The College Baseball Blog's weekend recap chat will be going on from 9-11pm EST. In addition to your host and moderator, Brian Foley, his staff and a few invited guests will field your questions about the weekend that was and the conference tournaments on the horizon.
I've been invited to participate and you can usually count on the always-informative Chris Webb of Buckeye Nine to be there, too. (Don't let his affiliation fool you, Chris knows far more about baseball around the midwest than just scarlet and gray.)
While this discussion will focus on the entire college baseball from coast-to-coast, you are encouraged to participate. Brian usually starts taking a questions a five or ten minutes before the chat goes live.
Showing posts with label Around The Nation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Around The Nation. Show all posts
Monday, May 18, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
NCAA Adds A Week To Schedule
In a story reported by Kendall Rogers of Yahoo! Sports, the college baseball schedule will expand from its current thirteen weeks to fourteen weeks beginning next year. In a measure passed this afternoon, this additional week will come at the start of the season. However, the NCAA did vote to continue to play the same fifty-six game schedule.
When Eric Sorenson mentioned this possibility Saturday, I began trying to think of a way this could been seen as a positive move for northern programs. A few days later and I've yet to come up with a single one.
By putting this extra week at the start of the season, it all but forces the northern schools to head south or west a week earlier. (I presume the NCAA big-wigs that voted on this proposal realize it's kind of cold up here for baseball in mid-February, global warming notwithstanding.) I guess, technically, northern baseball programs could stay at home the first week of the season. Of course, choosing to bypass that first "official" week of play would allow their warm-weather foes a week of game action before their arrival.
In addition, if the snowbelt programs did opt to skip the first week of play, it wouldn't alleviate any of their condensed scheduling issues. Northern programs would still have the same 13 weeks to play the identical 56 games -- exactly the same format as this year.
Regardless of whether northern programs play an extra week of February road dates or choose the less likely option of sitting out the first week, which honestly doesn't seem like a viable plan, by passing this new proposal the NCAA has managed to trample all over the spirit of the Universal Start Date. That's before the economic downside.
If northern programs want to start at the same time as the programs south of the Mason-Dixon Line (again, the spirit behind the USD motion), they will now have to pay for an additional week of travel expenses. Brilliant. When the economy stinks and northern programs are struggling let's make them shell out more money.
Can I also mention that college baseball operates in a virtual media blackout until the weekend after the Final Four? Even in the south, the self-proclaimed college baseball hotbed, the sport doesn't get much attention until "One Shining Moment" is over. So why vote to add another week to the beginning of the schedule when the average college sports fan isn't paying the least bit of attention before April? It's marketing genius, I tell you.
I'm left with only one conclusion. This measure was passed simply to appease a few coaches at big-time programs who were forced to play the same kind of compacted schedule, albeit filled with far more home dates, as northern programs have for years. Outside of their comfort-zone, these coaches lobbied (and I'm being extremely polite in word choice) to alleviate some of their midweek scheduling concerns.
Need some proof? Here's a quote from Kendall Rogers' story:
Mr. Berst's comment is ripe with the rhetoric of coaches who cried foul when faced with the newly condensed schedule that the USD wrought. As soon as these coaches had to play back-to-back midweek games and midweek road games, no less, they began to publicly yearn for the old way.
I am open to contrary opinions on the matter, as I'm so defensive that I probably cannot separate the forest from the trees. Let's, however, ask ourselves "Who does this concept really help?" While it could take away three of four midweek affairs from northern programs, thus giving the teams more time to rest, the loss of home games (which many of these midweek dates provide) and the cost of spending an additional week in the south or west would appear to offset any gain.
Conversely, warm-weather power programs can scratch off some midweek non-conference road games and get to replace them with nice, toasty-warm, early season home dates. As it is now, a program like North Carolina has already played over thirty home games. Ohio State hasn't even played fifteen. That's with a more balanced plan in place. I don't see how this new, less northern-friendly measure will help make it any more equitable.
