lets have a debate....with all 5 fans on here...

crimsonkelly · Mar 30, 2015

I have been a member of this site for a long time now. I have seen us win many games and lose our share also. I have supported the coaching staff almost all of the time. We have played a fairly tough schedule (SEC anyway) to date with MSU being the weakest team and at the time they were ranked #13. The other two, aTm and UF are ranked #2 and #8 depending on what poll you look at.
With that being said, I am starting to have a hard time defending these guys as it is clear we are not in the top 25% of the league. We are a middle tier team after years of "good recruiting". Fact is, we can't hit most of the time, we bunt and give up outs too much in my opinion (which means we should be able to defend them as good as anyone), and we can't hit for power. We have 10 total home runs with Hughston leading the way with 4. There are 5 teams in the SEC that have a player with at least 6. The pitching staff has meltdowns at inopportune times using the UF game 3 as an example.
I have said for years now that the next time we make Omaha, I was going to go. I turn 39 later on this year.....

With all of that said, I think CBB needs to pressure our coach into making a change with a new ball park opening up next year. Granted that wouldn't solve the problems immediately unless you made a whole sale change, then recruiting would need to pick up.
I can live with Gaspard, but would like to see Dax moved back to hitting coach and (as much as I hate to say this about a former player) let Andy go.

What do you guys think?

baseballfanatic · Mar 30, 2015

I can debate nothing cause I'm in agreement with what you said.

There's only 5 people left? I used to be fairly active but I took a break mostly cause I got tired of bashing Phillips. "If you can't say something nice... " and all that.

bamamick · Mar 30, 2015

What's there to debate? We all know that we go into every baseball season HOPING to win 15 conference games and 28-29 games overall to assure ourselves a regional, and if we do accomplish that we will have fulfilled our goals for the year. Is that what we want Alabama baseball to be?

When I first bought season tickets to baseball just a few years ago you would have a problem getting a seat for a conference game. I last bought those tickets two years ago and at that time there'd be about 1000 people on most Sundays, and it was probably less than that, to be honest. People have basically given up on Alabama baseball.

rtr

TrampLineman · Mar 30, 2015

Many of us have been down since the Wells "I retire, no I don't, now I have but you need to hire Mitch" crap. Hard to believe the Super we hosted against UNC (wildest game I've ever seen in Game 2) would be our "swan song". Gaspard has hit his ceiling and I hope we finally wake up and clean house. I miss the days of sold out games with us hosting regionals. I remember loving it when we set a record after A-Day against MSU. I wonder when the last time we truly had The Joe totally full.

I'll continue to be a fan of course but I can't put in any more money until I see the school is wanting to win as well. I used to find time to go to T-town and now I'm finding reasons not to go (Hoover this year of course) because I don't want to dish out money to watch us get stomped. The SEC is loaded this year and we are way behind.

Crimson1967 · Mar 30, 2015

It is not surprising our home run totals are low. The Hoover Met has always been a pitcher's ballpark.

ReturnToGlory · Mar 30, 2015

Well, I wish I could argue, but facts are facts. Take last year for example. Not too many times will you get an opportunity to win a regional at FSU. We blew it. Gaspard is not an elite coach in any respect. The Bama job is too big for him, and I would hope the powers that be will make him step up his game since he'll be given a new stadium. One of his handy excuses will be out the window.

crimsonkelly · Mar 30, 2015

Well, looks like the debate is over, a debate has to have 2 sides...I along with everyone else would love to see the days of us being a superpower again. The SEC championship back in 97 against LSU was amazing. We lost the big game that year to them. But those 2 teams were really 1a and 1b to me. Both could hit, pitch, and play defense.

ReturnToGlory · Mar 30, 2015

crimsonkelly said:
Well, looks like the debate is over, a debate has to have 2 sides...I along with everyone else would love to see the days of us being a superpower again. The SEC championship back in 97 against LSU was amazing. We lost the big game that year to them. But those 2 teams were really 1a and 1b to me. Both could hit, pitch, and play defense.

The 97 and 98 seasons were fun times. I just happened to be at UA, working on a degree in communications, and got a chance to broadcast a few games on WVUA. The 28-2 game (I think that was the score) vs LSU was something I won't forget.

Hoot30 · Mar 31, 2015

ReturnToGlory said:
The 97 and 98 seasons were fun times. I just happened to be at UA, working on a degree in communications, and got a chance to broadcast a few games on WVUA. The 28-2 game (I think that was the score) vs LSU was something I won't forget.

I was in grad school at UA at that time. I had to work that day of the 28-2 game, but was able to watch it on TV.

