RE: Status of Athletics & Expectations Going Forward: Baseball
Football must be a major source of funding before Baseball will markedly improve. And I'm not sure even that will do it. It's damn near impossible to be competitive as an Alabama based team with all the good to great schools playing baseball here. Not to mention the MLB clubs having massive farm systems, and add to that the return of independent leagues and their dizzying number of teams.
Players that are good enough to get drafted high and get a bonus, leave after their Junior year. If they come back for their Senior season, they might finish their school work but they kill their bonus money.
The Reds picks this past year is a perfect example.
Pick - Player - Position - Slot $ - Actual Bonus $
3 Brenden Spillane OF - $716,000 - $600,000
4 Mike Siani OF - $512,800 - $2,000,000
5 Ryan Campbell RHP - $382,900 - $10,000
6 Yomil Maysonet RHP - $287,700 - $250,000
The Reds' #4 draft pick, Mike Siani, was a High school prospect committed to go play for UVA. He got a $2,000,000.00 signing bonus to skip college. Ryan Campbell, the #5 pick for the Reds, was a Senior at UIC. He got $10k because he had no leverage.
So if you get a superstar, You probably only get 1.5 years out of him.
UAB vs. Everywhere else.
Junior College - More scholarships, facilities are equal to Young field or better, easier school work, less travel, equal exposure to MLB clubs.
Other D1 Schools in Alabama - Same scholarships, probably better facilities, except for the games at Regions; easier conference, probably easier school work, less travel, equal exposure to MLB clubs.
SEC Schools - Same scholarships, much better facilities or equal to Regions, harder conference, equal school work, better academic facilities, better training facilities, 1st class travel, 3x exposure to MLB clubs, dorm room walls might be papered with Ben Franklin's photo. Definitely more leeway in the checkbook to slide a few baseball players through on a hedge trimming scholarship.
IMHO, you've got to find the Bill Clark of Baseball, and pay him enough to keep him. And his name might be Brian Shoop. And he's doing the very best he can with one oar.
Coaching talent and discipline is probably the only reason we are .500 every year.
(This post was last modified: 07-03-2018 09:01 AM by BlazerPhil.)
|