As you probably notice, I generally keep my opinions close to the vest when it comes to covering Red Raider Baseball. It’s no secret, I’m not a professional journalist, but I deeply appreciate the opportunity I have to cover this team and I want to do that as well as I can. But like you, I am also a fan of Texas Tech Baseball. I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to peek behind the curtain and see the personalities, passion, and dedication of the players, coaches, and staff that put an elite product on the field.
When I’m asked on local radio and podcasts about Texas Tech’s high level of recruiting I always come back to relationships, but what does that entail? I think we saw a prime example of the authenticity of the relationships between coaches and players on Sunday night in Statesboro.
When Texas Tech Assistant Coach J-Bob Thomas was ejected Sunday in the fourth inning of Tech’s final game of the season we heard Head Coach Tim Tadlock talk about what happened immediately following in the dugout interview.
“Yeah we’ve just been going back and forth a little bit on some stuff you’re not supposed to go back and forth on,” said Tadlock on the broadcast. “Just kind of had enough, you know sometimes you’ve gotta stand up for your guys.”
According to reporting by @lubbockonline, the @ABCA1945/@BaseballAmerica 2017 National Assistant Coach of the Year J-Bob Thomas has received a 7-game suspension.
– 1 game for ejection of a non-head coach
– 2 games for prolonged arguing
– 4 games for bumping an umpire pic.twitter.com/ZbibqlpyPQ— Red Raider Dugout (@RedRaiderDugout) June 6, 2022
I’m not here to discuss the merits of the ejection or the quality of the officiating in the Statesboro Regional. I respect the men and women that strap on the gear or hang the whistle and make it possible for us to enjoy or lament sports, it’s a thankless job where perfection is the unattainable expectation.
What I’m here to talk about are Texas Tech coaches, I think we can all use a reminder of what these guys put on the line for their players.
So often we talk about salary as a measure of a coach. The higher that number the further away their humanity seems to fall from view as the abuse they endure and demands on their time become “part of the job”. But money doesn’t recoup time, these guys have spouses and children that they are away from for significant parts of the year.
The Red Raiders played 61 games this season, and 35 of those were away from Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park. They went on a dozen multi-day road trips, and that’s not accounting for the days on the road they’ll put in recruiting as well. Texas Tech’s class is currently ranked #6 by Perfect Game, and their JUCO class is #3. That comes with a price.
This weekend I chose to stay home instead of going to Statesboro. I was able to see my inlaws, keep the book at my daughter’s City Tournament tee-ball win, and watch her in her first dance recital at Buddy Holly Hall. These guys didn’t get that choice. They aren’t complaining, they chose their profession and the demands it brings, but don’t think for a second it doesn’t matter. Those moments are fleeting as a parent, and these coaches have made the decision to dedicate themselves to the guys in the dugout and the pursuit of being great together.
You can’t fake that kind of dedication and resolve. These guys love their players, they love them all the way and they love their families too. Add right behind that on the list that they love each other and they love Texas Tech as well. It’s honestly impressive to see, and while the goal is to win an NCAA National Championship, the relationships built around that common goal aren’t any less real. When Tadlock talks about Ray Hayward or Cody Masters fighting for their lives, or Davis Martin making his MLB debut, he fights back tears not only speaking about those men but their families too. You can’t fake authentic relationships.
When Thomas was named the 2017 ABCA/Baseball America Assistant Coach of the Year, their article quoted Josh Jung and his thoughts about what those relationships look like.
Thomas, whose parents were both coaches, brings that personal touch to his recruiting. He believes in the power of relationships when recruiting and to cultivate meaningful relationships, he knows he has to meet players and their families in person.
“I’m going to go out and see the kid,” Thomas said. “I could easily talk on the phone about Texas Tech, but he’s going to see me in person and that family is going to know there’s a priority on him coming to that school.”
Sophomore third baseman Josh Jung, one of Texas Tech’s two All-Freshmen honorees last spring, said he felt that personal touch was important during his recruitment. Not only did Thomas get out to see him, they also spoke on the phone almost every Sunday.
“Not even so much about baseball, but about life,” Jung said. “He gets really involved with families and tries to establish a good connection there. For me, the biggest deal is how he connected with everyone, not just me.”
So make no mistake, when J-Bob Thomas made his way from the third-base coach’s box to the plate Sunday night he was not arguing the ejection, he was making a point crystal clear to Home Plate Umpire Greg Charles – he was going to stand up for his guys.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen it, but it just proves that the fire and passion they have for their players hasn’t waned. In the 2014 Regional in Coral Gables, Thomas shot out of the dugout on a mission when Miami First Base Coach (now head coach) Gino DiMare came after Eric Gutierrez. It doesn’t matter what Gutierrez did or didn’t do, Thomas was not going to have another coach go after his guy, and Tadlock was not far behind.
This season in Phoenix when Cole Stilwell was tossed for showing his frustration at the plate after being rung up on a pitch inside, Thomas didn’t hesitate to have his back. Tadlock in New Mexico in 2017, Tadlock along with Masters at Dallas Baptist in 2018, the list goes on. It’s not always an ejection, but they are a bit easier to remember.
I can say unequivocally that Tim Tadlock, J-Bob Thomas, Pitching Coach Matt Gardner, Volunteer Assistant Eric Gutierrez, Director of Operations Joe Hughes, and everyone else in that program love their players, and that is exactly why Thomas brought down the thunder Sunday night in Statesboro. It’s not about the emotion of the moment and it’s not really about the umpiring, it’s about these guys fully owning their role as coaches and the responsibility that role carries.
That’s what continues to bring great players to Texas Tech. Because in addition to recruits’ skills on the field, they’re also high-character people. They are building real relationships with each other and with good people in the program that go about their business the right way.
That’s something for all Red Raiders to be proud of, and why the future will always be bright with these coaches pouring themselves into this program and the players who make it great.
I’m confident in saying, nothing is going to stop any of these coaches from loving their guys fiercely and always having their backs, J-Bob Thomas’ recent ejection is just the newest example of the bedrock of Texas Tech Baseball’s success.
