Welcome to BGP, 1967 RS/SS.

Ratliff is not coming. I look for a short tenure for the new coach.

If his main interest is his grandchildren and not the program then this is the wrong hire. I would have hoped that someone on the interview committee would have recognized this if it is truly the case. We will see how things play out. I for one was against the Rich Brooks hire at UK and I ate that crow. Hope my fears turn out to be crow for the schools sake.

Thank you Mr. Easton for the welcome.

 

If Lemaster is there you can guarantee that Ratliff will be there as well/and of course the grandson.

 

They have shopped themselves to every school up and down the Big Sandy River for over a year now, with the promises of a grandson package deal. It's really not much of a secret in eastern Kentucky at all. However, there has been one anchor around the neck to the whole deal. I explained in detail on a post that never made it to the board for some reason, so I guess it must have been too ?????, or something, I don't know, so I'll not duplicate the contents of the post. But anyways guess what that anchor was?? Anybody in eastern Kentucky can verify that it was a real deal killer.

 

Also Mr. Easton, Lemaster has been one of the crown jewels of eastern Kentucky as far as being a very rare player in making the big leagues a career, however his coaching resume at UPike was less than sterling because Pikeville was generally among the cellar dwellers in the Mid South. I believe it was in 2002 or 2003 that the baseball program was shut down about mid year because there was not enough players to even field a team.

 

Personally, I think that Johnnie Lemaster is a great guy with a lot to offer a program, but nepotism kills the whole deal. If the son in law does show up, everyone will know exactly why.

I was very disappointed to hear of Ashland administration's choice to lead our baseball team. As well documented on other threads, I am a supporter of Coach Walter and what I believe he can do for our boys. I truly hope these boys have a good experience playing for a former major leaguer. However, I am concerned that my previously stated concerns with Coach Lemaster may be well founded based on on recent posts. The fact that this coaching team shopped themselves around for over a year with no takers (especially in their own backyard) is a huge red flag. And it seems that 1967 rs/ss poster knows much more than we do about the situation. I wish he was able to relay that information so we as parents could have the full story about the men that will be interacting with our kids. It is a shame that administration has burned their bridge with a loyal, dedicated Tomcat that would have taken our young team great places.

Thank you Mr. Easton for the welcome.

 

If Lemaster is there you can guarantee that Ratliff will be there as well/and of course the grandson.

 

They have shopped themselves to every school up and down the Big Sandy River for over a year now, with the promises of a grandson package deal. It's really not much of a secret in eastern Kentucky at all. However, there has been one anchor around the neck to the whole deal. I explained in detail on a post that never made it to the board for some reason, so I guess it must have been too ?????, or something, I don't know, so I'll not duplicate the contents of the post. But anyways guess what that anchor was?? Anybody in eastern Kentucky can verify that it was a real deal killer.

 

Also Mr. Easton, Lemaster has been one of the crown jewels of eastern Kentucky as far as being a very rare player in making the big leagues a career, however his coaching resume at UPike was less than sterling because Pikeville was generally among the cellar dwellers in the Mid South. I believe it was in 2002 or 2003 that the baseball program was shut down about mid year because there was not enough players to even field a team.

 

Personally, I think that Johnnie Lemaster is a great guy with a lot to offer a program, but nepotism kills the whole deal. If the son in law does show up, everyone will know exactly why.

 

I know several people that live in or are from Paintsville, and while they all seem to like and respect Johnnie, none of them had anything good to say about Craig. I've heard that Ashland and Craig are trying to reach a deal on a teaching job, but not sure how true that is.

 

Sounds like you know quite a bit about it, would love to hear more.

Is Lemaster moving to the Ashland Area or just commuting back & forth from Paintsville?

Is Lemaster moving to the Ashland Area or just commuting back & forth from Paintsville?

 

No idea, but that would be a painful daily commute.

