Can FSU finally win "the whole bleeping thing"?

2024 Seminoles trying to turn the tide of history - Good for them!

If you’ve ever seen the classic baseball movie “Major League” you’ll get the reference in the headline on this article. If you haven’t, get it on Max, sit down and have a laugh. And I hope no one is offended by the “bleeping.” I’m just quoting the movie.

If you’re Link Jarrett, head coach of the Florida State baseball Seminoles, who’ll be heading to Nebraska this weekend for the College World Series, I would strongly recommend they air that movie on the plane - even if every guy and coach on the team could already quote lines from it. Everybody I know who’s seen it can. It’s that good.

Why? There was an attitude, a looseness, an unquenchable spirit about that film that Jarrett’s warriors would do well to carry into battle on Friday night’s CWS opener against No. 1 Tennessee. Sort of like what we saw that first inning at Howser against UConn on Friday. A hungry, confident, determined baseball team ready to kick ass.

For so many years, the CWS was held at loveable old, creaky Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium, high on a hill, right next to a zoo. It was a place which exuded a homespun warmth, a spot where millions of Nebraskans had placed their bottoms for hours at a time, just hoping for a good game. They rooted for everybody! I know because I used to go down and sit among them. They were wonderful.

Omaha’s Charles Schwab Stadium, located downtown, is a spectacular venue, a definite upgrade and a nod to the modern age but to me, it’s intimidating. Whereas Rosenblatt could, depending on the wind, be a launching pad, there are no cheapies at Schwab. You’ve got to wallop one to get it out. And the wind, at least in the games I’ve seen, doesn’t matter.

To me, the greatest strength of this particular Seminole team - and I’ve watched at least 30 of them - is the way they seem to be able to respond when another team scores. It doesn’t seem to matter who it is.

While the members of the Jaxson West family might have expected that 8th-inning, game-tying HR on Saturday, I’d guess most Seminole fans didn’t. Just as when we had the great James Tibbs drought in the series before, teammates Jaime Ferrer, Marco Dinges and others picked up the slack and the extra base hits at the same time and the team rocked on. (By the way, I called that Tibbs breakout - “While it’s impossible to imagine the Seminole season without the brilliance of Smith, the first-rate efforts of the ACC Player of the Year, James “Mr. Tibbs” (unusually quiet this weekend - must be plotting a Super Regional breakout” It didn’t take genius to make that call. I saw him all year, one of the best seasons by a Seminole in a while.)

Though I haven’t seen all of the other CWS participants, I’ve watched this team and seen enough college baseball over the years to say that this particular FSU lineup, top-to-bottom might be one of the best in the history of the school. At least since the right field screen went up. Which is why, unfortunately, the CWS isn’t still at Rosenblatt. The way this team can swing the bat - and it doesn’t have to be a strike, something I think it’s fair to say has changed for the men in garnet and gold - it’s hard to imagine any team being able to shut all nine of them down for nine innings.

Still, the team has lost 10 of its 15 games to lefthanders. And, as UConn showed, even Jamie Arnold can get a bit roughed up at times. The bullpen, as ever, is an enormous question mark, let’s be honest about it. The fewer Micah Posey sightings there are, the better FSU’s chances.

Surely, the resurrection of Carson Dorsey has been essential to their success and you hope he can keep it going in a different state. And the crew of Brennan Oxford, Conner Whitaker (nice effort Saturday!), Connor Hults, the king of the curveball, burly Joe Charles (who could also be helpful to tackle some fan running on the field) and John Abraham will all likely have to play some role in a successful Omaha stay. And if you look at the list of Seminole CWS performances in recent years, there are some mighty big numbers in the College World Series’ losses, which, of course, points to the pitching.

FSU IN THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES FROM 1996

While the size of Schwab Stadium might be a detriment to the hitters, to FSU hurlers, it may be a godsend on one condition - they throw the damn ball over the damn plate. I recognize in this modern era of baseball, the radar gun is holy. But there have been so many times - and games - this year (and this is a team that only lost 15 games!) where the hurlers beat themselves by walking people.

THROW IT OVER THE PLATE. LET THEM HIT IT.

When I can see my son, a first baseman by trade, come into a major-league game and get outs with a 56 MPH fastball, throw a scoreless inning, it may be naive on my part but I’d rather see grand slams and three-run homers than these cursed walks.

(Aside from the hits, you’ll see Nogo’s scoreless inning against the Braves. He threw strikes!)

Like all of Seminole Nation, I’m excited to see if Link’s lads can invade Schwab Stadium with the kind of Willie Mays Hays, “California Penal,” “Jobu” spirit it may take to shatter that historical mark and show the good folks of Omaha what Florida State baseball is TRULY about.

And maybe by doing that, they can send a special cloud up to “11”, sitting cross-legged on a cloud somewhere over the ballpark, smiling down at what he built and devoted so much of his life to and never quite got. A happy ending in Omaha. It’s about time.