Tigers ROLLING for #7!

"You’re living a pretty good life if losing a baseball game hurts that bad…but it does." - Coach Jay Johnson

Chapter One

Sitting forward in an old Adirondack chair on the pier in Lake Hamilton, Arkansas, I am suddenly aware of the throbbing pain emanating from my right palm. Inverting both hands as if I were about to say the Lord’s prayer, the usual lines which provide the roadmap for my future are completely obscured by the redness caused by the blood pooling near the surface. Did I do this? Yes and No. It seems that I have an involuntary reaction when I follow my beloved Tiger baseball team. I blame Tre Morgan and Jordan Thompson for the first two sets of contact between my palm and the perfectly sized arm of the Adirondack chair - the whacks were almost as loud as the RBI knocks that brought the Tigers to within one run in the 7th inning of the Southern Mississippi Regional final. Again, remember it’s involuntary, but when Gavin Dugas tied it up in the 8th with a leadoff bomb, I think I may have done some real damage.

There I was. The game over, with the Baseball Tigers’ 2022 season coming to an end in a 8-7 defeat on that Monday afternoon. To make matters worse, the throbbing from my palm only serves to drive home the finality of it all. But then something unusual happened. Rather than sink into the usual doldrums with such a loss, my mental state seemed to improve at the same rate as the blood retreating from my palm. Instead of the “what-ifs”, I was laser focused on all the positives from the first season with Jay Johnson at the helm. And for all you millennials out there, this Boomer will go with CJJ from here on out.

I immediately recalled CJJ’s press conference upon being named the replacement for legendary Paul Mainieri. There was just something different, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. It felt more like a person interviewing for a job than one that just landed the best job in college baseball - the transparency of it all was a little confusing, to be honest. Then came his first weekly radio show, and things began to crystalize - it seemed like every question asked of him was from a colleague merely trying to pick his brain. I remember one such question during his weekly radio show with Chris Blair, with a caller wondering why we don’t steal bases at a higher clip. I was not prepared for the three-pronged answer which included statistics about power hitters, defensive alignments, and situational baseball. I also found it amusing to hear a few weeks later during a broadcast where Chris Blair made a reference to asking how his radio show compared to Arizona, to which CJJ said “what show at Arizona”.

Next to the diamond, and although I must admit that it took a little getting used to offensive timeouts and pulling a starter after one hitter, it was quite apparent from the first game of the year that CJJ had a good read for his team, punching the right buttons at the right time. Whether it was pulling a pitcher or pinch-hitting a freshman late in the game, it seemed like the wheels were always turning in an effort to come out on top in every game.

When CJJ was announced to replace Paul Mainieri, there was one common theme to all of the initial reports and research about him - all of his teams could hit the ball. And the 2022 LSU Tigers were no exception. Without having access to the process, I was left to picking up clues to how CJJ managed to produce offensively superior teams. It must all boil down to the plan of attack - I can’t tell you how many times we heard the words “the plan”, preceded by the words “we stuck to” in most wins, and we “failed to stick to” in most losses. But how does one build a plan for each game, and for that matter, each at bat? Data, data, data - which in the right hands, turns into valuable information. Being a data nerd, it is quite obvious to me that CJJ is a firm believer in data analytics and its potential impact on a game.

As I gazed out over the lake, mesmerized by the rolling waves making their way to shore, anticipating the calming sounds of water lapping against the rocks, curiosity took center stage. How was CJJ going to react to this season-ending event? Would he look back, stay in the present, look forward? I had my phone. I could sift through the message boards for a snippet or two. After my phone recognized my face and came to life, a paused YouTube video displayed a large mouth bass being pulled from the same lake where I had yet to get a nibble. Quick to remove the source of my low self esteem, I select the search bar. Why not? I type in Hattiesburg Regional, and sure enough, it comes up - LSU postgame press conference. Play ball, or just hit play.

The moderator begins the press conference with the announcement of the athletes that accompanied CJJ, the LSU players selected to the All Tournament team, finally ending with congratulations on a great season for the Tigers. As CJJ lifted his head up as to acknowledge it was time for an opening statement, he started with

Congratulations to Coach Berry and his program…elite, elite pitching staff, and we just couldn’t hang with them in that regard. Pretty painful right now.

In that regard - this seemed to be the theme until it began to get out of hand. To the second question about the fight showed by the team, CJJ responded with

All we did in this tournament is show fight…it’s a simple game, honestly, they’re infinitely better on the mound than we are.

Probably realizing this was getting out of hand, CJJ deflected the follow-up question about rectifying the deficiency on the mound by acknowledging that work needed to be done, and while he respected the question, now was the time to talk about the current team. Discretion being the better part of valor, CJJ chose the high road, although it seemed like he wanted to go into much greater detail about solving this problem.