I think some of the posts in this thread are good examples of how messed up high school and youth sports are. Ashland, who has always underachieved in baseball, gets a "top-shelf" coach. However, instead of embracing that, it automatically turns into him having an agenda. He was a 14-year MLB veteran that was highly respected in the sport. He is the all-time winningest baseball coach in Pikeville College history. He has had a few years where they have won close to 50 games. They moved to the mid-south conference at a time when the top half of the teams in that conference could have, and did, beat several Division 1 schools. The program took a hit when he tried to juggle being a new grandfather and a head college baseball coach. Once he figured out he wasn't going to be able to give Pikeville everything he could, he retired. The problem with the Pikeville program hinges from the decision not to search for a new coach when LeMaster retired. They simply put a guy in his place that had never coached baseball on any level and I don't think even played past little league. That is the administration's fault, not Coach LeMaster. Now that his oldest grandson is in high school he is getting back into it after coaching him all throughout little league. I think he used it as an excuse to get back into coaching. He is not, nor will he ever, be a man that has an agenda or uses a school to fulfill that agenda. He is not looking for Ashland to be a shortened stay. There is also no agenda when it comes to his grandson. If there was an agenda, I am pretty sure he wouldn't be letting him play football, which I think he started practicing this week. Granted, his grandson will probably take somebody's position, and that will also cause a riff. His son-in-law is helping him, and has more than enough credentials to do so. He was a Division 1 pitcher, and also played in the Baltimore Orioles organization until his arm surgery. I can tell you that Coach LeMaster could end up being the best thing that has ever happened to Ashland Baseball. However, if you guys involved with the team do not embrace him, and welcome him to your community, he will not put up with it. He has done more in the sport of baseball than all the applicants combined that applied. It was an easy decision for the administration to make. He is baseball royalty in the state of KY, and an even better man of God, and church deacon. Sour grapes should not play into how he is treated. I don't care who everyone thought should have gotten the job, the best candidate got it. I commend the administration for not falling to the "good ol' boy" way of doing things that has plagued small-town athletics. He does a lot for every community he has ever been involved with. I hope he gets treated better to his face than he has been anonymously on here.

Edited July 31, 201511 yr by Baseballinmyblood

Thank you Mr. Easton for the welcome.

 

If Lemaster is there you can guarantee that Ratliff will be there as well/and of course the grandson.

 

They have shopped themselves to every school up and down the Big Sandy River for over a year now, with the promises of a grandson package deal. It's really not much of a secret in eastern Kentucky at all. However, there has been one anchor around the neck to the whole deal. I explained in detail on a post that never made it to the board for some reason, so I guess it must have been too ?????, or something, I don't know, so I'll not duplicate the contents of the post. But anyways guess what that anchor was?? Anybody in eastern Kentucky can verify that it was a real deal killer.

 

Also Mr. Easton, Lemaster has been one of the crown jewels of eastern Kentucky as far as being a very rare player in making the big leagues a career, however his coaching resume at UPike was less than sterling because Pikeville was generally among the cellar dwellers in the Mid South. I believe it was in 2002 or 2003 that the baseball program was shut down about mid year because there was not enough players to even field a team.

 

Personally, I think that Johnnie Lemaster is a great guy with a lot to offer a program, but nepotism kills the whole deal. If the son in law does show up, everyone will know exactly why.

 

Your information is a little off. While LeMaster was at Pikevillle they only had two seasons where they were bottom-half of the MSC. That was his last two years. Also, it wasn't 2002, it was 04' or 05'. The reason behind that was over half his team went back to Puerto Rico. When he had his grandson he wasn't able to give everything he could, and the recruiting suffered because of it. He went the easy way of recruiting taking a Christmas trip to Puerto Rico for a couple years, and brought back players. It was risky, and that year you are referring to is why that happened. Those players had a chance to play on a semi-pro team in their home country, and they all decided to do so. Of course, it was LeMaster's fault, but you have to understand the cards he was dealt. Which leads to his character also. From the time he took the job at Pikeville he decided not to take a salary. Even with that, the school would not approve him a full-time assistant. There was only a handful of season where he had an assistant, and they were all graduate assistants still in school. So he had no one to help recruit. Not too mention, any recruiting he did do was paid out of his own pocket. I would be very careful to speak about someone's coaching history unless I knew the hand they were dealt. Considering all that, he still maintained a winning record at Pikeville. If they hadn't moved to the MSC, Pikeville would have easily won four or five consectutive conference championships in the KIAC, especially the 2001 season when they were 49-11. I understand the argument with Craig. I've never been a huge fan of him either. However, he would never do anything that would jeapordize LeMaster's reputation. He's been riding his coat tails for awhile now, and he's not going to do anything to mess that up. His son, Braxton, just started football practice this week at Ashland as well. One thing I do know, and I am pretty confident in saying, is that he won't see any special treatment at all. If anything, he will have it worse than anybody. LeMaster will always go out of his way to help promote kids, especially from eastern KY. So anyone expecting an agenda of some sort will soon learn how good of person he really is. All of this negativity that is starting before he even meets the team will do nothing but hurt progress. I understand some people wanted the other guy, but sometimes other people are going to beat you. How you respond to that says a lot about your character. It's best to just tip your hat, and hope the next job you apply for doesn't have this caliber of applicant going-up against you. Because I can tell you that trying to discredit someone with a resume like his, that conducts himself as a man of God in every part of his life, will only come back and discredit you in the end.

