Mailbag: What does Banks Tolley's season say about the Rebels?

Ole Miss (25-23, 9-15) hosts Texas A&M (41-8, 16-8) for a three-game series starting tonight at 7:30 at Swayze Field. The series continues at 4 p.m. on Saturday and 5 p.m. on Sunday. The Rebels are tied with LSU for 11th in the SEC, two games ahead of Missouri for the final final spot in the SEC Tournament.

This is usually a baseball mailbag, but we opened some junk mail this week, too.

Banks Tolley signed with Ole Miss out of Meridian Community College and spent two years in Oxford, though he redshirted in 2023 to maintain that season of eligibility. He played in 26 games in 2022, all as a reserve. He mainly pinch ran or was a defensive replacement. He went 4-for-15 with two doubles on the season.

This year, at Appalachian State, Tolley is hitting .385 with 21 home runs, a .775 slugging percentage and a 1.262 OPS. By any measure, he's having a hell of a a year -- a year that makes it ripe to look at what he's doing and wonder how he's not at Ole Miss playing well.

I'm not sure that's fair in any direction though. This isn't taking anything away from him, as he's putting up numbers in a category only with the nation's best and will almost assuredly be an All-American.

I just don't know how to translate it to hitting in the SEC against high-level pitching day in and day out. Treyson Hughes has struggled to maintain any of the power from Mercer. It's just a different deal. Tolley is 1-for-8 in two games against high-major teams, a sample size that says nothing either way.

What Tolley's numbers really are, if we break it down, are a flash point for how a lot of the Ole Miss fan base doesn't trust the development within the program. The benefit of the doubt is gone, and the numbers back that up.

Tolley might be great in the SEC or he might struggle. I don't know. I do know fans wondering if letting him go was a massive mistake is a symptom and not a diagnosis. A ton of mileage is put on portal dollars and where Ole Miss stacks up, but the poisoned roots of the past two seasons lie in the evaluation and development portion of the program.

Ole Miss is failing because of how the roster is developing and performing, not because of the dollars available to buy players -- at least primarily. Tolley is the conversation starter to a much larger issue.

If I'm interpreting the question correctly and using some context clues, I think this is discussing Campbell Smithwick's receiving issues at catcher. The situation in the ninth inning at Auburn on Sunday was most troubling because none of the three pitchers were relatively difficult to corral.

I felt bad for Smithwick because it seems clear it's a mental issue as much or more than a physical one. He caught JT Quinn fine until runners were on and then it fell apart. He needs repetitions and confidence.

I don't know if Smithwick's future is behind the plate, but I know he's a high-level college hitter and is valuable to an SEC roster. Figuring out where that coincides defensively is the main thing.

There are times this season when the defensive tasks just seemed out of reach, but that wasn't Sunday. That looked like a snowball effect that was about more than those particular pitches. A summer in the Cape or somewhere would be really good for him.

To the latter part of your question, yes, Ole Miss and Oxford should absolutely rename Oxford-University Stadium some version of Mike and Camie Bianco Stadium or Bianco Family Stadium when his tenure is complete. Camie is a leader and difference maker in the community and the schools, and since the city co-owns the stadium, this seems like the right thing to do.

Now to the other part, any coaching firing -- and this isn't specific to Bianco -- is about whether you're getting better or worse as a programs and where the money and belief in the the program sit in relation to that. Coaches can have major success and still run out of life somewhere.

There have been many great, hall of fame coaches to no longer be able to keep up the standard they set. I get what you mean, but whether it's this year or in 10 years, and if it's not Bianco's decision, the decision can't be about history. Sure, history can lengthen a leash and gain capital, but the decision is about what's ahead, not what happened. It's about believing or not.

When John Calipari left for Arkansas, Kyle Tucker wrote the following, and a subscriber put the words on the message board. I agreed with Kyle then, and I think it's relevant in all decisions where schools are balancing a program's present with a coach's history.

