Miss State suddenly fires it's baseball coach.

Discussion in 'Sports Board' started by Terry O'Keefe, Feb 20, 2018.

  1. Terry O'Keefe

    Terry O'Keefe Well-Known Member Administrator

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    From a guy on the Inside Texas forum.
    Another poster called it a "Career ending double play". :shock:

    https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/mississippi-state/2018/02/19/mississippi-state-fires-baseball-coach-andy-cannizaro-reports/353817002/

    With RR being fired at Arizona over an affair as well, it seems like schools aren't going to put up with this stuff anymore or try to cover it up either.
     
  2. Gator Bill

    Gator Bill Well-Known Member Administrator

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    Read earlier that he was fired for cause, this article says he resigned.

    Regardless it doesn't look good for him.
     
  3. Tennessee Tom

    Tennessee Tom Well-Known Member Administrator

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    Mississippi State calling Corey O'Connor
     
  4. IrishCorey

    IrishCorey Well-Known Member

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    God do I wish. I could cause terror in Starkvegas.

    True story related to my divorce, but on topic. We moved here because her father was terminally ill. That took me outta the baseball game and into the world of sanitation and other **** gigs. The understanding was always that, when he passed, we could resume my baseball career which may require a return to the midwest at a smaller school just to get my foot back in the door.

    Well, her father passed. He was a great guy. I wasn't cold about it. I waited nearly a year before approaching the subject. I called Sean Severns, Bob Beck, Al Leyva and everyone connected deeply to the baseball underground I knew to see if they could pick up a phone for me.

    I got 2 chances. One in Vanderbilt. They had a new head coach coming over from Clemson who I had met previously during an interview. The other was at Mississippi State with the legendary Ron Polk.

    Vanderbilt was the joke of the SEC at the time. Their press box was a series of fold out chairs on top of the dugouts. I'm not kidding. Still, I saw it in this guy's eyes. He's a winner. I saw myself very much being a part of what they were going to build there. They are now one of the SEC's most dominant teams.

    Miss State also seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity. It wouldn't be a rebuild process, it would be something to get in somewhere established and learn under Ron Polk, who would be accepting of me and my bit of 'firebrand' style of coaching and baseball.

    My wife (at the time) told me, "You're welcome to go where you want, but your son and I are staying right here in Decatur, AL." I stayed to raise my son and counter the influences he was getting from the other side of the family. That's truly one of my black days in my life, where I went from being so happy to so defeated.

    **** it, I'm going to submit my resume and make some phone calls. I've been out of the game for a while, but maybe I can land a spot swinging a fungo or maybe a spot as a position assistant.
     
  5. Don Ballard

    Don Ballard Well-Known Member

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    A sad situation you describe in your post, but I do want to commend you for staying to help your son at a critical time in his life. Hopefully some good will come forth in your new endeavors! Keep the faith!
     
  6. IrishCorey

    IrishCorey Well-Known Member

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    Thanks Don. I know most guys would have taken the job under the guise of 'providing for the family' but I was trying to be there for my son and keep the marriage going.

    The marriage ended not too long after that, but I still stayed for my son. It's why I am here today. When his mom decided to take her life, everyone thought I'd move. My son only had one request, to stay here and graduate with his friends. So, I'm here with and for my son.

    He'll never really know. He'll never really understand and probably never really appreciate, but that's not what's important. He is.