 | | Head baseball coach Steve Smith will answer your questions Wednesday at 2 p.m. |
Chat With Coach Steve Smith Baylor head baseball coach Steve Smith stopped by the Baylor chat room June 18 to answer questions from you - the fans! Smith completed his ninth season as head coach at Baylor in 2003; in that time, he has compiled a 343-203-1 record. Smith led the Bears to their first-ever 50 win season in 1999 and a Big 12 Championship in 2000, and has piloted the team to six straight NCAA appearances. An accomplished pitching coach, Smith has tutored six pitchers in the last 12 years who were selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft. He also had at least one pitcher named to the all-conference first team for 11 straight years (1992-2002). In Smith's nine seasons as head coach, the Bears have produced four first-round draft picks, 10 all-Americans, six Academic All-Americans, one National Player of the Year, one GTE/CoSIDA Academic all-American of the Year, 25 first-team all-conference performers, nine freshman all-Americans, and three conference players of the year. Baylor has also placed 35 players on the Academic All-Big 12 first team in the past seven seasons, a number that leads the Big 12. |
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 |  | Head Coach Steve Smith: Hello; let's chat. |
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| Anaheim, CA: Hi Coach, Great year! It was great to listen to your team play via the internet. Are you continuing to recruit in California and have you scheduled a series for next year out here? Sic'em! |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Thank you. We will be playing at Long Beach State next year. We have Loyola Marymount here in Waco. We continue to recruit everywhere. |
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| tom hatfield, plano: i know we have a freshman from Maine, do you plan to do more recruting out of state than in past years? big congrats for this years team. it may be your best coaching job to date. we as Baylor fans are very proud of out baseball program. Thanks. |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Tom, thanks so much for your kind words. We have actually been more successful in-state the last couple of years, but we will continue to go wherever we need to to find quality players. |
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| Marshall - Waco: How do you think the 2004 recruiting class shapes up to some of the previous ones? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: In terms of numbers, it is much smaller, and if we lose one or two signees to the draft, that will be disappointing. But, we feel good about everyone that we have signed to date, and their opportunity to make a contribution to our program. |
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| Josh (Waco): What do you think will be the key for Mark McCormick to become a solid weekend starter? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Mark just needs to continue to get his innings and gain experience. From a practical standpoint, if he can continue to develop his breaking ball and changeup, he will be outstanding. |
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| Lance (Waco): Coach, Congrats on a fantastic season. Will you try to sign one or any of the strong arms from local powerhouse's Lorena or Midway? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: We are not in a position at this point to sign any more players for next year. There are some young players on the teams you mentioned that we will continue to follow closely throughout the summer. |
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| Jonathan (Waco): Coach, In your opinion, how likely is it that Zane will return for a 5th season? How about Theo? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: While anything can happen, I think it is very likely that both will return. |
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| Jonathan (Waco): Assuming Zane Carlson comes back next year, do you expect him to stay in the bullpen, or possibly move into a starting role? Which pitchers do you expect to compete for the starting rotation next year? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Potential starters would include Theo, McCormick, Walker, Taylor and LaMotta, to name a few. There could be others. |
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| Wally in Dallas: Tyler Bullock came here as a catcher, but was used as a pitcher this year. Will he continue to pitch in the future, and if so, does that mean he won?t be playing catcher, due to stress on his arm? Is he a poss candidate for 1b? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: I think the jury is still out on where Tyler will eventually end up. He has a great arm, which serves him well both on the mound and behind the plate. We were able to benefit more this year with him on the mound. That could change. He is actually catching quite a bit right now, and is off to a good start in summer baseball. |
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| Pete: You have recently mentioned that we have signed a JC shortstop. What can you tell us about him? Are we through recruiting for this year? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: We haven't officially released his signing yet, but will shortly. He's a junior college shortstop that can catch and throw. We are basically finished recruiting, until or unless we lose someone else to the draft. |
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| Will - San Antonio: As a coach and a parent, what are your thoughts on the growing number of ?select? baseball teams at the lower ages of youth baseball (12 years and under)? Is this a good trend or a bad trend in your opinion? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: While I believe there are exceptions to most rules, I think select baseball at the ages you mentioned is too much, too soon, and competes with other activities that I believe families should participate in. |
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| Austin (Waco): Coach, Who are the candidates to man the SS position next season? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Paul Witt, Kyle Reynolds, Michael Griffin, and our juco signee. If Travis Schlichting shows up, he is a strong candidate as well. |
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| Austin (Waco): Coach, Were you surprised that only Van Allen and Schlichting were drafted from this years recruiting class? Did any of the recruits progress beyond your expectations? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: I was a little surprised that Kerr Foster went undrafted, but not disappointed. The drafting of high school players is more about signability than it is playing ability. |