I agree with the sentiment. Just getting to a regional is simply not good enough to me. We should be hosting regionals and super-regionals. That should be the obvious expectation for the new stadium and to get that revenue from hosting those games. My bet is that CBB won't meddle and demand staff changes the way the UTx AD did with Barnes. CMG will probably be allowed to coach in the new stadium at least for the first season.

TrampLineman · Mar 31, 2015

ReturnToGlory said:
Well, I wish I could argue, but facts are facts. Take last year for example. Not too many times will you get an opportunity to win a regional at FSU. We blew it. Gaspard is not an elite coach in any respect. The Bama job is too big for him, and I would hope the powers that be will make him step up his game since he'll be given a new stadium. One of his handy excuses will be out the window.

Crap just the Northwestern State job was "too much" for him and we still hired him.

crimsonkelly said:
Well, looks like the debate is over, a debate has to have 2 sides...I along with everyone else would love to see the days of us being a superpower again. The SEC championship back in 97 against LSU was amazing. We lost the big game that year to them. But those 2 teams were really 1a and 1b to me. Both could hit, pitch, and play defense.

The Gorilla Ball days sure were something. I was a h.s. senior in 98 and pitching was a crap shoot back then:biggrin:

beardensdaman44 · Apr 1, 2015

I feel like this should begin and end with a pitching coach. The starting pitching is doing ok. The bullpen needs work.

Aside from that, I'm with Gaspard being out. I like Dax and Andy Phillips. I do wonder what G.W. Keller is up to these days though. He would be a decent hitting coach.

bamamick · Apr 1, 2015

You like Andy? Really?

rtr

Hoot30 · Apr 1, 2015

I know it's early, but who could Bama lure as coach?

mark4tide · Apr 1, 2015

I don't really see Andy being the problem as the htting coach. The BA for most of the team is pretty good. I see the problem with the bullpen. Who do you think would make a better pitching coach? An ex pither or someone like Jeremy Bown who was a great catcher. Correct me if I'm wrong but Dax played CF until his senior year then moved to catcher?

ReturnToGlory · Apr 1, 2015

beardensdaman44 said:
I feel like this should begin and end with a pitching coach. The starting pitching is doing ok. The bullpen needs work.

Aside from that, I'm with Gaspard being out. I like Dax and Andy Phillips. I do wonder what G.W. Keller is up to these days though. He would be a decent hitting coach.

I ran across Coach Dubose in Dothan in December 2013. As of that time, G.W. was in law enforcement in Tuscaloosa and was helping Coach Wells coach at one of the high schools up there.

MegaVars · Apr 3, 2015

Hoot30 said:
I know it's early, but who could Bama lure as coach?

Gaspard's salary is at $300K (not counting bonuses and other income) and is in his last season of his contract. Dave Magadan makes 240k as the hitting coach for the Rangers. Don't know if Magadan would leave MLB, but I would test his interest.

TrampLineman · Apr 3, 2015

MegaVars said:
Gaspard's salary is at $300K (not counting bonuses and other income) and is in his last season of his contract. Dave Magadan makes 240k as the hitting coach for the Rangers. Don't know if Magadan would leave MLB, but I would test his interest.

I like Magadan but I'm not sure he had any college jobs since he retired from baseball has he?

If we make a move (and boy am I hoping we DO) I say throw the bank at Tim Corbin. Once he more than likely turns us down go VERY HARD after Bobby Pierce. I think he is very underrated and is doing a great job at Troy.

MegaVars · Apr 3, 2015

230kv_barehand said:
I like Magadan but I'm not sure he had any college jobs since he retired from baseball has he?

If we make a move (and boy am I hoping we DO) I say throw the bank at Tim Corbin. Once he more than likely turns us down go VERY HARD after Bobby Pierce. I think he is very underrated and is doing a great job at Troy.

Magadan has always been in MLB since he retired. He's been with the Padres, Red Sox (got a World Series with them in 2007) and is currently with the Rangers. I agree 100% about Pierce. I think Calvi at USA is underrated too.

Hoot30 · Apr 3, 2015

Deleted.

Hoot30 · Apr 3, 2015

230kv_barehand said:
I like Magadan but I'm not sure he had any college jobs since he retired from baseball has he?

If we make a move (and boy am I hoping we DO) I say throw the bank at Tim Corbin. Once he more than likely turns us down go VERY HARD after Bobby Pierce. I think he is very underrated and is doing a great job at Troy.

I think that Bobby Pierce is retiring after this year, but I guess that doesn't mean he wouldn't come out of retirement.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/08/troy_head_baseball_coach_bobby.html

I wonder if there are any coaches from teams that are in the top 25, or have had recent success in going to Omaha that we could pry away. Terry Rooney at UCF interests me. He was an assistant at LSU before going to UCF.

lets have a debate....with all 5 fans on here...

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