Edited July 31, 201511 yr by Baseballinmyblood

I don't have a dog in the fight. I hope everything you say turns out to be spot on. I am sure the administration made what they believe was the best choice. Time will answer and performance will any questions. I am sure Coach LeMaster will get the full support of the those that truly want the program to have success.

Your information is a little off. While LeMaster was at Pikevillle they only had two seasons where they were bottom-half of the MSC. That was his last two years. Also, it wasn't 2002, it was 04' or 05'. The reason behind that was over half his team went back to Puerto Rico. When he had his grandson he wasn't able to give everything he could, and the recruiting suffered because of it. He went the easy way of recruiting taking a Christmas trip to Puerto Rico for a couple years, and brought back players. It was risky, and that year you are referring to is why that happened. Those players had a chance to play on a semi-pro team in their home country, and they all decided to do so. Of course, it was LeMaster's fault, but you have to understand the cards he was dealt. Which leads to his character also. From the time he took the job at Pikeville he decided not to take a salary. Even with that, the school would not approve him a full-time assistant. There was only a handful of season where he had an assistant, and they were all graduate assistants still in school. So he had no one to help recruit. Not too mention, any recruiting he did do was paid out of his own pocket. I would be very careful to speak about someone's coaching history unless I knew the hand they were dealt. Considering all that, he still maintained a winning record at Pikeville. If they hadn't moved to the MSC, Pikeville would have easily won four or five consectutive conference championships in the KIAC, especially the 2001 season when they were 49-11. I understand the argument with Craig. I've never been a huge fan of him either. However, he would never do anything that would jeapordize LeMaster's reputation. . His son, Braxton, just He's been riding his coat tails for awhile now, and he's not going to do anything to mess that upstarted football practice this week at Ashland as well. One thing I do know, and I am pretty confident in saying, is that he won't see any special treatment at all. If anything, he will have it worse than anybody. LeMaster will always go out of his way to help promote kids, especially from eastern KY. So anyone expecting an agenda of some sort will soon learn how good of person he really is. All of this negativity that is starting before he even meets the team will do nothing but hurt progress. I understand some people wanted the other guy, but sometimes other people are going to beat you. How you respond to that says a lot about your character. It's best to just tip your hat, and hope the next job you apply for doesn't have this caliber of applicant going-up against you. Because I can tell you that trying to discredit someone with a resume like his, that conducts himself as a man of God in every part of his life, will only come back and discredit you in the end.

Hmmm, sure does sound like someone has a biased interest here, lol.

 

You left out the part while at Pikeville College, he would routinely call practice on a Saturday or a Sunday, and while the whole team would sit around waiting for coach to show up, he never would. No phone calls to say hey, something came up, cant be there. Nothing.

 

I stated that Johnnie had a lot he could offer a program, but you are 100% WRONG about the bolded quote. Ratliff daily embarrasses the Lemaster family, whether it be from his infidelity scandals or his association with any sports program he gets involved in. Riding on his coat tails for a while now? That is sure an understatement. Since you seem to be knowledgeable about him, lets just be honest and tell the truth. Ratliff couldn't get a job in a gas station cleaning the bathrooms in his hometown of Paintsville without Johnnie getting it for him. Why? Because he doesn't have sense enough to figure out which end of the mop to use, is why. He is that disliked in Johnson County and especially at Paintsville High School. You did fail to address why they have shopped themselves all up and down the river for that package deal, that nobody would take them up on. The deal is to get Craig a job, and to center everything around the grandson and promote him, and that is 100% fact. Nobody wanted him in their program, not even Paintsville High School. He quit there mid season this year, because the staff didn't feel like he had anything relevant to offer other than pick the balls up after practice. Come on now, lets tell the whole story. Mention the name Craig Ratliff in Paintsville , Kentucky and see what kind of a reaction you get. You'll get a lot of snickers, rolled eyes, and rolling on the floor laughter.The guy is a 100% bona fide nut case that nobody wants around, period.

