Saturday's scrimmage

[uabaseballdad]

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It was great to see baseball in October! Also, I got to meet Luke, who seems to be the biggest and most knowledgeable Alabama baseball fan of all. Several of the player's parents were in attendance and were obviously glad to be back at the Capstone for baseball. It was a great day for baseball.
However, it did look like the Mash Unit. It seems the team has been hit unusually hard by the injury bug and the ice packs and wraps were very prevalent after the scrimmage. Joe (the trainer) has been kept very busy.
There are several score or hurt arms and it appears like Hendrix will have surgery on Tuesday to put a plate in his leg and is definitely lost for the fall. Also, in the 2nd inning, another player went down with a dislocated knee cap. Kubal even had to play a couple innings to fill out the roster.

For the scrimmage itself, I witnessed a very upbeat tempo and a lot of enthusiasm. All the players seemed to be upbeat, with a lot of teasing and support for each other. Outside of a few miscues in the infield and a couple hit batters, I thought the team looked solid for an early scrimmage. If the pitching is consistent, this team should perform very well in 2010.
There definitely seems to be a new, positive attitude with this group of players and coaches. It was a great day at the Joe.
I was told the final scrimmage with be the Friday night before the LSwho football game. It should be a packed house for that scrimmage, I know I'll be there.

[crimsonkelly]

Well, getting beat up and needing ice packs are apart of playing "dirty" baseball. I'm gonna have fun with this all year!!! Thanks Coach G.

[uabaseballdad]

Also, learned that Kent Meyers broke a bone in his foot today at practice.
This leaves only 2 healthy outfielders. At this pace, there may not be a final Fall Scrimmage.



Wed Oct 07, 2009 2:52 pm EDT
Injuries cloud start of Alabama's fall workouts

By Kendall Rogers

It was a busy offseason for Alabama's baseball program.
Long-time head coach Jim Wells decided to retire and associate head coach Mitch Gaspard was promoted to head coach.
So, how have fall workouts transpired for the Crimson Tide?
In some ways, fall workouts have been successful. Gaspard differs from Wells in some areas and the team is learning new ways of doing things. In other ways, though, fall workouts already have been grueling for the new coach because of a rash of injuries.
"We're in our second week of team workouts and we're banged up," Gaspard said. "With the exception of a few injuries and such, though, it's been a smooth transition for the program. This team is really working hard to improve in all areas; especially on the mound."
But what about the injuries?
OF Brandt Hendricks -- The Crimson Tide is most disappointed in the injury to Hendricks. The redshirt freshman outfielder had shoulder surgery out of high school and was sidelined for that reason last season. Well, now Hendricks is back on the shelf for some time. He broke his leg sliding into second base last week. Gaspard said the Crimson Tide expects Hendricks to certainly miss the rest of fall workouts.
OF Andrew Miller -- A true freshman, Miller is still rehabbing a broken ankle he sustained back in June. Gaspard said Miller still is in a recovery period and likely will be out of commission another three weeks to a month. Once he returns, Gaspard expects the freshman to compete for the starting job in the right field.
LHP Matt Taylor -- The left-handed pitcher was a late-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates, but chose to attend college at Alabama. Now he must wait a few weeks to make a statement. Taylor was pitching and playing center field for the Crimson Tide until his knee cap popped out of place. The Tide isn't sure when he will return, but Gaspard described Taylor as a great competitor with a good arm. He also believes he will factor into the weekend rotation come spring.
RHP Adam Scott -- The senior right-hander woud love nothing more than to stay healthy. Scott recently suffered a small fracture in his foot. The Crimson Tide expect him to be out of commission for at least two more weeks. Scott started five games and made 16 appearances last season. He also had a 5.28 ERA in 44 1/3 innings.

[crimsonkelly]

wow, thanks for the updates there dad

Man, what a way to start this year off....

[NewTide]

Heard on campus that Hendricks's surg went well, a plate and several screws, and should be back by Jan. They say he's one tough kid. I wish you a speedy recovery!

[bamamick]

Thanks so much for the updates. How is the 'feel' around the team? Are they feeling good about things and their chances in 2010? I have to admit to being pretty down on things after Brandon signed, but hope springs eternal and I love Crimson Tide baseball.

Thanks again for the input baseballdad.

rtr

[crimsonkelly]

best I can tell, is the most popular feeling is pain.....