Jump to content

Baseball's Coming Back


KNCLZip

Recommended Posts

Several out-of-state alumni have tried to rally support for the baseball program and mounted a fundraising campaign. But even if they raise money they may not have a place to play.

"Frankly we need the property the baseball field is on to create a main entrance to the university, which it does not have," Scarborough said.

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/08/university_of_akron_president_scott_scarborough_knew_addressing_60_million_problem_would_be_hard_but_necessary.html

Main entrance to............the soccer field?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

More BS unnecessary showboating. The University already has a nice entryway off of buchtel near Simmons Hal.

Which nobody sees except for students, and it's not really an entrance because it's right in the middle of campus, not an edge. Exchange Street is UA's front-facing street, and it's nothing but old fences and a wall of parking decks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Which nobody sees except for students, and it's not really an entrance because it's right in the middle of campus, not an edge. Exchange Street is UA's front-facing street, and it's nothing but old fences and a wall of parking decks.

It's also the first place you see as a prospective student and new student, because you're directed to Simmons Hall initially. You'd leave Simmons Hall, and walk straight up the entrance to campus, which makes it practical and useful. An Entrance off of exchange street (there already is six entry ways off of exchange street...they may not be pretty, but they're there) isn't practical or useful. Students/People park at the garages and then walk to buildings from there...the only people walking through this entrance is...students...living in the buildings off campus.

A grand entrance would look mighty fine from the office of the university president, instead of some stupid baseball field.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was mentioned on Big Time Sports that Coach R will be on the show as soon as his employment with the U is terminated in a couple of weeks, and he will be more than glad to share what really happened behind the scenes during the hatchet job.

I look forward to that. I wish they had pod casting (that would require a real website) because I might not catch it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess my first thought is that when you see the campus from Exchange, it's actually a good, panoramic view of the entire strip of buildings. So, it might make sense from that standpoint, if they have enough room there for suitable visitor parking.

As far as the baseball field is concerned, we don't need it if it's not coming back. And if it does come back, I wonder if it's practical to cut a deal with Canal Park to use that facility a couple dozen more times a year when RubberDucks games are not being played, rather than maintaining our own field. It might be a win/win for everyone. The city could have two "tenants" using Canal Park.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess my first thought is that when you see the campus from Exchange, it's actually a good, panoramic view of the entire strip of buildings. So, it might make sense from that standpoint, if they have enough room there for suitable visitor parking.

As far as the baseball field is concerned, we don't need it if it's not coming back. And if it does come back, I wonder if it's practical to cut a deal with Canal Park to use that facility a couple dozen more times a year when RubberDucks games are not being played, rather than maintaining our own field. It might be a win/win for everyone. The city could have two "tenants" using Canal Park.

Pretty sure the R Ducks have exclusive rights to Canal Park. Any deal would have to be made with them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hilltopper, it's leased from the city. I know nothing about the details. And I know this is all hypothetical, but if the RubberDucks could save money by having two entities leasing the ballpark, could it not be a win/win? Even if the RubberDucks could sublease a couple dozen times a year, it still seems like a great deal for them.

Does anyone know what we do now when we use Canal Park for games? Completely eliminating the cost of maintaining our own ballpark on campus altogether would seem to have great potential benefit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Zips played at Canal Park in 2014 IIRC, but with the usual complete lack of anything resembling marketing, they got the same couple hundred.

I don't see baseball coming back. With Title IX and all that, there's no way. Maybe if the northern schools come up with a new model for baseball like I brought up before. Maybe a fall-spring season. Or a shorter season with more games per week, starting in April. Maybe a regional tournament in a northern indoor stadium.

But trying to keep up with the warm weather schools, travelling the entire month of March, recruiting against the warm weather schools, and hoping praying to make it to the superregionals before being blown away by the warm weather powerhouses. That just doesn't make sense.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Now wait just a minute. There's a few people on this board who still believe that the Zips and the Suckeyes don't attract any similar athletic talent. How can an Akron baseball player transfer to Cowlumbus State? That can't be! :eek:

:lol: That may be the one sport where there's a bit of overlap. They may also have an occasional soccer/track/rifle athlete that could make our teams.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
  • 5 months later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...
On 5/4/2016 at 9:40 AM, Blue & Gold said:

Unintended consequence: UA dropping baseball has really curbed my enthusiasm for area high school baseball.  I'm no longer that interested in who the area's top college baseball prospects are.

Understood. I have not watched one inning of college baseball all year on TV, and it seems like there's more and more on every year. Just seeing it in the listings puts a pit in my stomach.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

What cold weather college baseball needs is a group of schools to form a new conference where you don't travel out of state, you don't chase dreams of being first round Superregional fodder, and you don't spend a ton on scholarships. And the scholly's would be for school only, not boarding. Recruit locally commuter students. Play more games per week in April and May, or have a fall session and spring season, maybe some double headers with minor league teams.

 

It has to be sustainable.

 

With more local flavor, local rivalries, and MLB's increasing popularity, it coud work. But it'll never happen.

Edited by Spin
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...