donate $100.00 or 40 people to donate $50.00.
I don't even know where to start this email...
I was in Ruston this weekend for a wedding that I was in. By the way, Ruston looked good. The rehearsal dinner and reception were both at Squire Creek. WOW! What a place. Anyway, back to my point
Upon waking up Saturday morning after a long night recalling many memories of my Tech days, a friend of mine from high school and I went to the baseball field. We watched practice for about 30 minutes from the car and then saw Coach Simoneaux and decided to go see him. Folks, he is awesome. We spent almost 3 hours w/ him. My friend graduated from LSU in 1998 and is in PA school at LSUS. He remembered Simoneaux from Gonzales when he was in charge of the youth program there. He walked away and was impressed. Impressed that a head coach spent time (almost 3 hours) w/ us away from his players, and mostly impressed w/ his vision. He was impressed w/ the players, the respect that they had for us when they met us.
He gave us a tour and showed us what was under construction. Just to let ya'll know, the baseball players and coaches are doing the work. Work meaning the pysical labor. The labor of digging 2 feet holes w/ post hole diggers, shoveling sand, spreading mulch, etc... The picnic area in the front of the stadium is underway. This will be 1st class. The chairbacks should be arriving the 1st week of February and then should be installed by the home opener. He showed us the new tractor, shovels that he bought w/ his own money, as he has bought alot of things w/ his own money. We talked about players, some that left from last year. He is very honest w/ his players. Steve Soper from Parkview Baptist in Baton Rouge is a good player. He wanted to catch every game. Simoneaux told him that he wasn't b/c his defense wasn't good enough so the kid left. That is just one example. We met probably half of the team and EVERY kid was very RESPECTFUL and very THANKFUL for what we as fans do for them. The players know what we do.
Simoneaux knows he has to win. he is pumped abot his defense. We will be very strong up the middle. We have a new 3B that is very good. He is a kid from Houston and is a gamer. I think Simoneaux is most excited about the Lorio kid from Catholic in Baton Rouge. This kid is 6'4'' and looks great. He has gained 20 pounds since arriving in the fall (but says he is getting tired of peanut butter
). Sim says he is a jewel in the rough and could possibly be our #3 starter as a true freshman. He is throwing 91 right now. This kid is focused and knows he has a chance to make it in the big leagues. A friend of mine who coaches baseball at Denham Springs coached against Lorio and says he just needed some coaching, said he is very
green. The girls softball team will be using the back locker room. Sim said we only used it in the fall, but they have to use it b/c Tech won't build them one in their complex. That is really only the negative thing from my visit.
Sim is very supportive of Oakes. Says he is trying. He says Ronnie Walker is trying. So this is the deal:
I told him that his enthusiasm is contagious. He needs $3,000 to finish this project. Someone donated $1000.00 last week. I told him that I would have $2000.00 by February 1st. This will be your first tax deductible gift for 2005. Anything will help.
Simoneaux knows and I know he is on the verge of having something special there. He knows he has to win. I'm hoping for a .500 season. We didn't discuss goals for wins, but he knows he has to win and his players know that too. Man, you can tell that his players believe in him and would literally take a bullet for him. You can tell that when you talk to them. Everything is "yes sir" or "no sir" when you ask them a question. Simoneaux demands that and anything else he will not tollerate. He demands perfection from them. After his 3rd year of recruiting which will be next year is when I expect to be really good. I still think this year we are a little young but that is not an excuse and he is definately not using that as one.
I would like for the checks to all come to me so that I could mail them to him at one time, he is too busy this time of year to be getting checks every day (unless someone else has a better idea). He said to make out to:
Louisiana Tech University Foundation / Baseball
Upon receiving the $2000, I will then mail him all of the checks. When he gets the checks, you will then receive your receipt for your taxes. If anyone has a better idea, please let me know. This is a program that I KNOW is in the right direction. The baseball program needs this money. I know alot of you may have bought a chairback. This is the final $2000 needed for the project.
Bubbe Day
118 Greenside Court
Lafayette, LA 70508
Please email w/ any questions or suggestions on how to accomplish this so that he can have the money by February 1st. I'm hoping and praying that we (BB&B) can pull this off for him. If you talk to this guy for 10 minutes, you would know what I am talking about. He has so much energy. He has vision.
What do ya'll think?
Oh, I'm in for $100. So now we are down to 19.