal optimist in me says that the season is far from lost, and here’s why.
Texas A&M welcomes the 13th-ranked Miami Hurricanes to town this Saturday for a prime-time matchup at Kyle Field. The Aggies are a 5.5-point favorite at the time of writing this and will have a packed stadium of anxious fans behind them. If the Maroon and White can flip the script and pull off the big win, it will not only completely rebuild the teams’ confidence heading into SEC play, but it will reinstill confidence in Jimbo Fisher. Fisher has had plenty of big wins in his time at A&M to earn some grace, even after such an embarrassing defeat. Beating Miami would tally another win of that caliber on his resume and set up the Aggies well heading into their first SEC matchup against Arkansas in Dallas.
Make no mistake, Jimbo Fisher and his Aggies took an uppercut to the jaw from App State last Saturday, they are dazed but it's still early in the fight. If the Ags’ can get up off of the mat this Saturday and fight angry against the Hurricanes, then the season might not be lost just yet… The Aggies win 28-24.
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I left for vacation on April 14. Came back home on April 24. Eleven days in England and Germany.
Astros first baseman Jose Abreu went 0 for my vacation.
The last time Abreu reached base via a real-life hit was April 13 when he got two hits (fully half of his season total) and his batting average soared to a robust .122.
Since then, while I was dining on shepherd’s pie and schnitzel, Abreu has gone hitless in 21 at bats and his batting average has plunged to a squinty .065.
There’s an expression in baseball when a player is having a horrible, dreadful season: “He ain’t hitting his weight.”
Abreu ain’t hitting his uniform number. If you’re keeping score at home, Abreu weighs 250 pounds and wears number 79.
Abreu is chasing history. The record for suckiest single-season batting average for a player with enough plate appearances (502) to qualify for the batting title is held by former Orioles slugger Chris Davis.
In 2018, Davis batted .168. Despite being in the middle of a wildly overpaid 7-year, $161 million contract, the Orioles essentially fired Davis and his career was over in 2020.
Abreu is in the middle year of a guaranteed 3-year, $58.5 million, money down the toilet contract. Will he be an Astro next year when owner Jim Crane chokes on signing yet another $19.5 million paycheck for Abreu? Unlikely.
Other modern era batters have turned in disastrous single-season averages. Dan Uggla batted an unattractive .179 for the Braves in 2013. Rob Deer was a deer in the headlights swatting .179 for the Tigers in 1991.
Abreu is turning futility into an art form. If he continues his .065 pace he will obliterate every record for crummiest season in baseball history.
He has appeared in 19 games and has 4 hits in 62 at bats, with no home runs and one measly RBI. He had his latest oh-fer Tuesday night against the Cubs.
Fans are clamoring for Astros manager Joe Espada to open his eyes, stop looking at the back of Abreu’s baseball and bench the flailing, failing first baseman.
I say the opposite. In fact move him back to fifth in the batting order. If Abreu stays focused on doing what he does best this season - striking out with runners in scoring position - fans can witness the worst batting stats anybody’s ever had.
Oh, by the way, Abreu is a horrible fielding first baseman. We don’t know if he’s a good base runner. He’d have to get on base for us to tell.
Abreu is on pace to get 502 plate appearances. So this counts.
There actually is a player who’s having worse time at the plate than Abreu., though.
Abreu’s meager stats look positively Ruthian compared to what former Astro catcher Martin Maldonado is putting up for the White Sox. Maldy has 2 hits in 42 at bats for a subterranean .048 batting average with no homers and no RBI in 15 games. Maldonado won’t get to 502 plate appearances, however.
Who will end 2024 with a lower batting average: Abreu or Maldonado? This epic battle could go down to the final game of the season.