The post-season failures have become flat-out embarrassing. No other way to put it.
That sentiment isn’t rooted in the entitlement of a longtime Miami Hurricanes baseball supporter waxing poetic about the old days—when Omaha was a gimme and “The U” was in the thick of things at Rosenblatt every summer.
Some great Canes teams were humbled on that hallowed field in corn country. Welcome to college baseball.
No, this is a full-blown knock regarding a true lack of grit and absence of clutch play that once embodied a one-time baseball powerhouse. Big bats. Lights out pitching. Iconic moments that brought home four championships and earned Miami some bonafide swag.
The Canes barreled through regular season after regular season—but was built post-season tough for championship runs.
The opposite has become the new norm in Coral Gables this past decade; a program seemingly content with winning three-game series, half-ass mid-week performances against lesser local foes and spouting loser-mentality gibberish after leaving a conference title on the field weeks back; stating that it was all about Omaha and a national title being the ultimate goal.
Instead, the Canes were the first team run out of the College World Series—in limp, lifeless, amateur-hour fashion, no less.
OVER BEFORE IT EVEN GOT STARTED
Half an inning into this year’s College World Series, Miami was already reeling.
Starting pitcher Michael Mediavilla plunked two batters and walked two more. The burly left-hander only gave up one hit, but the damage was done and Arizona led, 3-0 in a game they’d eventually take, 5-1.
Back to the loser’s bracket in Omaha for the third time in three tries—the Canes were still lifeless and urgency-free against a spirited UC Santa Barbara team coming off a two-game sweep of second-seeded Louisville at home last weekend.
Danny Garcia was serviceable on the mound; a 1-1 ball game before a rain delay in the bottom of the sixth—but Miami’s big bats and stout defense were nowhere to be found.
Action resumed ninety minutes later, Garcia trotted back out and got back to work—nobody out and a runner on first.
A pop-up for the inning’s first out was followed by a double down the right field line. Frankie Bartow immediately entered in relief—begging the question as to why Garcia was even on the mound after the long delay.
Bartow intentionally walked his first batter before giving up a single. A throwing error on a sacrifice bund kept things rolling and another sacrifice resulted in a second out, before a grounder ending the inning. Still, the damage was done—the Gauchos tacked on four runs and the Canes had nine outs to get hot and keep their season alive.
Miami got two back in the eight, but stranded two more runners while training by two. Coupled with the three left on base earlier and the 10 that were left hanging in the opener to Arizona—the Canes remained consistently inconsistent with everything on the line.
Days back Miami picked up a fourth inning run against the Wildcats, cutting the lead to two—but immediately gave up two runs in the top of the fifth, handing momentum directly back to the guys in the other dugout. The Canes wound up limp-dicking their way to the opening round loss by going scoreless the game’s final five innings.
Even worse, the acceptance of their loser’s bracket fate—which has become commonplace. Miami seemed void of any true frustration or emotion; which leads to a much deeper-rooted issue within this once-dominant program.
CLOCK KEEPS TICKING; TIME FOR CHANGE
Modern day fans have gotten very knee-jerk when attempt to play the role of athletic director or general manager. Fire this clown. Hire that guy. Recruit kids from this school. Break the bank and throw everything at this superstar in free agency.
It’s easy to have all the answers when everything is supremely hypothetical and there’s zero accountability tied to the decision-making.
All that disclaimer stuff out of the way—it shouldn’t be hard to collectively agree that the Jim Morris era in Coral Gables has more than run it’s course. In all reality, change should’ve been made half a decade ago—but loyalty and overall body of work have a tendency of getting over-rewarded in college sports.
Miami dealt with it on the gridiron over a decade ago—sticking by bad-longterm-fit football coach Larry Coker, who bought himself a lot of time with a national title, two championship game appearances, three consecutive BCS games and a 35-3 start.
Coker won with the super-squad assembled by the great Butch Davis, but once those greats departed—the Canes were quickly humbled. 25-12 over the next three seasons. No BCS games. Miami’s first six-loss season in a decade and a lopsided 40-3 ass-kicking at the hands of LSU in a second-tier bowl.
Where Coker rode coattails to success, Morris certainly built his legacy at Miami—taking over for the legendary Ron Fraser, maintaining a high level of success and winning his first title six years in (and his second two years later.) Morris rolled into Coral Gables a 44-year old former Georgia Tech head coach in his prime and ready to go all-in. He did, and the results were undeniable.
Miami re-upped with Morris in 2009 and at the time his body of work supported it. The Canes had made it to Omaha 11-of-16 tries in his time at “The U”—a top-seed the previous season, before dropping the College World Series opener on a fluke ninth-inning throwing error.
