June 14, 2007

ASU coach misses by a mile

Greg Hansen

Arizona State baseball coach Pat Murphy is an outspoken guy who isn’t afraid to stir the pot and make some outrageous statements.

A few weeks ago, he blew his stack when TV analyst Jerry Kindall—we luv’ ya, JK—suggested that both Arizona and ASU had gone through some down seasons.

Murphy then took a shot at nice-guy Kindall, insisting the Sun Devils had not experienced any down time.

Mush. ASU hasn’t won a national title for 26 years.

At the College World Series this week, Murphy ripped into women’s college softball, a not-so-veiled shot at Mike Candrea’s overwhelming success at Arizona.

“No disrespect to softball in any way,’’ Murphy said, and then proceeded to disrespect softball, claiming there are but “15 teams that are legit.’’

Murphy suggested that “150’’ baseball teams are legit and could win the World Series “at any time.’’

Mush II.

Half of this year’s CWS field are repeaters from last year: Oregon State, Cal-Fullerton, North Carolina and Rice.

From 2000-2007, when 64 spots have been available at the baseball World Series, an overwhelming 41 have been filled by the same 11 teams: Oregon State, Cal-Fullerton, Rice, Georgia, Miami, Clemson, Texas, South Carolina, Nebraska, Stanford and LSU.

College baseball is a same-old, same-old sport rarely giving space to a outsider. The only “shock’’ teams to get to Omaha this decade have been one-shot wonders San Jose State, Louisiana-Lafayette and Missouri State.

Everyone else has a baseball pedigree.

Murphy was so far off on his claim that 150 baseball teams could win the World Series—he was off by about 140 teams—that it was laughable.