The NCAA seems determined to not only handcuff baseball, in general, but suffocate its existence in the north. Is it any wonder why programs like Northern Iowa are folding? If measures like today's continue to pass, we can expect to see more just like them.
Correction: I originally stated UMass baseball was also closing up shop. Apparently, they've been given a reprieve. I stand corrected and am happy to hear they live to fight another day. My apologies to all, especially the Minutemen and their fans. However, feel free to insert any other programs that have vanished (Colorado, Iowa State, Wisconsin, etc...) in the place next to Northern Iowa.
When Eric Sorenson mentioned this possibility Saturday, I began trying to think of a way this could been seen as a positive move for northern programs. A few days later and I've yet to come up with a single one.
By putting this extra week at the start of the season, it all but forces the northern schools to head south or west a week earlier. (I presume the NCAA big-wigs that voted on this proposal realize it's kind of cold up here for baseball in mid-February, global warming notwithstanding.) I guess, technically, northern baseball programs could stay at home the first week of the season. Of course, choosing to bypass that first "official" week of play would allow their warm-weather foes a week of game action before their arrival.
In addition, if the snowbelt programs did opt to skip the first week of play, it wouldn't alleviate any of their condensed scheduling issues. Northern programs would still have the same 13 weeks to play the identical 56 games -- exactly the same format as this year.
Regardless of whether northern programs play an extra week of February road dates or choose the less likely option of sitting out the first week, which honestly doesn't seem like a viable plan, by passing this new proposal the NCAA has managed to trample all over the spirit of the Universal Start Date. That's before the economic downside.
If northern programs want to start at the same time as the programs south of the Mason-Dixon Line (again, the spirit behind the USD motion), they will now have to pay for an additional week of travel expenses. Brilliant. When the economy stinks and northern programs are struggling let's make them shell out more money.
Can I also mention that college baseball operates in a virtual media blackout until the weekend after the Final Four? Even in the south, the self-proclaimed college baseball hotbed, the sport doesn't get much attention until "One Shining Moment" is over. So why vote to add another week to the beginning of the schedule when the average college sports fan isn't paying the least bit of attention before April? It's marketing genius, I tell you.
I'm left with only one conclusion. This measure was passed simply to appease a few coaches at big-time programs who were forced to play the same kind of compacted schedule, albeit filled with far more home dates, as northern programs have for years. Outside of their comfort-zone, these coaches lobbied (and I'm being extremely polite in word choice) to alleviate some of their midweek scheduling concerns.
Need some proof? Here's a quote from Kendall Rogers' story:
“We wanted to add the week on the front end of the schedule because that’s what our programs are familiar with from the earlier days,” NCAA Division I Vice President David Berst said.Ah, yes. The good ol' days. When the warm-weather programs got fat, sassy and piled on the home dates. Way back in 2007. Or was it 2008? It was just so long ago, I struggle to recall.
Mr. Berst's comment is ripe with the rhetoric of coaches who cried foul when faced with the newly condensed schedule that the USD wrought. As soon as these coaches had to play back-to-back midweek games and midweek road games, no less, they began to publicly yearn for the old way.
I am open to contrary opinions on the matter, as I'm so defensive that I probably cannot separate the forest from the trees. Let's, however, ask ourselves "Who does this concept really help?" While it could take away three of four midweek affairs from northern programs, thus giving the teams more time to rest, the loss of home games (which many of these midweek dates provide) and the cost of spending an additional week in the south or west would appear to offset any gain.
Conversely, warm-weather power programs can scratch off some midweek non-conference road games and get to replace them with nice, toasty-warm, early season home dates. As it is now, a program like North Carolina has already played over thirty home games. Ohio State hasn't even played fifteen. That's with a more balanced plan in place. I don't see how this new, less northern-friendly measure will help make it any more equitable.
The NCAA seems determined to not only handcuff baseball, in general, but suffocate its existence in the north. Is it any wonder why programs like Northern Iowa are folding? If measures like today's continue to pass, we can expect to see more just like them.
