There are few things people enjoy more than listening to an angry parent complain about their kid's lack of playing time, but when it's a single-page, 16,000-word website with lots of CAPS LOCK, that's a different story.
Jimmy Raviele just spent four years living in the pressure cooker of University of Houston baseball and its mad overseer, head coach Rayner Noble (pictured). Jimmy's dad, Vinny, is none too pleased about the treatment his son received over his tenure on the Cougars pitching staff. According to the large fonts in multiple colors, Jimmy was passed over in favor Noble's preferred golden boys, even though said golden boys were not as good as Jimmy. Jimmy only got to pitch out of the bullpen and Jimmy was never allowed on the hill for longer than an inning, because every time Jimmy walked a hitter or gave up a run, Jimmy got pulled, even as other pitchers who were not as good as Jimmy got to give up way more runs than Jimmy, but still somehow got more starts than Jimmy even though they really should have been more like Jimmy. JIMMY!
If you attempt to read the whole thing, be prepared to learn more about Houston baseball than anyone has any right to know. Even the guys at Fourth and Fifty couldn't get through it and they run a blog about Houston athletics. However, I did pull out a few parts that seemed exceptionally shouty. (They were easily to identify by their blue fonts and XXL text size.)
This story is about a University of Houston baseball player whose college baseball career (2006 - 2009) was destroyed by the head baseball coach (Rayner Noble) at the University of Houston. ...
Any player or parent who reads this and even has the slightest inclination about playing baseball for Rayner Noble at University of Houston or wherever he is coaching, should really rethink their options. Please don't make the same mistake that we did. Sadly, we were told this same thing, but we did not listen. ...
Jimmy was just simply not one of Noble's Showcase Players or "Special Favorite Players." PLEASE TAKE NOTE* That being one of Noble's favorites (SFP's) has nothing to do with a players skill level. If someone is fortunate enough to be one of Noble's SFP's you are all set. They will get numerous chances to fail and still feel secure because they know they will be right back in the line up and play again the very next game or right back in the pitching rotation. ...
I honestly love every pitcher on the team and no offense to any of them, but every single one of them including my son Jimmy has been shelled at one time or another this past year. Just like all pitchers, they have had times when they pitched lights out and they had times when they got shelled. All of them!! The pitchers that ended up doing better this past 2009 season were the ones that Noble pitched more. Look at the stats. Most of these guys started off awful but were continually used and naturally they got better! ...
Why is there a different set of rules for Jimmy? ...
Still to this day, I understand that Jimmy was one of the fastest players on the Cougars. I know in his freshman year at U of H, Jimmy broke a college record by 22 seconds for the mile and a half. ...
Jimmy was doomed from day one!...
Once again they said "when Jimmy was not pitching, he will be at 1st base." BIG LIE!! (Jimmy never even stepped on first base - let alone play it) The only time Jimmy ever stepped on first base was when they used him two times (his senior year only) to pinch run! ...
TRYING TO SET JIMMY UP FOR FAILURE
After reviewing all of Jimmy's appearances above, one would think that without a doubt Noble was trying to set Jimmy up for failure. It could not be a coincidence that out of 12 appearances Jimmy just happened to face the TOP or the MEAT of the order 7 times! Jimmy only pitched part of or only 1 inning at a time! It wasn't like Jimmy was pitching numerous innings. It seems really strange that this just happened to be this way! NOBLE DID THIS ON PURPOSE SO JIMMY WOULD FAIL . . . JUST LIKE NOBLE DID TO JIMMY AT LAST YEARS FINAL GAME IN COLLEGE STATION, but Jimmy DID NOT! This year (2009) Jimmy was allowed to pitch in only 3 Conference games . . . What is the reason for this? Jimmy's ERA in Conference is 0.00 ! WHY DIDN'T NOBLE PITCH JIMMY MORE? ...
Note* Jimmy asked Noble if he could get #8 for his Junior year and Noble told Jimmy "OK." ... Much to Jimmy's surprise on the first day of school, Jimmy noticed that #8 had been assigned to another new player. Jimmy went to Coach Noble and asked why he wasn't able to get #8? Noble said that Jimmy could have it but it would cost $100.00 (which Jimmy paid him in cash)! How could Noble do this to Jimmy and live with himself?
DOES NOBLE NEED MONEY THIS BAD? - - - HE IS A SNAKE! ...
NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO PUT THEIR FUTURE IN THE HANDS OF THIS MADMAN. IF NOBLE DECIDES NOT TO PITCH OR PLAY YOU, WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT? NOTHING AND NOBLE KNOWS THIS. THE SCOUTS TOLD JIMMY THAT THEY CANNOT DRAFT SOMEONE IF THEY NEVER SEE THEM PLAY MORE THAN A FEW INNINGS ALL YEAR.
RECRUITS: TAKE IT FROM US, YOU DO NOT WANT NOBLE CONTROLLING YOUR FUTURE.
I am not just ranting, these are facts, records and stats. Please check them out yourself.
Note* Remember it is not SLANDER if it's TRUE!
NO ONE ON THIS EARTH IS GOING TO DO WHAT NOBLE DID TO MY SON AND GET AWAY WITH IT!
Sincerely,
Vinny Raviele
Emphasis not added. (I just wish I could do the font changes justice.) Anyway, I have no idea whether JIMMY! was set up to fail or what kind of coach Rayner Noble is, but actually watching someone's angry brain melt via internet rant never gets old. Also, extorting money from players for jersey numbers is an awesome kind of evil.
WHY RAYNER NOBLE NEEDS TO BE FIRED! [Houston Cougar Baseball]
Rayner Noble is the Devil or Baseball Parents Gone Wild! [Fourth and Fifty]