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| Austin (Waco): Griffin appears much more comfortable in the outfield than he does at 3rd. Will he move back to one of the corner outfield positions next year? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: I think Michael played very well at both spots. I believe him to be a very versatile player, and we will wait and see how some other guys develop before knowing exactly where Michael might best fit. |
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| Austin (Waco): Trey Taylor has severely struggled considering his level of talent. Do you attribute his ineffectiveness to mechanical flaws or simply a mental letdown after a couple of poor starts? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Trey is the type of player and person who wants to win very badly, and in doing so, puts a great deal of pressure on himself. I think he just needs some success to mend his confidence. Hopefully, that will happen this summer, and he can return to us in the fall with a smile on his face. |
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| Austin (Waco): What players are you most excited about next season? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: I'm excited about all the guys who will be returning, and especially some of the younger guys who have not yet been on the field for us. We have over 25 of our players who are currently playing collegiate summer league baseball around the country, so I'm excited to see the improvements that will take place during this summer. |
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| Ivan Torres New Jersy: Coach, I am starting my search for a school for my son Ivan. Would like to know your email, to send you some information. Congratulations on a great year. Ivan Torres Sr |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: My e-mail is Steve_Smith@baylor.edu. |
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| Jeff (Dallas): Watching the Bears on TV during Super-Regionals was great (except for the LSU color-commentator). Are you aware of any new TV package in the works for next regular season? Thanks for a very enjoyable season. |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Thanks for your comment. There is some possibility of the Big 12 having a much expanded TV package. Our coaches are extremely hopeful that this will happen. I think the televising of the Super Regionals is one of the best things that has happened to college baseball in recent years. |
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| Jeff (Dallas): I got the impression that your very kind remarks regarding the LSU fan support was meant as a slght jab at the support you get from Baylor fans. Do you feel that the Baylor fan support has kept up with the development of Baylor's baseball program? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: My remarks regarding the crowds at LSU were meant for the crowds at LSU. I was actually more concerned that I would offend my friends at Mississippi State. I have been involved in college baseball as a coach for 16 years now, and I have never seen the kind of respect and appreciation shown to our players by an opposing crowd that I witnessed at Baton Rouge. I was also extremely proud of the Baylor fans that traveled to Baton Rouge to support us there; they were great. |
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| Bart (Waco): Who's on the nonconference schedule for next season? I'm already looking forward to it. |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: In Waco: Loyola Marymount, Arizona, UC-Irvine and Vanderbilt. We also will have a midweek with Rice at home next year, for a change. We go to Long Beach State. |
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| Bill (Tennessee): Will Brad Ferguson ever pitch in a Baylor uniform? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: I certainly hope so. He will be going to a nearby junior college next year in an attempt to continue to rebuild his arm strength. After the surgery that he had as a senior in high school, it is not uncommon for a complete recovery to take 2-3 years. |
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| Robert - McKinney: Awsome year! What happened to Theodorakos? Also, why did Trey Taylor fall behind all those freshman in the rotation? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Theo had shoulder surgery. Trey Taylor struggled with command and confidence. |
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| Robert - McKinney: I don't want this to sound negative, what are Kyle Reynolds strengths at second base. He doesn't seem to be a great stick or a strong fielder? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Offensively, Kyle had a year that was very similar to David Murphy's freshman year. Hopefully he will continue to progress offensively, as David did. Defensively, Kyle's hands are very good, but he has limited range at this time. He is still growing, and I am hopeful that his range will improve. |
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| Jason (New Orleans): Congratulations on a great season for the Bears. Understanding that Zane was lost for the supers, what is or can be done to deepen the pitching staff? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: With the 11.7 limit on scholarships, it will be difficult for us to be much deeper. We don't benefit from the additional aid that the Louisiana state schools receive through the TOPS program. If you're unfamiliar with it, look into it and you'll find that it is an incredible advantage that is available to players in Louisiana, Georgia and a few other states in the southeast. |
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| Stephen (Waco): How much did missing Zane at the super regionals affect the final outcome? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Given the way that Zane threw both in the conference tournament and the Hattiesburg Regional, I would think he would have certainly given us a great option on Saturday's game when we had the lead in the eighth inning. Obviously no one knows exactly what would have happened, and LSU deserves credit for getting the win against who we had on the mound. As big a loss as not having Zane was, I still believed we had a team that could win. I was extremely proud of the way our guys competed. |
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| Kevin Wood, Austin: Fantastic year! Was it an optical illusion, or are the LSU players really that much bigger than the Baylor players? While Webb and White are phenomenal players, might lifting weights boost performance and power? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: It must have been an optical illusion. Have you seen Josh Ford lately? I would be happy for you to stop by sometime next year and witness our offseason program. |