Correction: I originally stated UMass baseball was also closing up shop. Apparently, they've been given a reprieve. I stand corrected and am happy to hear they live to fight another day. My apologies to all, especially the Minutemen and their fans. However, feel free to insert any other programs that have vanished (Colorado, Iowa State, Wisconsin, etc...) in the place next to Northern Iowa.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Still Penciled In As Hosts
Mark Etheridge at SEBasball.com continues to project Michigan hosting a NCAA Regional. This time his Ann Arbor visitors include California, South Carolina and Eastern Michigan. The Bears and Gamecocks would be fun and to have Ypsilanti's own Eagles take the five minute drive would be interesting especially with ex-Michigan assistant coach Jake Boss at the helm of EMU.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Rivals Fall Power Rankings
Kendall Rogers of Rivals.com has issued his autumn power rankings. These are not team rankings, but for individual players. The rankings include the following positions: Pitcher, catcher, firstbase, middle infield, thirdbase, outfield and head coach. Rogers lists the top 15 players in each category.
I have to admit, Mr. Rogers' poll surprised me. First, I suspected there would be no more than one Big Ten player. By my count, three made the field. Three?!?!?! That's almost enough to make you would think I wrote the list.
The one player I suspected might merit inclusion was Michigan's Zach Putnam. Near as I can tell, I was wrong about that, as well. No sign of Michigan's All-America P/DH. I'm not sure quite what to make of that, but if Putnam's not in the top 90 players in college baseball, I'm the Batman.
In fairness to Mr. Rogers, he may have had a positional problem with Putnam. He might not view Michigan's Friday starter (you know, the guy that one hit national champ Oregon State in their house) as a top 15 hurler. And as there wasn't a utility position, perhaps, Rogers didn't have a place to put Putnam. (Putnam was the Wolverines DH most of last year.) I'll spot him that, but if Putnam's not on a bunch of first team All-America lists in the pre-season, we will be left to assume that the college baseball media is not subjected to drug testing.
Who did make the list? Two Big Ten representatives managed to make the loaded firstbase position. Purdue's Ryan White checked in at number fourteen. The Boilermakers top hitter was followed by Michigan's Nate Recknagel. Again, I'm floored.
A pro-southern beat writer selects two Big Ten players in his Top 15 at a loaded position? Nope, I didn't see that coming. Kudos to Mr. Rogers for thinking outside the box. Or waking up and smelling the coffee, depending on your perspective in life. (I'll take the former, as I'm not always that cranky.)
The other Big Ten player to sneak into the fall power rankings is Michigan SS Jason Christian. Rogers not only selected Christian as the 11th best middle infielder in the land, but called him "One of the rising stars in college baseball". I'm nearly speechless. He combines the shortstop and secondbase slots and a Big Ten guy still makes the top15? What a difference a year makes.
Hopefully, this kind of very early, very positive media attention will open the door to more recognition for the players in the north in 2008. I also hope it might indicate a willingness on the media's part to give these players some All-America consideration at year's end.
I have to admit, Mr. Rogers' poll surprised me. First, I suspected there would be no more than one Big Ten player. By my count, three made the field. Three?!?!?! That's almost enough to make you would think I wrote the list.
The one player I suspected might merit inclusion was Michigan's Zach Putnam. Near as I can tell, I was wrong about that, as well. No sign of Michigan's All-America P/DH. I'm not sure quite what to make of that, but if Putnam's not in the top 90 players in college baseball, I'm the Batman.
In fairness to Mr. Rogers, he may have had a positional problem with Putnam. He might not view Michigan's Friday starter (you know, the guy that one hit national champ Oregon State in their house) as a top 15 hurler. And as there wasn't a utility position, perhaps, Rogers didn't have a place to put Putnam. (Putnam was the Wolverines DH most of last year.) I'll spot him that, but if Putnam's not on a bunch of first team All-America lists in the pre-season, we will be left to assume that the college baseball media is not subjected to drug testing.