After deftly swatting away the question about next year’s roster, a reporter asked CJJ what message he gave his team after this painful loss. CJJ came clean, with

Honestly, I was not prepared to lose the game. I had full belief that we were going to win today. So I need to formulate my thoughts so I can honor how the team competed. And I wasn’t ready to do that thirty seconds after that game, because up until the last strike, I believed we were going to win.

I have never had the opportunity to be in CJJ’s position, but I must admit that I was a little taken aback by the fact that he was at a loss for words. I thought a coach must be ready to handle every situation - but the more I thought about it, I found it very refreshing to learn that our coach would not let the negative outcome even enter his mind, if only for a second. No wonder our boys always fought to the last strike, all season long.

The last question, in an effort to sum things up and look forward, was how this bitter loss would motivate the team. As CJJ was formulating his words, I thought I was going to see him morph into the great Jim Mora - but CJJ kept his cool.

He took the opportunity to once again mention that the only thing lacking in 2022 was pitching, emphasizing the fight the team showed all year. He then moved on to emphasize the competitive nature of his team, discounting any need for motivation. CJJ basically summed up his feelings with

I wanted to take these guys to Omaha so bad, I cannot express it in words.

We’ll get there, there’s no doubt in my mind that we’ll do that.

It just hurts, because I wanted to do it with this team. On the inside, I knew how special that would have been … for some of the things we overcame. How bad these guys wanted it, and were open to a new way. I mean, it’s different, I roll a little bit differently. And I had buy in from first day.

I was happy to hear CJJ mention that he rolls a little bit differently, which is what I found very appealing once he was exposed to the LSU fan base. Before the season even started, CJJ warned us that we may be in for some long games, after which my first reaction was great, we’re playing West Coast ball now. But that was not it at all - he went on to explain that the coaching staff would have to figure out other ways to win games, and our pitching rotation and decisions would not look anything like what we’re used to. And boy, was he right!

At this point, the sun is very low in the sky, smearing orange across the water like an oil painting. My eyes begin to get heavy, helped by the calming sounds of the water, the slight breeze, and the pile of aluminum cans at my feet. I’m out, off to dreamland.

As my surroundings come into focus, I am sitting in a sports bar with a pint of beer, glass sweating, reminding me that that the beer is cold but the surroundings are not. I don’t remember ordering this beer, and as I raise it for that first good gulp, I see a large shamrock on the coaster. An Irish pub? And why am I surrounded by nothing but people clad in purple and gold? That beer sure hit the spot, with the subtle touch of barleycorn staying with me. A voice in my head whispers Let’s Roll.

Stepping outside, the sky is so bright my eyes are reduced to small slits, narrowing my focus onto a miniature baseball field, complete with a few rows of colorful bleacher seats. It all seems so familiar and odd at the same time. Is this a real playing field or some sort of replica? The plaque along the first base line doesn’t help much - the sun was so bright I could only see the bottom, which read Established: 2012 Architects: Rose and Blatt. There’s that voice again - Let’s Roll.

I give up trying to make sense of my surroundings, rather I decide to go with the flow. And flow it is. I find myself walking over a bridge, with a welcoming casino at the end. I don’t normally frequent casinos, but on the rare occasion, I head straight for the craps table. And it was very easy to do, drawn in by the roar of excitement, hope, and desperation, all at a fever pitch. COME ON 7, BABY! WE NEED A 7! I HAVEN’T SEEN A 7 IN A WHILE! ROLL THAT 7! ROLL! ROLL!

Sheepishly nudging my way to the table, I feel a tap on the shoulder. As I haven’t engaged the table at all, it couldn’t be the pit boss. Ignoring it, I move closer - the next tap comes harder, with some instructions. Let’s Roll! Come on, Let’s Roll!

I open my eyes to the visage of my son-in-law letting me know it’s time to go grab dinner. The sun had obviously set, the lights on the pier were in full glow, and my back started to ache from the Adirondack chair. Doing my best cat stretch, while trying to maintain my balance on the pier, my son-in-law feels the need to put some pep in my step. “Come on, old man, let’s roll, it’s 7”.

Being as superstitious as the next fan, I would hardly mention the word Omaha in the offseason, as it may serve as a proactive jinx for the upcoming season. This season, however, I am throwing caution to the wind - LSU will be back in Omaha in 2023. And before anyone tells me to SLOW MY ROLL, I say if CJJ can roll a little bit differently, so can I. Starting today, CJJ and the boys will be Rolling for Seven.

Geaux Tigers! See y’all in June on Leavenworth, between 43rd and 44th!