 

 

When the subject of great baseball pitchers comes up at Paintsville High School, the name Craig Ratliff is never mentioned. What Craig had going for him was that he was a 6'8" right hander who he had a father in law with enough contacts that someone gave him a shot. You cannot teach 6' 8", right? However, his tenure was short in that. He went to D1 NC-Greenville to play basketball, not baseball, after that. Couldn't cut it at that either, messed his knee up and then transferred to "NAIA" Pikeville College to play baseball again and failed miserably at that once again. You are building his resume up just a "tad" more than what it actually was. No, lets go one up on that , you are completely blowing that way, way, way out of proportion. lol

 

And special treatment "IS" what it's all about. The grandson wasn't even on the Paintsville High School VARSITY ROSTER this year, and we are talking about a program very small in numbers that routinely has middle school players on their roster. The Ratliff family has a very long history of going from school to school to school when they don't get that "special" treatment. That's why Craig ended up himself at Paintsville via Johnson Central. Why his brother went from JC to Paintsville and then back to JC. And the sister, well now that's a whole comedy routine in it's self with her trying to find a place for her son to play. JC to Pikeville, then to Paintsville, and then back to JC, where he played one season and then quit everything by his sophomore season.

 

In closing yes, I think Johnnie is a very good human being and he does again have a lot to offer, but it is the baggage that he has in tow with him that may very well make Ashland Paul Blazer rue the day that they made this hire.

Edited August 2, 201511 yr by 1967 RS/SS

After thinking about it, I don't think that Ratliff ever did play basketball at UNC-Greenville. I think he signed but didn't play.

I've heard that Craig's boys are now enrolled at Ashland, so I'm sure that means that Craig will be an assistant for sure. Anybody have any idea who else will be helping him?

After thinking about it, I don't think that Ratliff ever did play basketball at UNC-Greenville. I think he signed but didn't play.

 

I can appreciate someone having an opinion about another coach. However, something that really bothers me is when you have to resort to creating fabrications in order to prove your point. I know for a fact that LeMaster never did anything close to what you are insinuating about weekend practices. The only way that could be a true statement is if it happened in his last year there, and that was the year he had an assistant coach. So insinuating that he left the players there with no one to lead practice is just not true. You're trying to darken a man's reputation that has done nothing but good things for eastern KY. You're talking about somebody that even though he wasn't getting paid a dime, he drove from Paintsville To Pikeville at 5:00Aam during the fall for morning workouts. Your argument about his coaching is incorrect and not based on any real truth.

 

As far as him shopping themselves around, I've yet to hear you name one school where that was the case. I know the jobs that were open in eastern KY, and I know for an absolute fact that they did not go after Prestonsburg and Sheldon Clark. Nor did they go after Russell. They also did not go after any jobs that were not open. You mentioned Paintsville, but LeMaster never went after that job because it wasn't open. You're crazy if you think Paintsville wouldn't jump at a chance to have him as their coach. When it comes to Craig getting a teaching job, you're simply talking about a son-in-law being helped by his father-in-law. As far as Craig goes and his reputation, that's something I am kind of in the dark about. I'm not that familiar with him, but I do know he has as good or better credentials than anybody in eastern KY to be an assistant high school. I know his personality was never that great, and he wasn't exactly Mr. Popular with his teammates. However, I do not know if that is him today? He could be different, and he could be worse. Coaches also need someone they can trust helping them. So why wouldn't you bring Craig. He knows he doesn't have to worry about him doing anything behin his back, and that is priceless for a head coach to have. Him bringing his grandson along is a no-brainer, anyone would do the same thing. However, I promise you and you will see for yourself, he will do everything in his power to promote every kid on that roster. I realize your guy did not get picked. I understand you're bitter about it. I get it. I really do. It happens every time a coaching change is made to somebody. However, your attempts to fabricate details that are unfounded is not the right thing to do to LeMaster. If it were somebody else that maybe has been shady in the past then that's fine. However, you're talking about a deacon in his church. He lives his life better than most, and he gives back to his community when it's needed. He doesn't deserve being talked about the way you are talking about him. The truth is Ashland just got handed the best coaching candidate east of Lexington. The sooner everyone jumps on board and "buys-in" to his philosophy, the sooner he's going to put a winning team on the field. There is nothing you can do about the other guy not getting the job. So move on and embrace what you have. If not, you all may end up running off the best thing that's happened to Ashland since Brandon Webb.