| BSB/SB Bama hires Goff as new coach: Reports and Reactions
- Thread starter TheChief
- Start date
Don't have any names off the top of my head but some changes have to take place. 25-20, 10-11 in conference with 10 games to play before the SEC tourney. If the tourney started today, we would be in as a 9 seed. Our last 3 series, host the Barn (7-14), go to Arky (7-14), and then host USCe (15-5) with a mid week game at home versus Samford squeezed between Arky and USCe. We've had solid pitching all year, (3.48 ERA) 42nd in the nation!! We just can't hit our way out of a wet paper sack WITH A DAMN TEAR ALREADY STARTED, (.248 BA) 252nd IN THE NATION!!!!!
TerryP
Staff
If you want to make an argument about coaching changes that are needed ...
...that makes a lot of sense.
You can do better than this. Come on, a team loses a mid-week game and it's a reason to fire someone? Give me losing SEC series, you've got a damn good point. Mid week games? It's as weak as saying "a new stadium will turn into wins."
Post-season? It'll take winning four of the next six games in the home series and probably winning the series in Fayetteville for the Tide to be in the discussion.
You want my argument on why there needs to be a change?
I'm looking over RPI numbers, series wins, and contemplating what it'll take for the Tide to get to post-season play. It's not the first time. It's not the second.
I hate math. But, don't let that confuse you with this type of math, at this stage of the year, for yet another year.
...that makes a lot of sense.
You can do better than this. Come on, a team loses a mid-week game and it's a reason to fire someone? Give me losing SEC series, you've got a damn good point. Mid week games? It's as weak as saying "a new stadium will turn into wins."
Post-season? It'll take winning four of the next six games in the home series and probably winning the series in Fayetteville for the Tide to be in the discussion.
You want my argument on why there needs to be a change?
I'm looking over RPI numbers, series wins, and contemplating what it'll take for the Tide to get to post-season play. It's not the first time. It's not the second.
I hate math. But, don't let that confuse you with this type of math, at this stage of the year, for yet another year.
I'm too lazy to crunch stats like you do @TerryP, but I will say this. I have never been a big fan of Gasmspard with how he ended up with the job. From the outside looking in, Wells wanted him to get the job and came out of retirement and then quit half way through the year to pretty much insure that Mitch gets the job. Just always looked fishy to me. I work with a guy that played baseball there in the early 70's and still is around the program a fair amount. He pretty much agrees. Thinks Mitch is a great guy, and also has his suspicion as to whether or not Wells worked it so the job would be Mitch's.
We have invested too much money into the facilities to hover around .500 all the time.
We have invested too much money into the facilities to hover around .500 all the time.
TerryP
Staff
Correcting a symptom of an underlying problem; 11.7 scholly's for a team?
TerryP
Staff
BTW, for anyone late to the party.
Auburn is in town this weekend, followed by a trip to Arkansas, and the SEC season closes with UofSC in Tuscaloosa. Samford pops in somewhere along the way.
@rammerjammer SEC Network + carries the game Friday night. I've found it remarkably easy to follow any team with a few mobile devices I have laying around.
Auburn is in town this weekend, followed by a trip to Arkansas, and the SEC season closes with UofSC in Tuscaloosa. Samford pops in somewhere along the way.
@rammerjammer SEC Network + carries the game Friday night. I've found it remarkably easy to follow any team with a few mobile devices I have laying around.
@TerryP Losing the mid-week games IS crucial. If Bama ends up near .500 in conference but wins those mid-week games, they're likely in the post-season. Losing in conference to the number 1, number 2, number 4, and number 7 teams, doesn't hurt as bad as losing to Troy. It's difficult to be much over .500 with those mid-week losses. So yeah, losing those games... not making the tourney... makes my point.
Now, if the Tide was winning two of three in the SEC each weekend, the mid-week games wouldn't be crucial and certainly no reason to fire a coach.
All that said, if Bama can beat these SEC teams with a losing record, our discussion changes. Two of the next three series are against teams with below .500 SEC records.
TerryP
Staff
I specifically said using "losing mid-week games" as a reason to fire a coach isn't sound.
A few weeks ago I recall Belmont beating Vandy. That night, there were three ranked teams that lost and the SEC finished the night 2-6 in mid-week play.
South Carolina dropped their mid-week game last week. It happens all the time largely due to these teams not using their F-S guys. Where's a fourth, mid-week guy you ask?