Who did make the list? Two Big Ten representatives managed to make the loaded firstbase position. Purdue's Ryan White checked in at number fourteen. The Boilermakers top hitter was followed by Michigan's Nate Recknagel. Again, I'm floored.
A pro-southern beat writer selects two Big Ten players in his Top 15 at a loaded position? Nope, I didn't see that coming. Kudos to Mr. Rogers for thinking outside the box. Or waking up and smelling the coffee, depending on your perspective in life. (I'll take the former, as I'm not always that cranky.)
The other Big Ten player to sneak into the fall power rankings is Michigan SS Jason Christian. Rogers not only selected Christian as the 11th best middle infielder in the land, but called him "One of the rising stars in college baseball". I'm nearly speechless. He combines the shortstop and secondbase slots and a Big Ten guy still makes the top15? What a difference a year makes.
Hopefully, this kind of very early, very positive media attention will open the door to more recognition for the players in the north in 2008. I also hope it might indicate a willingness on the media's part to give these players some All-America consideration at year's end.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Tournament Format
Kendall Rogers of Rivals.com College Baseball is reporting that the ACC is about to change the format of their conference tournament. Following the lead set forth by the Big XII, the Atlantic Coast Conference baseball tournament is going to change from double elimination to a pool format.
In pool play, the tournament opposition is split into two groups and the teams with the best record in each pool advance to play for the tournament title. This avoids the two-and-bbq result, as teams would always play more than two contests. It also helps easy the strain on pitching staffs.
Now that we have two conferences, and two power conferences at that, making the move to pool play, I wonder if the powers-that-be in the Big Ten would consider such a change?
In pool play, the tournament opposition is split into two groups and the teams with the best record in each pool advance to play for the tournament title. This avoids the two-and-bbq result, as teams would always play more than two contests. It also helps easy the strain on pitching staffs.
Now that we have two conferences, and two power conferences at that, making the move to pool play, I wonder if the powers-that-be in the Big Ten would consider such a change?
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Flack Powers Heels To Omaha
I left the computer long enough to watch the last few innings of the Alabama vs. North Carolina game on television. UNC trailed, but plated four runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 6-4 lead. The big blow was a three run home run off the bat of Chad Flack. In the top of the ninth, 'Bama answered with a three run jack off the bat of Alex Avila to give the Tide a 7-6 lead. "Roll Tide" was ringing throughout the park.
In the bottom of the final frame, Mr. Flack stepped to the plate once again with one runner on base. I'm watching this transpire and thinking to myself "What if this kid homers, again? Wouldn't that be incredible? Alabama would not only lose the game, but suddenly their year would be finished. If Flack could somehow go yard one more time not only would the Heels win, but they go to Omaha." Then I thought "Isn't this why we watch? Isn't this what the tournament is really all about--the anticipation, the possibilities, the tension?"
I had all those thoughts just moments before Flack hit a walk-off home run and gave UNC an 8-7 triumph. It was amazing. What a swing in emotions, on both sides of the field. Carolina thought their eighth inning might be enough, only to have Alabama respond. Then, the Tide supporters must have figured it was their night after Avila's yard work and UNC fans had to be pondering another game tomorrow, but then came Flack's second bomb in as many innings.
In just the eighth and ninth innings, Flack went yard twice and drove in five to send the Heels to Omaha. You have to be impressed with UNC's multiple comebacks, however, having spent several days watching the seasons and the careers of a number of Big Ten teams and athletes come to an end, I feel worse for 'Bama and their supporters. It's difficult to lose, but to be so close--including regaining the lead dramatically in the top of the ninth--and still fall short is probably more heartbreaking.
An outstanding game, though. One that neither UNC or Alabama fans will forget.
I can't seem to get the Oregon State vs. Stanford feed online and ESPN2 is broadcasting the Fullerton vs. Missouri affair, so no trees for me apparently. Fullerton is winning as are the Beavers, but it's early. Although at 5-0, CSF appears to be in complete control. OSU is up 3-2, so I'm considering that game still up for grabs.
