A Legend, Stanford's Mark Marquess, Retires

Wow!   What a loss for college baseball.

One of the best nights in our family's lives was when Coach Marquess made what he called, "the shortest recruiting trip of his life" (about 5 blocks) to our house to speak to our son.  July, 2003.  We had been season ticket holders for years.  It was our son's dream school.

Coach Marquess is a very good man.  I have several examples, but one familiar to old timers here - when our son was hit by a line drive in the face in Cape Cod after his sophomore season, Coach Marquess was on it right away.  He called...and called...and called to check up on him.  During the 2nd surgery to reconstruct his face (2 weeks later and about 4 hours long), my wife (who was in Boston, I was home in CA) told me that Coach Marquess called more than I did during the surgery to check up on our son.  When he returned to CA after the surgery, Coach Marquess was in touch throughout the rest of the summer.

When our son graduated after 4 years, we received a letter from Coach Marquess.  A letter that detailed his personal enjoyment and gratitude for coaching our son.  It was filled with so many specific, personal moments that I know it wasn't a form letter.  It really touched our hearts.  We wrote one back expressing our own gratitude.

Like any college coach (or any level for that matter), our son went up and down on the "like" meter (most likely correlated to playing time at that time), but always stayed at the 100% level on the "respect" meter.  Both meters were at 100% by the time he was graduated and both reside at 100% these days. I know our family is both happy for "9" and his wife Susan (who also became a friend of our family) and sad for the absence that will be felt on The Farm and across college baseball.

9 will have a hard time not going to the field every day.  The singular most focused person I've ever met in my life.  He came totally prepared that night and talked almost non-stop on that visit.  I struggled to get a question in.

I think the world of 9.  I wish the very best for him.

As a fan, and merely from a distance, I have some different perspectives from justbaseball.  We certainly  agree  Coach Marquess is truly one of the great coaches in all of college baseball history. Where we also agree is that Coach Marquess truly believed in the value of a college education for his recruits and players,  and especially the education and doors which open through Stanford and Stanford baseball.

As a fan, we had season tickets beginning in 2001 and loved watching Stanford games during the period from then until around 2010. During that time, they played such high quality baseball in every respect, with the bats, on the mound, and especially defensively.

A few years back, we finally gave up our season tickets.  Even though we are huge college baseball fans, some of the Pac 12 (think U of O) and West Coast baseball games (think CSU Fullerton recently), and  frankly, some of Stanford baseball got a bit  boring to watch.

Coach Marquess has "earned" the opportunity to leave on his terms.  I hope this last year and this news is a celebration for him and his players,  does not create any openings for those who believe this was "overdue" or for at least one in the media who has been openly critical of his offensive approach.

Watching a ton of college baseball on the ESPN App this weekend, it struck me as a Southern Californian just how far baseball has fallen off in the Pac 12, and frankly the West Coast.  UCSB did well, and Long Beach State battled Miami well in their stadium, but Arizona was the only Pac 12 team hanging on to hopes for a possible Super Regional.  Some could say it is just a down year, but then UCLA really laid an egg last year as the #1 seed, and the conference is the definition of mediocrity now.  Lots of schools have changed coaches in recent years and it may take some time for them to make their mark.  But the established coaches like Marquess have not been able to take advantage.

So in that light, it is not surprising that Stanford is announcing the change now.  This should give them time to set up a smooth transition and not lose any recruits.  It is clear the college game is changing, and I wonder how much bringing down the seams and bringing back power in the game is hurting many of these "small ball" coaches and schools (of which there seem to be many on the West Coast).  First Auggie, then Marquess.  Change is indeed coming.

These coaches are legends, but IMO things have changed greatly, its a younger mans game and coaches have a different type of player they have to cater to, old school is definetly not cool these days.

However, its good that he has the opportunity to go out on his terms, unlike Jack Leggett.

infielddad posted:

Coach Marquess has "earned" the opportunity to leave on his terms.  I hope this last year and this news is a celebration for him and his players,  does not create any openings for those who believe this was "overdue" or for at least one in the media who has been openly critical of his offensive approach.

 

I think I know who in the media you are talking about.   That particular person has been ragging on Stanford and Marquess for YEARS now.