Bama vs Troy (Game 2)

230kv_barehand said:

Very well said and I agree. I was on hand in B'ham after that beating as well, boy did it sting! It was the only time I probably have booed our own offense at a Bama game.

I still truly believe CMG is in over his head. He proved that by running Bunn off who had a very good track record of putting out GREAT pitching teams. So what does CMG do next? Run him off and hire the bozos that are running the clown show we have now. Like you I would hope and pray Coach Battle would read these posts (which I know he probably wont) and do something to improve this baseball team TODAY instead of waiting until we become a joke then run Mitch off when it's too late. I bet if Coach Saban wanted something it would be done right away, I just wished we would do the same for every other program as well.

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I wished CNS would just whisper that a change needs to be made in baseball...

JDCrimson said:

CMG's only saving grace will be probably be that CBB was not on hand to witness that fiasco. There have been 3 times in Bama sports that I think a coach should have been fired at the end of a game - no questions asked just get the heck out.

1) Dubose after the 21-0 at Legion Field from USM - still the most pathetic display of effort and coaching that I have ever seen from a Bama team.
2) Bob Connelly after Bama gave up 11 sacks in the loss to Auburn
3) Gaspard tonight after that useless display of coaching. I am willing to bet that if the coaches had not even been in the dugout the players themselves could have coached themselves to a win.

I am calling Coach Battle out, if you really are our Athletic Director and not some figurehead working on a part-time basis, you will do something about this...

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Don't forget Mike Shula after MSU in '06.... I know he got fired after the barn game, but the MSU game was an embarrassment kind of like this weekend. We didn't even play a "BCS" conference school and went 1-2. I know Troy was very good this year, but we are still Alabama losing to Troy twice and only beating Savanah State by 1 run. This is inexcusable IMO.

Well, to no one's surprise (I hope), it should be obvious I am still hot under the collar. How do you sit there, and watch a total meltdown, in an elimination game, and not do diddly-squat.

No, I did not hear CMG's post-game comments, and it is probably best I didn't. I'm sure, if pressed, he would drag out some cliche on how we needed to leave some arms, in reserve, for the "obvious" FSU game.

The one that was never played, since he could not manage to hold a 3 run lead.

Congratulations, Coach Bumponalog. You deprived our young players of another chance to either win, or get a valuable lesson, from a better team, on what it takes to win.

Oh, wait..............they did get the latter. Watching a better team, from a lesser program, school you on how to finish the game, when there is blood in the water. Anyone who watched that last 1/2 inning knew Troy knew they were going to win. A pitcher that can't find the strike zone, hits batters, and you should be able to see the fastball coming, when there is no option.

Game over. Our season over.

Wow, an improvement over last year. A testament to the determination, hard work, and dedication of our players. Too bad there is no one to get them over the next bump.

Because the real bump is Coach Bumponalog.

cuda.1973 said:

Well, to no one's surprise (I hope), it should be obvious I am still hot under the collar. How do you sit there, and watch a total meltdown, in an elimination game, and not do diddly-squat.

No, I did not hear CMG's post-game comments, and it is probably best I didn't. I'm sure, if pressed, he would drag out some cliche on how we needed to leave some arms, in reserve, for the "obvious" FSU game.

The one that was never played, since he could not manage to hold a 3 run lead.

Congratulations, Coach Bumponalog. You deprived our young players of another chance to either win, or get a valuable lesson, from a better team, on what it takes to win.

Oh, wait..............they did get the latter. Watching a better team, from a lesser program, school you on how to finish the game, when there is blood in the water. Anyone who watched that last 1/2 inning knew Troy knew they were going to win. A pitcher that can't find the strike zone, hits batters, and you should be able to see the fastball coming, when there is no option.

Game over. Our season over.

Wow, an improvement over last year. A testament to the determination, hard work, and dedication of our players. Too bad there is no one to get them over the next bump.

Because the real bump is Coach Bumponalog.

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I saw it, and I also knew it.

And I agree 100%

JDCrimson said:

I wished CNS would just whisper that a change needs to be made in baseball...

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I bet CNS called Battle and told him he already hired movers for the coaching staff. He probably told Battle to get on the plane, tell the coaches don't come back to T'town, your trucks will be waiting for you in B'ham. Load the boys on the plane and he'll coach the team next year.

bamajake said:

That is where, as a head coach, you either go to the mound and talk to him to calm him down or you send your pitching coach to do so. Maybe he could have been settled down and maybe he couldn't have but we will never know. That also would have allowed Haack a little more time to get warmed up.