Check out CSTV's on-site blogs the rest of the night. CSTV's thirsty baseball maven Eric Sorenson is stationed at the Fullerton Super Regional, while Lindsay Schnell is in Corvallis.
Update: Stanford has tied it at 3-3.
In the bottom of the final frame, Mr. Flack stepped to the plate once again with one runner on base. I'm watching this transpire and thinking to myself "What if this kid homers, again? Wouldn't that be incredible? Alabama would not only lose the game, but suddenly their year would be finished. If Flack could somehow go yard one more time not only would the Heels win, but they go to Omaha." Then I thought "Isn't this why we watch? Isn't this what the tournament is really all about--the anticipation, the possibilities, the tension?"
I had all those thoughts just moments before Flack hit a walk-off home run and gave UNC an 8-7 triumph. It was amazing. What a swing in emotions, on both sides of the field. Carolina thought their eighth inning might be enough, only to have Alabama respond. Then, the Tide supporters must have figured it was their night after Avila's yard work and UNC fans had to be pondering another game tomorrow, but then came Flack's second bomb in as many innings.
In just the eighth and ninth innings, Flack went yard twice and drove in five to send the Heels to Omaha. You have to be impressed with UNC's multiple comebacks, however, having spent several days watching the seasons and the careers of a number of Big Ten teams and athletes come to an end, I feel worse for 'Bama and their supporters. It's difficult to lose, but to be so close--including regaining the lead dramatically in the top of the ninth--and still fall short is probably more heartbreaking.
An outstanding game, though. One that neither UNC or Alabama fans will forget.
I can't seem to get the Oregon State vs. Stanford feed online and ESPN2 is broadcasting the Fullerton vs. Missouri affair, so no trees for me apparently. Fullerton is winning as are the Beavers, but it's early. Although at 5-0, CSF appears to be in complete control. OSU is up 3-2, so I'm considering that game still up for grabs.
Check out CSTV's on-site blogs the rest of the night. CSTV's thirsty baseball maven Eric Sorenson is stationed at the Fullerton Super Regional, while Lindsay Schnell is in Corvallis.
Update: Stanford has tied it at 3-3.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Links! We've Got Links Here!
I'm almost past my baseball hangover. My sunburn is healing. I think I might be able to enjoy a hot dog, again. I'm able to form partial sentences. On occasion. With that in mind, how about I let some others do the writing for me? Here are some links you might find entertaining.
SEBaseball.com's Mark Etheridge tells us what to look for this weekend at the tournament. Mr. Etheridge also gives us a peek at the mythical NIT Baseball field.
Kendall Rogers, of the Rosenblatt Report, previews the Malibu Regional.
Boyd Nation breaks down each regional in his Breadcrumbs Back To Omaha column.
Beesball let's the Michigan, and Big Ten fans, get a look at Georgia Tech from their perpsective.
Kendall Rogers, who this time appears at the new Rivals.com College Baseball site, offers this look at the Lexington Regional, the Houston Regional and the Austin Regional.
The entire tournament gets a once over from Will Kimmey and the gang at Baseball America.
BA.com also provides the brave with a NCAA Baseball Tournament Bracket Challenge.
SEBaseball.com's Mark Etheridge tells us what to look for this weekend at the tournament. Mr. Etheridge also gives us a peek at the mythical NIT Baseball field.
Kendall Rogers, of the Rosenblatt Report, previews the Malibu Regional.
Boyd Nation breaks down each regional in his Breadcrumbs Back To Omaha column.
Beesball let's the Michigan, and Big Ten fans, get a look at Georgia Tech from their perpsective.
Kendall Rogers, who this time appears at the new Rivals.com College Baseball site, offers this look at the Lexington Regional, the Houston Regional and the Austin Regional.
The entire tournament gets a once over from Will Kimmey and the gang at Baseball America.
BA.com also provides the brave with a NCAA Baseball Tournament Bracket Challenge.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Please Come To Boston
This isn't Big Ten related, but it's very interesting. The ACC will play it's 2009 conference tournament at Fenway Park with Boston College as host.
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