UNEXCUSABLE Coaching error tonight at the Joe

[HolyCow]

Just when you think things cannot get any worse. Bottom of the 2nd Booth is supposed
to lead off, followed by Rosecran. Instead, Rosecrans bats and strikes out. Booth comes
to bat, hits a single. Here comes Perno out of the dugout to question the batting order.
After lengthy discussion between umpires. Booth is called out. I was so mad,, we left.
You have four guys supposed to be coaches and not one noticed. I know nothing will be
asked or told after the game, just how CMG is, takes no responsibility. Losing 34 games
is acceptable to him and his coaches. Never has said otherwise. Never said things need
to be fixed and its gotta start with me and my coaches. He is pathetic and if not removed
this program has no chance.

 

[buzzincuzzin]

It's been a heck of a season. Hope it's unique.

 

[edwd58]

I was listening on the radio at that time, incredibly poor attention to detail - of the simplest order, by everyone involved.

 

[RTR Rube]

Inexcusable mistake by CMG and the Umps. Of course Pernod only mentioned it after Brett reached on a single. It was interesting that AP put up more of a fight about it than CMG. Makes you wonder where the team's motivation is coming from he at the end of this miserable season.

Good win tonight, though. Keller looked good, and worked out of a few jams.

 

[bamajake]

Don't try to blame this one on the umps. They did nothing wrong. The simple truth is that CMG handed the lineup to the plate umpire before the game and then we did not follow the batting order. That can be blamed on no one but CMG. Period. He simply was not paying enough attention to what was going on to realize that the wrong batter went to the plate. Andy wasn't putting up a fight. No one was. There was no fight to be put up. We screwed up. Quite frankly, I would have played it the same way Perno did. There was no reason to bring it up until Brett got his hit. I would hope that if UGA had done the same thing, CMG would play it the same way -- if he was even paying enough attention to notice. The long and short of it is that this was just another example of the pathetic coaching performance that we have seen this year out of CMG. He should be held accountable. The good news is that our players overcame the horrendous coaching and managed to pull out a win. Hopefully we will get another one tomorrow and avoid tying the school record for most losses in a single season.

 

[TrampLineman]

I laughed as soon as I heard this on the radio. I still can't believe it. I've never had this happen and we are just a two bit high school operation...

 

[RTR Rube]

I use the term "fight" very loosely. AP seemed to have a more detailed (longer) discussion with the umps than CMG. Not sure that says anything, but it makes me wonder what the leadership dynamic is in the clubhouse re: who's running this team.

I just hope we can win today to avoid tying the single season L record. Moreso, I hope we can send Dugas out on a high note.

 

[HolyCow]

I figured CMG would not take the blame. He wrote the lineup card and is responsible.
He was not paying attention. Just laugh it off you idiot.

http://video-embed.al.com/services/...AAAAQBxUKuk~,O7BxoSOXb6WFLAfWuasVYL0JT6q8Hm3e

 

[crimsonkelly]

It has been a bad year to say the least. We all expected more I think is a fair statement.

now on to this play the the interview afterwards. While he does swap the guys (tells them or not who knows) do we expect him to be suicidal over it? It is a little league screw up for sure, and it does happen at higher levels from time to time.

My word of advice for all the sky is falling posters, the season is over, look forward to the next one, give CMG a second chance and see what he does. If we struggle next year, than I am all for finding someone else, but if we rebound and make a super regional, is he still a crappy coach or was this team laced with too much inexperience to overcome? Time will tell.

 

[bamajake]

Andy wasn't discussing the ruling with the ump. He was just having a conversation while the other umps were trying to explain the ruling to Perno and CMG. Don't read anything into that.

The fact is, CMG wrote out the lineup and it was on the dugout wall. The players apparently didn't read it or read it wrong and Rosecrans went out when Booth was supposed to go out. My problem is that the man who wrote out the lineup and is responsible for making sure we followed it stood on the dugout step and didn't notice that we were batting out of order. None of the coaches did. That is completely unacceptable. I generally agree with Crimsonkelly on here, but I don't agree that this happens very often at all. I have been an umpire for 34 years. I have called everything from 5&6 year old coach pitch through high school, American Legion and on to 40 and over adult leagues. I have never called an out for batting out of order in the 1500+ games that I have umpired. It should never happen. Especially at this level.

I have tried to take Crimsonkelly's advice and look forward. I am generally one who sees the world through crimson colored glasses when it comes to Bama athletics in general and Bama baseball in particular, but when I looked forward, what I saw made me sick. Crimsonkelly asks if this team just had too much inexperience to overcome. I am tired of that excuse. Yes, the pitching staff was extremely young and, with proper coaching, could be strong next year. The same cannot be said for the offense and defense. According to the stats on rolltide.com, we were not inexperienced anywhere except pitching. Not counting pitching, seniors accounted for 50.7% of the starts this season. Juniors accounted for 26.9%, sophomores accounted for 8.1% and freshmen 14.3%. That is not an inexperienced team.

Our offensive production came largely from our upperclassmen as well. Seniors accounted for 55.0% or our runs, 55.4% or our hits, 45.0% of our home runs and 48.5% of our RBIs. The junior class accounted for 21.9% of our runs, 20.7% or our hits, 30.0% of our homers and 26.4% of our RBIs. Sophomores had 7.6% of our runs, 7.8% of our hits, 15.0% of our home runs and 10.1% of our RBIs. Our freshmen accounted for 15.5% of the runs, 16.2% of the hits, 10.0% of the home runs and 15.0% of the RBIs. In other words, we will largely be depending on inexperienced players next year to generate offense. In the SEC, that is a scary proposition.

