Greg Lucas has a new post over at FSH on Mike Barnett:
Let us start off by saying that he has a one thing in common with most of us. He never played major league baseball. In fact he never even played professional baseball at all. An injury during his collegiate days at Ohio University to a shoulder ending his playing hopes. Instead he turned to becoming a real student of the game. When I say that I mean a student of everything about the game...
...Mike Barnett will be no Jeff Bagwell. He won't even be a Sean Berry since he has no personal experiences to relay to his hitters. But he has a keen eye according to all reports and --as they say with players--is fundamentally sound.
The Astros hiring of Mike did nothing for season ticket sales. But if he can help make the club a better offensive team that is what will sell tickets.
Don't ever confuse big names with big results as coaches. Some work out fine. But many of the very best pitching coaches, hitting coaches and managers have come from the ranks of the "who's he's" when they were players.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
