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Baseball's Coming Back


KNCLZip

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I don't know how the argument can be made that the baseball job is better than the men's basketball job. Akron's financially committed and offers the full allotted scholarships in basketball. In baseball we'll be lucky to have 6 scholarships if the plan is to have it be a self funded program like it has been talked about. The only argument that I can see if job security. In baseball if we're at or near the bottom if the MAC every year it's not a big deal because it's expected. In basketball that won't fly.

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That's one thing, they both require a total rebuild of the roster, by the time we're ready to contend again the guys on the current roster will probably be out of eligibility. The men's basketball program draws a lot of attention, and criticism where the baseball program can operate off the grid. 

 

The expectations aren't as high because the baseball program never measured up to the basketball (or soccer) program.  And college baseball is rarely even considered by sports fans in this region. A vast majority said "Akron had baseball?". 

 

Would you rather take a baseball recruit to Canal Park, or a basketball recruit to the JAR. Considering the venues of other colleges.

Edited by Spin
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You assume our games are going to be in Canal Park. As best I recall, even when Rem was our last coach, and one with the best credentials in program history, we only played a handful of games in Canal Park. To play more games there the owner and AD agreed additional lockerrooms and offices had to be built. The price tag was a cheap $500,000. We could not find the money, even at a time when we wanted to build the program and profile.  

 

Our renewed program is being resurrected on the cheap. Most, if not all, games will be at glorious Jackson Field, the worst field in the MAC. But you gotta start somewhere. If you liked our current softball season you'll love baseball. BTW, how can Jones survive?

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On 6/2/2018 at 11:19 PM, 72 Roo said:

You assume our games are going to be in Canal Park. As best I recall, even when Rem was our last coach, and one with the best credentials in program history, we only played a handful of games in Canal Park. To play more games there the owner and AD agreed additional lockerrooms and offices had to be built. The price tag was a cheap $500,000. We could not find the money, even at a time when we wanted to build the program and profile.  

 

Our renewed program is being resurrected on the cheap. Most, if not all, games will be at glorious Jackson Field, the worst field in the MAC. But you gotta start somewhere. If you liked our current softball season you'll love baseball. BTW, how can Jones survive?

 

In every press release I've seen, that is the plan for the new program. And Canal Park is already excited to have us. 

 

I don't see how you could consider starting a new program and have them play at Lee Jackson. In the shadow of First Energy, across the walk from the softball stadium. Embarrassing. And it would be more expensive to make even a modest upgrade to LJF than play at CP. 

 

Point of reference, Youngstown State plays their home games at Eastwood Field, home of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers minor league team. It's 10 miles from campus. Cleveland State played their games at Sprenger Stadium (Lake County Crushers' stadium) in Avon. 24 miles from campus. It's not unusual for area college programs to play in minor league parks.

Edited by Spin
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12 hours ago, Spin said:

 

In every press release I've seen, that is the plan for the new program. And Canal Park is already excited to have us. 

 

I don't see how you could consider starting a new program and have them play at Lee Jackson. In the shadow of First Energy, across the walk from the softball stadium. Embarrassing. And it would be more expensive to make even a modest upgrade to LJF than play at CP. 

 

Point of reference, Youngstown State plays their home games at Eastwood Field, home of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers minor league team. It's 10 miles from campus. Cleveland State played their games at Sprenger Stadium (Lake County Crushers' stadium) in Avon. 24 miles from campus. It's not unusual for area college programs to play in minor league parks.

I hope you are right. That's a step back towards respectability if not competitiveness.

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Former Zip Chris Bassitt was called up to the A's today and pitched7 innings giving up 3 hits and 1 run on 6 strikeouts and 1 walk.

 

Unfortunately he got no run support was was credited for the loss. No worries from Zips Nation, it's great to see ya back, especially with such a strong start.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Chris Bassitt pitched six innings of two-hit ball to get his first win of the season (and his comeback) over the Tigers last night. He's now 1-3 2.82 this year.

Edited by Spin
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21 hours ago, Spin said:

Chris Bassitt pitched six innings of two-hit ball to get his first win of the season (and his comeback) over the Tigers last night. He's now 1-3 2.82 this year.

 

Dangit. The Indians will just miss Bassitt. I guess this is a good thing, because I'd want the Indians to shell him, but I'd also want Bassitt to do well. 

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  • 2 months later...
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I agree this is a heck of a hire, but I can't help but question how long he will be here. When Matt Wilson announced the return of baseball he noted that the salary of a new coach would be appropriate to a marginally funded, start-up program. That equates to low. We have few scholarships, I believe 4 are funded by private donors, and poor facilities. Sabo may be able to grow the program. If he is successful he no doubt will leave. He knows what a good program is having played at Michigan and he is young enough to have another move in him, especially seeing that his family does not live in NE Ohio.

 

I am happy we got him. It's a good hire. In fact above our level.  I am just pissed at our situation in that we are a stepping stone for most coaches except soccer and Track. Such is the life of a non-P 5 school in the MAC.

 

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Awesome hire. Name recognition and attention to a program that needs it. All we need Sabo to do is build us a foundation. You can't be a stepping stone without a strong foundation to step on. 

 

What does his IMG Academy connection mean for recruiting?

Edited by Let'sGoZips94
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8 hours ago, 72 Roo said:

I agree this is a heck of a hire, but I can't help but question how long he will be here. When Matt Wilson announced the return of baseball he noted that the salary of a new coach would be appropriate to a marginally funded, start-up program. That equates to low. We have few scholarships, I believe 4 are funded by private donors, and poor facilities. Sabo may be able to grow the program. If he is successful he no doubt will leave. He knows what a good program is having played at Michigan and he is young enough to have another move in him, especially seeing that his family does not live in NE Ohio.

 

I am happy we got him. It's a good hire. In fact above our level.  I am just pissed at our situation in that we are a stepping stone for most coaches except soccer and Track. Such is the life of a non-P 5 school in the MAC.

 

He's likely on the low end for D1 coaches in pay, but still probably a decent amount more than he was making at the preparatory school. The chances of him having success when he has 1/2 the number of scholarships and a fraction of the recruiting budget of everyone else is slim. I don't see him being able to do well enough with the odds stacked this against him to get attention elsewhere. On the plus side for him nobody is going to fault a start-up program with only a handful of scholarships for being bad. This should give him pretty good job security for a number of years.

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