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| Jason (Waco): Coach, thanks for taking your time to chat with us. In your opinion, why do you think we were not chosen to host a regional? How is Jared Theodorakos and is their a chance of him getting some type of medical redshirt? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: I think the decision on hosting came down to a choice between putting four host sites within 150 miles of each other or putting a host site at a institution for the first time. We have applied for a medical redshirt for Jared, and that should be no problem. He's continuing to rehab, and feeling fine. |
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| Ken, Park Cities (Dallas): Coach, thanks for a great year. Thank you, Steven White, for a thrilling job in Baton Rouge. I will always remember you like Kyle, Chad, Jason & Kip. Can one explain an accident like Zane's? Would we be in Omaha with our top reliever? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Thanks so much for your comments and kind words to Steven. Given the way rumors are, I would like to share exactly what did happen concerning Zane. He was in the drivethru line at a local restaurant when his car went dead and would not start. In his frustration, he got out of his car and with his left hand, he slammed the car door without getting his right hand out of the way. He jerked his hand out of the door, and in doing so, sustained a very wide gash on the pad of his right index finger. It required four stitches, which remained in for a week. He has now begun to play catch and should be ready to pitch for Chatham in the Cape Cod League later this week. |
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| Victoria: Congratulations to you and the team on a great season. You had them playing some of their best baseball in May and June, and that's what it takes. Keep up the fine job you are doing, can't wait unitl next season! Robert McKay |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Thanks so much for your comments. I was extremely proud of the way our guys performed, especially given the fact that we played the final month of the season on the road. |
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| Shane (Fort Worth): I just want to tell Coach Smith that I was very impressed with his bear team and I am a TCU fan and wow that 22-4 loss was hard to take. But the bears had a great season. |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Thanks, and best of luck to the Horned Frogs in their search for a new head coach. I must say that I was disappointed TCU did not recieve an NCAA bid after finishing second in Conference USA. I know that was a bitter pill for Coach Brown and his players to swallow. |
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| Judd (Fort Worth): Coach, Next year you have recruited Kerr Foster. From what I have read, he seems to have a Jason Jennings build with good velocity on his pitches. How do you plan on using him throughout the season? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Probably not fair to put the Jason Jennings label on him yet, but we are excited to have Kerr. His role will be determined later. |
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| Ed Nelson ( Southlake, TX): With such great athletes in the Southlake-Carrol ISD, why has Baylor neglected to recruit in this area? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Better question: Why have the players in the Southlake area that we have recruited gone elsewhere? |
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| Ken (Dallas): Some coaches in this conference pull a player immediately if they commit a fielding error; your style reveals a philosophy more of "let them play thru this error". Why? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: I know very few coaches who make a judgement about a player based on one game or one play. If I felt I had a player on the field that I should automatically pull after he makes an error, then I probably shouldn't be starting him. What you have to replace that player with is also a significant factor. |
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| Blair B. (Waco): I attended, watched, or listened to every game this year and I'm ready for fall ball! How's it looking w/ Zane and Theo-is Zane negotiating or has he reported to the Cape? Were you surprised to see Theo get drafted as early as he was? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Zane is in the Cape. Both Zane and Jared will be fifth-year seniors next year, and under the MLB draft rules, the teams that drafted them this past June will retain rights to sign them until midnight the day prior to next year's draft. Therefore, I was not surprised at their being drafted. |
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| Jake Baskin, Cedar Park: Hey Coach...notice my new address-I had to get a little farther north, too many T-Sippers around the city...any reason the Academic Excellence Award is the only one not named in someone's memory? |
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| Jake Baskin, Cedar Park: Please tell the other coaches hello, I've tried to call a few times but have yall's extensions changed? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Hey Jake - Maybe in time the Academic Excellence Award could bear the name of a former left-handed pitcher who was an exceptional student and has gone on to accomplish great things in the business world, and given a lot of money back to the University and baseball program that he loved so. As for the problem with the phone calls, I think both the assistant coaches have caller ID. Don't know what that really means; my extension hasn't changed. Take care. |
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| Ashley (Kilgore, TX): Is Jared Theodorakos the best pitcher that you have ever coached? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Probably not, but he is an outstanding young man who I'm sure will make a wonderful husband and father for some lucky girl. Know any? |
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| Michael Grady: Congratulations on another great year coach. What do we need to get over the hump and get back to the World Series? How does the current graduation class look from the high schools? Again, we are proud of what was accomplished this year. |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Hey Michael - thanks for your message. Lots of competition to get to Omaha every year; we just need to keep putting ourselves in a position by reaching NCAA play and playing well, as we did this year. |
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| Collin/Houston: Hello coach. This year the defense was abysmal, allowing far too many unearned runs. To what do you attribute the poor defensive play? Is it talent? Is it work ethic in practice? What can be done to improve next year? Thanks. |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: I think "abysmal" is probably a bit strong. We actually ranked third in the league in terms of the percentage of times an out was recorded when a ball was put in play. Simply put, over 70% of the time that a batted ball was put in play, we recorded an out. That ranked a close third behind Nebraska and Texas. In my opinion, our base on balls by pitchers was a bigger problem. |
