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**Baseball Post*** Define Gorilla Ball & Skip Bertman's Philosophy
Posted on 9/16/26 at 1:17 pm
Posted on 9/16/26 at 1:17 pm
My daughter plays select fastpitch softball, and her coach, originally from Louisiana and a part-time LSU fan, gave the team a homework assignment after their last tournament. Since the bats have been cold, he told them to research Skip Bertman’s offensive philosophy.
Sure, you can find recent articles celebrating Bertman’s legacy, watch Hold the Rope, or let AI summarize what’s floating around online. But I wanted to hear directly from the people who lived it, watched it, and still carry those memories.
I’m humbly asking the diehard LSU fans to share what they know: the details, the stories, and the insights into Skip’s coaching style and offensive approach.
**Please refrain from mentioning the 1989 postseason** Thanks and Gig Em.
Sure, you can find recent articles celebrating Bertman’s legacy, watch Hold the Rope, or let AI summarize what’s floating around online. But I wanted to hear directly from the people who lived it, watched it, and still carry those memories.
I’m humbly asking the diehard LSU fans to share what they know: the details, the stories, and the insights into Skip’s coaching style and offensive approach.
**Please refrain from mentioning the 1989 postseason** Thanks and Gig Em.
Posted on 9/16/26 at 1:20 pm to Farmer1906
3 run home run
Posted on 9/16/26 at 1:21 pm to Farmer1906
I'd imagine getting someone else to so your homework goes against the Aggie honor code.
Posted on 9/16/26 at 1:23 pm to Farmer1906
No sac bunting, no giving urself up
To advance runner, dbl up on Creatine dose and swing that hot arse soon to be outlawed bat as hard as ur new strength will allow . …..DogPile.
To advance runner, dbl up on Creatine dose and swing that hot arse soon to be outlawed bat as hard as ur new strength will allow . …..DogPile.
Posted on 9/16/26 at 1:24 pm to Farmer1906
Skip was a great pitching coach who became a master gameday coach with the help of great players from him giving LSU national exposure and Easton making 2&3/4" Barreled titanium bats. Gorilla ball was just the collision of us having studs and the bats getting obscene.
This post was edited on 9/16/26 at 1:27 pm
Posted on 9/16/26 at 1:28 pm to sabanisarustedspoke
Posted on 9/16/26 at 1:29 pm to Farmer1906
Swing hard in case you hit it
Posted on 9/16/26 at 1:34 pm to Farmer1906
Skip's background was as a pitching coach but he was (obviously) a great coach with great instincts that understood his players, his team and the world of college baseball, including our competition and the technology. In the 90s he realized he could recruit big strong guys, take advantage of the latest bat technology and of recent trends in health and fitness and tailored his philosophies accordingly. The result was very little in the way of station-to-station baseball, i.e. bunting, stealing, sacrificing, etc. and more or less trying to mash every opponent to death. I think if he would have been the head coach during the dead bat era he would have had a completely different team and philosophy.
Posted on 9/16/26 at 1:44 pm to Farmer1906
Farmer is one of the better A&M guys on the SEC Rant. I'm not in the weeds as much for baseball as football or basketball. Some of you guys can share some stuff if you know it. All I can say is he was Nick Saban before Nick Saban. Bertman's practices and attention to detail at every turn demanding perfection.
Posted on 9/16/26 at 1:49 pm to Farmer1906
Ask in a few months. It's football time.
Posted on 9/16/26 at 1:49 pm to Farmer1906
Jim Schwanke’s hitting philosophy
Roids
Roids
Posted on 9/16/26 at 1:51 pm to Farmer1906
quote:
Since the bats have been cold, he told them to research Skip Bertman’s offensive philosophy.
or the coach could be spending that useful time to teach better individual swings and approaches.
Posted on 9/16/26 at 1:52 pm to MOT
quote:
Roids
It's uncomfortable subject for some, but Roids were every in the 90s. Sports, the gym, you name it. It was prevalent in just about all levels of baseball.
Posted on 9/16/26 at 1:53 pm to Broham
A weaver
Posted on 9/16/26 at 2:06 pm to Farmer1906
Outs are precious. Don’t give them up on purpose. Almost zero sac bunting with a little wiggle room depending on certain, rare situations. For example—and the data changes—but you may be slightly more likely to score 1 run with a runner on 2nd and 1 out than you are with a runner on 1st and no outs. But you are much less likely to score 2 or more runs. Crooked numbers win games.
Posted on 9/16/26 at 2:14 pm to Farmer1906
To somewhat answer your question it is difficult to put your finger on it; however. Skip was a pitching coach by trade and was great at it, but he was fluid and realized that offense was easier to get because of the technology at the time. so bring in big kids who hit fly balls, and as stated, no bunts or steals to preserve every out as possible.
What cannot be taught was Skip's ability to get everything out of players. He was able to convince above average players to think, act, and play like all stars in the big moments.
That was his real genius, not just pitch selection and bating lineups.
What cannot be taught was Skip's ability to get everything out of players. He was able to convince above average players to think, act, and play like all stars in the big moments.
That was his real genius, not just pitch selection and bating lineups.
Posted on 9/16/26 at 2:23 pm to Hot Carl
quote:
Outs are precious. Don’t give them up on purpose. Almost zero sac bunting with a little wiggle room depending on certain, rare situations. For example—and the data changes—but you may be slightly more likely to score 1 run with a runner on 2nd and 1 out than you are with a runner on 1st and no outs. But you are much less likely to score 2 or more runs. Crooked numbers win games.
ftr he changed to this philosophy around the mid 90s. he used to tell us at camps or coaching clinics I would go to with my dad that if you had 1st and 2nd with no outs, always bunt. it was always, no questions asked, doesnt even have to be signaled. he also use to say, 2nd and 3rd less than 2 outs.....bunt because they can never make the play at home.
then as the bats got hotter he noticed that expected runs were greater without giving up the out. so he changed to where it was never bunt.
some other things he used to preach is your best hitter goes first in the lineup or at worst 2nd.
he also said if your closer is your best pitcher....than why would you ever take a chance of him not being meaning full in a game? why would you wait to bring your best pitcher in and let the game be out of reach before he can make an impact
he always made you think outside the box and question norms
Posted on 9/16/26 at 2:30 pm to lsu777
He told the players often: son swing hard just in case you might hit it.
Posted on 9/16/26 at 2:51 pm to Farmer1906
with the situation youre talking about,im guessing hold the rope is the answer to the question being asked
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