In looking for a silver lining, I have determined that this year's team did not, in fact, have the worst won-loss record in school history. The worst was the 1906 team coached by a gentleman named Schwartz. That team went 4-16-1 for a .214 winning percentage. It was coach Schwartz's only year as coach. In 1970, Hayden Riley's first team went 10-22 for a .313 winning percentage. In 1922 Charles Bernier's second team was 7-16-2 (.320). He lasted one more year. In 1899 F. C. Owen went 3-6 (.333) in his only year. In 1921, Charles Bernier's first team went 7-12-1 (.375) matching Barry Schollenberger's winning percentage his last year in 1994 (21-35). I see a pattern in these coaches' careers. With the exception of Coach Bernier, they had these poor seasons either in their first year or their last year. If CMG wants to stay here long, he needs to win. 21-34 (.382) is not good enough.

Honestly, I am afraid that we are in for more of the same unless changes are made. While I am not saying that CMG needs to go -- yet -- I am saying that he needs to take a long, hard look at his staff and decide if he wants to risk his job on his friends or if he wants to make changes and either reassign coaches or let some go and bring in different coaches. Particularly on the offensive side. Our offensive output absolutely must improve next year or we will again be on the outside looking in.

 

[aden]

it appears that either cmg can't recruit or can't coach. look at the record for the last three years,we seem to be regresssing instead of progressing. Has any one else noticed that most of our hitters are swing down on the ball or is it just me?

 

[JDCrimson]

Mal will see no reason to waste money buying out CMG's contract. Let him coach it out and make arrangements to build a new park and start looking for a new coach. I think it is curious the level of.resources put into baseball compared even to some of the other non-revenue sports. I bet we have put more money into the tennis program with them recently getting new indoor facilities and outdoor facilities than baseball. Who on here is a season ticket holder for tennis? Have any of us ever even been to one of the tennis matches? I certainly have not.

 

[bamajake]

I agree that CMG's contract won't be bought out. We will have him for the next three years, like it or not. Unless I am mistaken though, the assistants don't have multi year contracts. Those changes can be made.

Even though I don't go to tennis matches, I don't have a problem with the upgrades in that program. The new facility was built simply because we were missing out on hosting tennis regionals because we did not have an indoor facility. It was built and we hosted a regional this year. The University can afford to have top notch facilities in all sports. It is just a question of deciding to spend the money.

 

[JDCrimson]

I wasn't questioning whether we should have made an investment in tennis we should. But you would that sports that actually produce some revenue would take priority over basically nonrevemue sports.

 

[bamajake]

If you follow that logic, then the only sports that would receive upgrades are football and men's basketball as they are the only revenue producing sports at UA (revenue producing being defined as having produced more revenue than expenses). I found an article that cited data from the Office of Postsecondary Education that baseball at UA operated during the reported year at a net loss of $1,623,740.00 while men's and women's tennis combined for a loss of $1,010,700.00. The article did not state which year this data was from but I can't imagine that it would be much different now.

Although all sports except football and men's basketball lose money, the athletic department showed a net profit during 2010-2011 of $31.8 million. In light of the fact that we went to and won the BCS championship game, I would expect the profit for 2011-2012 to be higher. Simply put, the athletic department can afford upgrades in all sports. The powers that be need only make the decision, and the commitment to do so.

Baseball can be a revenue producer. Just ask LSU. They seem to be doing quite well in that department. Of course, they made the necessary commitment and have a large, rabid fan base. At UA, the commitment is lacking and the fan base is smaller. However, I believe that with a commitment from the University and a winner on the field, our fan base would grow as well.

 

[crimsonkelly]

If you follow that logic, then the only sports that would receive upgrades are football and men's basketball as they are the only revenue producing sports at UA (revenue producing being defined as having produced more revenue than expenses). I found an article that cited data from the Office of Postsecondary Education that baseball at UA operated during the reported year at a net loss of $1,623,740.00 while men's and women's tennis combined for a loss of $1,010,700.00. The article did not state which year this data was from but I can't imagine that it would be much different now.

Although all sports except football and men's basketball lose money, the athletic department showed a net profit during 2010-2011 of $31.8 million. In light of the fact that we went to and won the BCS championship game, I would expect the profit for 2011-2012 to be higher. Simply put, the athletic department can afford upgrades in all sports. The powers that be need only make the decision, and the commitment to do so.

Baseball can be a revenue producer. Just ask LSU. They seem to be doing quite well in that department. Of course, they made the necessary commitment and have a large, rabid fan base. At UA, the commitment is lacking and the fan base is smaller. However, I believe that with a commitment from the University and a winner on the field, our fan base would grow as well.

College baseball is the fastest growing college sport. It was here at Alabama until few years ago when the program became stale and quit going to the college world series or at least hosting a super regional. It can make money or at least cover itself if given a chance!

 

[BFANLC]

Its true that the head coach is ultimately responsible for all things but I am an asst coach for a girls softball team and they are told to know who they are batting behind. For a batter to go up to the plate and be in the wrong spot is just as inexcusable. You can't be that "dumb". For a college level player to be unaware of where he belongs in the batting lineup is nuts.

Of course we still remind the ladies who needs to be where but they are usually on top of it.

 

[bamamick]

I have a grand-nephew that plays coach-pitch in Mobile. They have a coach to tell them who bats in what order every inning. Seems to work just fine. I guess you'd think we wouldn't need to have to do that.

rtr