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| Joe (Livingston): Will the Bears be participating in the Astros College Classic next year? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: No. Baylor and Texas A&M will be back in 2005; Texas and Texas Tech will be in next year. |
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| Blair B. (Waco): People are now following and posting updates on our players' summer league performances on other sites-while we're not LSU, have you noticed an increase in our fan base. Also, how much is HOTO to join? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: There is no question that the interest for Baylor baseball grows yearly. Our Heart of the Order membership exceeded 250 this past year. For complete info on the Heart of the Order booster club, go to: http://www.baylorbearfoundation.com/index.php?id=4638 . |
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| Lee Roy,Austin: Steve,congradulations.Susan and I truly injoyed following the team this year and @OKC & LSU.Didn't go to Miss.and ya'll won there so I may have to band myself in the future .Do you think you will lose any recruits to the draft this season. |
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| Lee Roy,Austin: Steve what are the chances that the NCAA will do away with the DH in the near future.Also will they increase the schoolarship # soon. |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Hey Lee Roy - I hope we do not lose any recruits to the draft, but we had a third and fourth rounder, so we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed. I don't think we'll ever lose the DH. I am not optimistic about any additional scholarships. |
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| Keith Ellison: Hey Coach Smith, Just wanted to stop in and say hi and congratulations on a great season. I think that was one of the best teams yet. They had attitude, determination, and skill. I hope to see you this summer at camp. Keith |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Thanks Keith. |
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| Zach(Austin): How do you explain Baylor's inability to win big games? Are the players just not mentally tough? Is there something in your coaching/recruiting philosophy that you might change in order to put Baylor over the top? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: I am curious as to how you would define "a big game." Good luck with your search for the perfect team. |
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| Fielding: How good is the San Jac first baseman Mike Pankratz who is comin in next year |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: We really like Mike as an athlete who can play either first or in the outfield. He has exceptional bat speed, but is still a relatively young hitter. He is off playing this summer, and we will be anxious to see him in the fall. |
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| Melanie: Hats off to a team with a successful season and who also had 18 players make the Big XII Commissioner's Honor Roll for 3.0 and higher GPA! |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Thanks Melanie for your important observation. |
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| JD (Waco): You mentioned in an answer to an earlier question that you are esp excited to see some of our young players who haven't seen the field for us yet. Could you give us a few names and positions to look for? Looking forward to fall ball! |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Several redshirted players, like Chase Gerdes (OF/P), Jake Rippee (IF), and Jason Thompson (IF) are off playing, as well as young players like Seth Fortenberry and Kevin Sevigny. |
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| Greg Blankenship (Nashville): Why Schnizer in that situation. Pape for McCormick and Woody for Pape made sense, but I didn't get that one. Also, why not go w/ Taylor over Bullock when their 1-2 hitters (both lefties) were coming up-lefty on lefty overrated? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Fair question. When I pulled McCormick, I thought the matchup with Pape and Woody behind him gave us the best chance to actually get through the left-handers to LaMotta. After neither Pape nor Woody could throw a strike, I went with Schnizer because I felt he would definitely throw a strike. Both Bullock and Taylor had struggled out of the bullpen recently. In hindsight, none of them threw well enough to keep us in the game. |
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| Shane - Atlanta: Coach, being that the SEC is so well respected in the country, would you find it beneficial for the growth of the team to play some (non-confrence) SEC teams in the next season or two? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Yes; we're playing Vanderbilt home and away the next two years, and we are talking to some others. |
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| Jim-Wareham Cape Cod: Hi coach. Will you be visiting this summer? Kyle is living with us this year. We'll take care of him. |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Hey Jim - we'll probably be up sometime. Keep him fed. |
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| Tumbleweed(Lubbock): Odd question, but any further improvements you would like to see at Baylor Ballpark? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: A couple... I'd like to move the sound system underneath the roof, and I'd like to see us add another berm behind the left field fence that could serve both Baylor baseball and Baylor soccer. |
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| Tom (California): Why were all of the fans here in California calling you Reggie? Is that a nickname or something? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Get your facts straight; it was at Arizona, and it was "Wedgie." You figure it out. |
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| Blair (Waco): Pankratz has many of us excited - do you project him more as a 1B or OF or might we see him play both. Would you consider Ford at 1B and Bullock or Dillon behind the plate or simply keep him at DH during non-catching days? |
| | Head Coach Steve Smith: I would consider all the things that you have mentioned as possibilities for next year. Time will tell. |
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| | Head Coach Steve Smith: Thanks for all of your questions. I hope you have a great summer. Be safe. If you ever need to reach me directly, I'm not hard to find. Sic 'em Bears! |
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