Morris was named ACC Coach of the Year in 2008 and had earned national honors three times prior. His winning percentage at Miami was .724 by way of a 733-278-3 record. The Canes made it to Omaha his first six seasons as skipper.
As quick as supporters may be to hype those successful early years—one has to be realistic about the State of The U since. Over the past seven seasons, the Canes are 288-136 under Morris; a .679 winning percentage.
Omaha? More of a fluke than a trend. Miami experienced a five-year drought after that 2009 extension and despite making it to the College World Series the past two seasons, sport a lackluster 1-4 record in those appearances.
In rolling out this narrative on Morris’ past decade at the University of Miami, it has to be acknowledged that the move from a baseball independent to member of the Atlantic Coast Conference definitely ratcheted up the level of competition for the Canes.
On the cold-hard-facts side of things; UM also deals with things that state schools don’t face—namely, partial scholarships and the fallout that comes from being an expensive private university. Morris and Miami have lost a boatload of talent these past few years, either to more-affordable state powerhouses, or to the big money phenoms can make via the MLB Draft.
All of that is real. All of that has impacted the Miami program. All of that has changed college baseball from what it was, to what it is today. Still, none of that excuses what looks like some blatant going-through-the-motions for a head coach whose heart no longer seems in it.
REAL LIFE VERSUS SPORTS LIFE
Age is something we all battle and at 66 years old—having been a head coach for 34 seasons—Morris has every reason to feel a bit tired or run down. There was a health scare back in 2013 that left him hospitalized in Durham, North Carolina during the ACC Championship for upwards of two weeks.
The health scare came two years after some real life moments as well; getting married for a second time and soon after, becoming a late-in-life father. Five years remarried with a four year old son—as well as the baggage of an ex-wife, alimony payments and all the other heaviness that comes from ending one chapter and starting anew.
As much love Morris still has for the game, or the amount of fire he claims still burns within regarding winning—it all has to be measured against his world outside of baseball, as well as the body of work since the noticeable backsliding began. The Canes look all the part of a completely disinterested bunch in the post-season and going-through-the-motions has become the new norm.
ALL DOWNHILL AFTER ANOTHER EXTENSION
Had extensions not been thrown around so liberally over the years by Miami’s athletic department—in all sports—a logical time for change would’ve been after the 2012 season came to an abrupt, unexpected had. The Canes weren’t a national seed, but were picked to host the Coral Gables Regional against a beatable field.
Instead, Miami opened with fourth-seeded Stony Brook and got waxed, 10-2. Once in the loser’s bracket, the Canes got stomped, 12-1 by third-seeded Missouri State, who fell to Central Florida, 2-1 in their opener.
Stony Brook wound up taking down LSU in Baton Rouge in the Super Regionals, punched their ticket to Omaha and were run out of town two games later—somewhat excusing the Canes’ loss to the Seawolves—but getting rolled by the Bears and losing by a combined score of 22-4 over two games at home?
The following season the Canes put together a 35-21 regular season, got pounded 17-1 in the opening two rounds of the ACC Championship—courtesy of North Carolina and North Carolina State—but found a little magic in game three against Clemson.
Morris fell ill that morning and was hospitalized with pneumonia. Long-time assistant Gino DiMare was handed the keys and the Canes played some inspired baseball in a “meaningless” 7-o win over the Tigers. DiMare remained at the helm through the Louisville Regional—where Miami topped Oklahoma State in the opener, fell to the hometown Cardinals and got worked in a rematch with the Cowboys, ending the 2013 season.
The Canes put together an impressive 40-15 regular season in 2014, earning the regular season ACC title—but the post-season setbacks continues. Georgia Tech and Clemson waxed the Canes in Greensboro in the first two rounds of the championship, before Miami responded with an extra-innings win over Duke.
Another Coral Gables Regional followed, with the Canes falling to Texas Tech in the winner’s bracket. Miami got another shot at the Red Raiders and forced a win-or-go-home showdown with Omaha on the line. The second-seeded squad from Lubbock shut out the home team, 4-0 and ended the Canes’ most-promising season since 2008.
INSULT TO INJURY; MEASURED BY RIVAL GAMES
Another large component regarding Miami’s failures over the past decades; a shift in power and getting owned by Florida—often in the regular season, but especially in roadblock-fashion in regards to Omaha.
After a six-year College World Series drought, the Canes were back in action in 2015—but promptly run out of town by the Gators, falling 15-3 in the opener and 10-2 in a loser’s bracket situation days later.