11.7.
These mid week games often feature line-ups equal to each other. Often, you'll find the smaller team starting weekend guys just not notch a win against a bigger opponent.
There's a reason why I pointed to series wins and losses. A Friday pitcher versus a Friday pitcher. It's a level playing field to judge one against another.
That brings up back to the 11.7 ...
(Was it last season, or the one before we had one mid-week opponent use nine + pitchers in a game?)
Last year, Samford ran 9 different pitchers out against us. 11.7 kills us! Hard to compete against UF when they have HOPE scholarships to give the best in state kids and then go pursue the best in the country with the full allotment of 11.7 athletic scholarships. They also seem to be a better judge of talent as well.
Meanwhile, we have to divide those 11.7 scholarships amongst 25-30 kids. Why come here for a 1/3 of a scholarship when you can go to Florida and or other programs that offer more.
Meanwhile, we have to divide those 11.7 scholarships amongst 25-30 kids. Why come here for a 1/3 of a scholarship when you can go to Florida and or other programs that offer more.
I have no faith that a change will be made... about the best I can see is a staff change that involves Andy Phillips leaving (or being re-assigned). That said, maybe, MAYBE, Coach Battle learned from his near debacle last year with the basketball program (when he had made up his mind to keep Grant yet another year, but later changed it due to pressure from boosters and season ticket holders) that sometimes you just need to cut bait and call it a day. He went out and targeted the one of the top guys out there, and nearly had him. Ended up with a guy many of us like as much or better in Avery. No reason we can't get a top baseball coach here too... especially now with our facilities and the money we can offer.
As for Casey Dunn, he's a solid coach and we could do worse (but also better IMO). Sooner or later, someone will grab him from Samford. Years ago, Alabama had a deal in place for his dad to become the baseball coach, but at the time, Sammy's wife had cancer and he decided to stay at Vestavia (Sammy later died of cancer himself). Alabama went on to hire Wells...
As for Casey Dunn, he's a solid coach and we could do worse (but also better IMO). Sooner or later, someone will grab him from Samford. Years ago, Alabama had a deal in place for his dad to become the baseball coach, but at the time, Sammy's wife had cancer and he decided to stay at Vestavia (Sammy later died of cancer himself). Alabama went on to hire Wells...
Sammy was coming IF he was getting 2 full time assistants. Administration told him he was allowed 1 full time and 2-3 grad assistants. I know this because my uncle was tabbed by Sammy to be the pitching coach. I know his wife had been diagnosed with cancer, but Sammy was willing to come if he got his full time assistants.
Losing mid-week games prevents teams from making the post-season. Not making the post-season is reason to fire a coach. Ergo, losing mid-week games indirectly gets a coach fired.
If Bama is 25-20, losing five mid-week games is the difference in them being 30-15. Big, big difference.
Carry on with your excuse-fest...
TerryP
Staff
I was criticizing your post.
Losing mid-week games
Tough to make the post season
New Stadium.
Good guy.
You mention tenure, and then ask who's the next coach.
There's your reasoning. Look, I get it. The loss to Samford was enough to energize you to bring up Gaspard. But, as a foundation for a reason to fire someone? It's weak.
If you have the selection committee looking to see if Alabama beat Samford on Weds, in the middle of SEC play, the Tide needs to be sitting home.
TerryP
Staff
Before this comes up, @TheChief , we were talking about this last year.
My stance then was Gaspard wasn't going to get fired. He was going to get another year largely due to the team playing in Birmingham.
I think I've explained, pretty clearly, how I feel right now about the state of the program.
My stance then was Gaspard wasn't going to get fired. He was going to get another year largely due to the team playing in Birmingham.
I think I've explained, pretty clearly, how I feel right now about the state of the program.
I agree totally about last season. No college team could compete under those conditions. However, I don't see much improvement this season.
If the Tide was 14-7 in the SEC, the mid-week games wouldn't mean much. I would imagine a committee would be forced to consider the entire body of work though. Those games do count, and it doesn't matter how you look at them. Barring maybe winning six out of the remaining nine SEC games then adding another win, Alabama will be hard pressed to make the post-season field. I want to see the team perform a miracle and Gaspard to ride high into the Supers. I'm not optimistic.
Rolltide24
Member
What about Ray Watt coming annoucing their RB that had been shot had died. Then retracting that. Wow.