This isn’t about diminishing what Calipari once was at Kentucky. He made the Cats cool again. He added to the national title tally and had UK in the mix for a championship almost every year during that spectacular first decade. He was a force for good in the state, where his philanthropic spirit showed up again and again in times of need.

This isn’t about erasing all that good from his legacy. It’s about coming to grips with the fact that since 2020, Calipari was tarnishing that legacy. It’s about acknowledging, on both sides, that the ride was over and it was time to get off.

Keith Carter doesn't have an enviable decision, in any way. There's a lot of money and morale at stake. There are a lot of decisions to be made. History isn't a hostage though.

This is in reference to Texas A&M players standing around their pitcher while he's warming up and clapping after every pitch. You can see an image of it here. Jeremy Rivas, Xavier's dad, said it may have something to do with positive reinforcement and Max Scherzer has discussed something similar to it.

Since it's Texas A&M, it's just weird until proven otherwise. The Aggies don't earn a lot of benefit of the doubt. Damn good baseball team though.

Let's define cook first. I take that as no baking and no grilling, right? I would tend toward something I prepare on the grill -- probably some type of seafood to avoid saying beef -- if that were included, but that isn't cook in my head.

Let's go with chicken parmesan. I'm good at it, and it's consistent. I think consistency is important when discussing best things you can cook. It can't have a lot of variance. It's also multiple items because of the pasta and protein and sauce. It's not too heavy or too greasy. I'm pretty good at seasoning the sauce.. I'm confident with it.

i've also settled on a preferred chili recipe I'm proud of and excited about. It's not rocket science, but there's absolutely good chili and mediocre chili. And, yes, it has beans in it.

I do believe bar soap is far from the best option for the face when it comes to a lot of skin types, including my own. For some folks it doesn't matter at all, but it can absolutely affect a lot of people. I stand by that one; I'm not even sure it's a hot take.

I believe the NFL had some hand in the Saints getting Reggie Bush in an attempt to help save the franchise after Hurricane Katrina. It's a conspiracy I do in fact believe.

Also, I'm sure I've said much dumber things, but I'd like to have my early 2023 Mizzou football takes. I think I called them the worst team in the SEC or maybe just ahead of Vandy. I was partly playing into the bit, but I truly did far undervalue the Tigers. Listeners, rightfully, reminded me of it each week, so the season-long staying power makes it one that's fresh on my mind.

From Hockey News: While his final 2-4 record in the first round against the Vancouver Canucks may not appear all that impressive on the surface, Saros' performance during the 2023-24 postseason was spectacular. In fact, a May 8 report from MoneyPuck.com has him ranked as the fifth-best goalie in this year's playoffs in terms of goals saved above expected (3.5).

From my light bit of reading n the last five minutes, he's not the problem and is a bit of a scapegoat. He only has a year left on his deal. That home loss to fall to 3-1 in the series was brutal, but it seems like the main issue was the offense's inability against Vancouver's stifling defense.

I freely admit not watching Game of Thrones is one of my biggest pop culture failures. There's also something to watching shows like that in real time when you experience them with the populace and have the slow burn of waiting for the next episode. Breaking Bad is like that, too.

I watched it while it aired but also binged it later for a rewatch. It's a completely different viewing experience because while Walter changes so much and so starkly, seeing that change over years in real time versus a week isn't the same.

I assume Game of Thrones is like that, too. I started it and got confused and mildly frustrated and didn't go back to it. I'll try again this summer once everything calms down. It's a good idea. I feel like I need a notebook to keep up and maybe leave the subtitles on for added benefit.

IDENTITY THEFT IS NOT A JOKE, JIM!

The answer is of course Rebel the Bear. I mean i know he took the transfer portal to Lenoir Rhyne, but he has a sense of humor and was trying to make the best out of a bad situation. Nothing but love for dear Rebel, wherever you are.

I wish I were more into music, but I'm just not. However, the answer is Widespread Panic. JoJo Hermann has been with the band since 1992, and his musical origin dates back to his time in Oxford with Beanland. He's also a friend of the podcast, in case you missed Brian Rippee's episode with him.

Easy choice.