In 2011 the Gators topped the Canes in the Gainesville Regional—5-4 in a winner’s bracket game and 11-4 the next day, ending Miami’s season. The year prior, Florida rolled at home in the Super Regionals—ousting the Canes in back-to-back games; 7-2 and 4-3. Another abrupt ending to a positive run.
In 2009 another Gainesville Regional showdown—Florida rolling 8-2 in a winner’s bracket game and putting Miami out of it’s misery, 16-5 in the loser’s bracket, on the heels of two meaningless wins over lowly Jacksonville to stay alive.
Like Miami, Florida went winless in Omaha this June—their quest for that first title again snuffed out, with that bringing some type of pointless solace to Canes Nation. Rooting against the Gators is a national pastime for supporters of “The U”—but Florida’s lack of next-level success doesn’t diminish their dominance over Miami in the Canes’ decade-long backslide.
In short, if the Gators remain that beatable in Omaha—how come they continue owning the Canes’ in both the regular- and post-season? It’s less about overall talent and has everything to do with mental edge, attitude and confidence level that should all trickle down from the head coach, but simply do not.
In the wake of another disappointing end to a season, the apologists again cite Morris’ overall body of work, celebrate getting to Omaha, ramble on about the competition and parity in today’s game and chalk this year up to a success, statistically.
If that contingent wants to beat the 11-of-16 drum in Morris’ favor regarding treks to Omaha early on—they better be equally as quick to answer questions about 2-of-8 since and a a 1-4 record in the College World Series since; as well as that five-year drought since that extension was signed in 2009.
While 2016’s body of work won’t be chalked up as an epic fail—winning the ACC’s regular season and getting back to Omaha a second consecutive season—the heartless showing and lack of competition was unforgivable. Miami ran into a buzzsaw last year when having to take on Florida twice. Those lopsided beatdowns were ugly, but the Gators were that good and arguably should’ve won it all.
Neither Arizona or UC Santa Barbara are anywhere near comparable to last year’s Florida squad. These were simply two spunky teams that brought some fight, energy, looseness and fun to their post-season and then fed off it against a tight, cold, lifeless Canes squad.
Miami hasn’t won an opener in Omaha since rolling Oregon State, 11-1 in 2006. The Canes were out two games later, eventually losing to the Beavers in the loser’s bracket—while OSU scrapped their way to a national championship.
Six trips to Omaha since the Canes last ring in 2001—with a 5-12 record and never once making it past the third game or a loser’s bracket victory. Once a gimme to be one of those elite eight final teams—Miami is now a crap shoot to make it, and once there has proven post-season week, reinventing new ways to squander opportunities.
TOSS THE KEYS TO THE GUY AT THIRD BASE
All of this to go Shawshank-style, advising the Miami program to get busy living, or get busy dying. Morris’ extension in 2009 was understandable, but what logic was there in another three-year re-up after a post-season fail in 2014?
No conference championship, no home regional success, no Supers and no Omaha for a sixth-straight season—yet the Canes’ top brass deemed this the ideal tie to reward a veteran coach in the twilight of his career.
Morris had one year left on his contract, which would’ve set up a logical swan song in 2015—and the transition to DiMare this season. Instead it’s Morris’ show through 2018, where he’ll finally retire at 68 years old and 25 seasons at “The U”. DiMare will then take his first stab at college head coach at 48 years old—when in all reality he should be entering his seventh season, had change been made after 2012.
At minimum, DiMare would be entering year four in 2018 had the last extension never happened and Miami would either be well on their way back, or would be in the market for a new leader if the promoting-from-within experiment failed.
Is DiMare the answer? Zero clue—but he’s next in line and is being given a shot, so why tack more time onto the Morris farewell tour at the expense of Hurricanes baseball getting back on the right track? The program has to be bigger than the individual—no matter what he’s done for the program or where his heart is at regarding the game.
“I love coaching,” Morris told the Miami Herald in mid-May of 2014, when asked about his future status and what he would say to critics that wanted him ousted after seeing UM go three consecutive seasons without winning a regional—one of those, in 2012, as the host. “I’m not doing things a lot differently than I did 10 years ago. We have better players this year. We had a great recruiting class.
“You know what? I drive a Cadillac. And these guys are Cadillacs.”
Yes that was a high-performance bunch—but as any racing enthusiast will tell you, a car is only as good as it’s driver.
Morris’ Canes came up short of ACC titles the past two seasons, despite all was under the hood and accomplished nothing in Omaha, outside of the challenge of getting there.
Welcome to where the current bar is set baseball-wise at “The U”—and will remain for another two seasons, unfortunately.