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He could not do that without taking him out. We had previously used our three allowed visits to the mound for the game. In college baseball, you only get three visits to the mound per game. You can second guess him for leaving Castillo in. Personally, I would have started the 9th with Shaw and if one man got on, I would have gone to Castillo. We'll never know what would have happened. But, a mound visit wasn't an option.

I was at the game yesterday and that ending was tough to watch. I feel bad for our young pitcher. Like others have pointed out, the situation was mishandled by our head coach. The batter wasn't even thinking about swinging on that last pitch. Our pitcher was off and having trouble finding the plate. The fact that nothing was done by our head coach in that type of situation is inexcusible.

Also, the first and third base coaches made a few mistakes with our baserunners, that in my opinion, cost us dearly. Troy had better coaching all-around and that was the difference.

Why aren't any of our paid coaches coaching 1st or 3rd base? Aren't the base coaches Bobby Barbier and Hunter Gregory?

UAB and Samford have their head coaches coaching third base. Troy has their top assistant and hitting coach coaching third base. Now, first base is a good place for a volunteer coach. But what in the hell is Dandy doing during our offensive innings?

Zona said:

Why aren't any of our paid coaches coaching 1st or 3rd base? Aren't the base coaches Bobby Barbier and Hunter Gregory?

UAB and Samford have their head coaches coaching third base. Troy has their top assistant and hitting coach coaching third base. Now, first base is a good place for a volunteer coach. But what in the hell is Dandy doing during our offensive innings?

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I was sitting in front of a player's mom that referred to the 3rd base coach as Bob, so I think you're right. He made a terrible decision to send the runner that was thrown out at home. It wasn't even close! I know it's not as easy as it looks, but there was no reason to get greedy at that point. We were starting to string together some hits and already had the lead.

230kv_barehand said:

Yep I was about to say something on that as well, the 3rd base coach sent Smith home (I think it was him) on a play that wasn't even close. In that case you stop him there and try to keep the hot streak alive, not kill your momentum and everything by getting your baserunner gunned out at home by 20 feet.

I just don't see how anyone can honestly say with a straight face that we should keep CMG.

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Sure they can. CMG's contract runs through 2015. The powers that be will not be willing to pay a new coach and continue to pay CMG for the next two years. We are stuck with him for the next year at least.

bamajake said:

Sure they can. CMG's contract runs through 2015. The powers that be will not be willing to pay a new coach and continue to pay CMG for the next two years. We are stuck with him for the next year at least.

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Barn paid 415k to remove Pawlowski. Gaspards buyout is 417k. Surely if the powers that be can pay the womens basketball coach 750k a year. At least thats what she was
supposed to get at TT this year. But, it still has not been announced what she will be making here. If they pay her anywhere near that they can find some cash to buyout CMG. Here is a list of SEC salaries and buyouts.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/05/list_of_sec_baseball_coaching.html

bamajake said:

Sure they can. CMG's contract runs through 2015. The powers that be will not be willing to pay a new coach and continue to pay CMG for the next two years. We are stuck with him for the next year at least.

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Since they are not willing to upgrade or replace the Joe, This is right. I bet if you ask the big movers and shakers (big money people) they will be more than satisfied with this season. Winning record, close to .500 in the conference and better than Auburn is enough for many of them.

I may be called a barner for this but the only that those people will start really caring about the program would be if Auburn would make a big statement hire (something like we did back when we hired Wells) we have been fortunate that they have not had any luck with their recent hires.

HolyCow said:

Barn paid 415k to remove Pawlowski. Gaspards buyout is 417k. Surely if the powers that be can pay the womens basketball coach 750k a year. At least thats what she was
supposed to get at TT this year. But, it still has not been announced what she will be making here. If they pay her anywhere near that they can find some cash to buyout CMG. Here is a list of SEC salaries and buyouts.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/05/list_of_sec_baseball_coaching.html

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You forget who you are talking about. This is the same group that when it became obvious that Stephany Smith was an absolute disaster of a women's basketball coach, instead of firing her and hiring a real coach, they simply "reassigned" Wendell Hudson from associate AD to women's basketball coach and left his old position unfilled. After they finished paying Smith off, they gave Wendell a couple of more years before "reassigning" him back to his old job and hiring a new coach.

I for one am happy to see that kind of commitment to the women's basketball program and wish a similar commitment would be made to baseball. However, I just don't expect it to happen. The real decision makers don't go to baseball and all they will know is that we have been to 3 regionals in the past 4 years. That and the fact that we beat Auburn (except for the game in Montgomery) will be enough for them.