The Sad Of Alabama Baseball

[BAMASHAQ]

Guy's I try to stay positive not post a bunch of negative crap that you see on most boards, but when you drive 2 hours each way to see every game at $2.70 a gallon it gets old. You would like to see our guy's COMPETE at the plate and not reinvent ways to lose games. So JOJO, DC, DIAMOND TIDE, CRIMSON KELLY, somebody help me out here. What's the problem? How do we fix the problem? What's it going to take to get us pointed in the right direction?

 

[crimsonkelly]

Bamashaq I live in South Georgia and have only seen us play a couple games on the internet (against Vandy...stiff competition), so I have no clue...granted some things seem very obvious as to what may need to be changed to help the program out. We lost some good players from last year, but brought some good ones back. We have good pitching and the defense has been decent most of the time...from what I can tell anyway. We just simply are not hitting the baseball with authority like at the beginning of the year. We seem to be one dementional with that being alot of singles. If you don't string a few of them together, and steal bases or hit and run, scoring 5+ runs a game gets tough. We have the pitching and defense to compete, seems as though we need some confidence at the plate.

The season isn't over yet, but it gets tougher with Arkansas and USC. Neither one of them is a joke by any stretch of the imagination.

We just need to make it to the SEC tourney...we seem to have good luck there most of the time.

Keep the faith. :cool2:

RTR

 

[bamajake]

I have been debating whether to put my thoughts on here. So far I haven't because I usually try not to be negative with my posts. I also try to avoid saying anything bad about the players because some of them may read this. I have now had enough.

The problem with this team, especially on weeknight games is that they have no desire and no heart. Last Wednesday and again last night I watched and saw a bunch of guys in Alabama baseball uniforms simply going through the motions. With the exception of one or two players, the guys acted as if they would rather be having a root canal than playing baseball. I cannot understand this. I was not furtunate to have the talent to play at the D-1 level like these guys. However, I can honestly say that I never put on a baseball uniform and went on the field without putting forth my best effort. I cannot say the same for our players.

I did not expect a national chapmionship this year. I did not expect another SEC championship this year. There were just too many questions about our offense. What I did expect was effort. Unfortunately, I haven't seen that. Instead, I see 9 guys on defense, most of whom are giving a half-hearted effort and I see the other guys milling around in the dugout acting as if it were some sort of social mixer. I did not see a single player take the role of team leader during either game. I guess I just don't understand. What I do understand is that if the same team that played against USA last Wednesday and against Samford last night shows up this weekend against South Carolina, it will be an embarassing weekend and we can pretty much write off a trip to Hoover. I for one enjoy making the trip to Hoover and watching some of the best baseball anywhere. It is a lot more enjoyable if Bama is playing.

Message to players: It is a privelege to wear that uniform. If you are not going to show that you appreciate that privelege, why do you put it on?

 

[BAMASHAQ]

Nice post kelly and jake. We just don't compete at the plate and that just kills me. It's your at bat when you go to the plate not the pitcher or the ump it's yours. Not to look at great pitches and swing at poor ones but to attack and not look at strike 3 with runners aboard.

 

[FAN4EVR]

I may be speaking completely out of turn, and I too have reserved negative comments, but I have spoken with numerous previous players and a couple of current players and coach wells is just not liked. Previous players told me how they just had no desire to give effort for JW. Now my thought is if you don't like him you still need to show some pride and play your a** off because youre only making yourself look bad. This in no way is meant to be negative toward Wells, because I don't know him nor have I ever played for him. This is just what I have heard first hand. I know this doesn't answer the question but it may offer some insight.


Roll Tide

 

[Bama Torch in Pcola]

They don't have to like him, they just have to play hard for him. He's churned out some good ballclubs during his tenure here. This year, for whatever reason, the guys just aren't responding. His quote in the Tuscaloosa News this morning really got to me. They quoted him as saying "We do not care." That's a direct quote. That tells me that he has lost this team.

 

[Diamond Tide]

They don't have to like him, they just have to play hard for him. He's churned out some good ballclubs during his tenure here. This year, for whatever reason, the guys just aren't responding. His quote in the Tuscaloosa News this morning really got to me. They quoted him as saying "We do not care." That's a direct quote. That tells me that he has lost this team.

Actually this is the quote: “We just don’t score," dejected coach Jim Wells said. “We face guys with seven ERAs and 11 ERAs [and] we should be able to score."


BAMASHAQ, The only answer I have is a change of attitude.



Diamond Tide :biga:

 

[Bama Torch in Pcola]

Actually this is the quote: “We just don’t score," dejected coach Jim Wells said. “We face guys with seven ERAs and 11 ERAs [and] we should be able to score."


BAMASHAQ, The only answer I have is a change of attitude.



Diamond Tide :biga:

Whoops! In the future I'll try not to quote someone from a story I read while still half asleep.

 

[BAMASHAQ]

Thanks guy's for your input. I think want to and attitude is what we are talking about here. The one player on are team that hates to lose in my opinion was not in the lineup last night. Brandon Belcher

 

[JoJoforHeisman]

The one player on are team that hates to lose in my opinion was not in the lineup last night. Brandon Belcher

Bingo.

Belcher has been the team's best hitter in SEC play (.407/.419/.559) by far, with his batting average currently leading the squad by a whopping 74 points. You would figure that a coach would want his hottest bat to be getting as many plate appearances as possible, but then again, I rarely see eye-to-eye with Jim Wells on matters of strategy and talent evaluation. Still, why Belcher has started just 23 out of 42 games is beyond me, and I'm curious as to what the rationale behind that might be (assuming there is any).

Jake McCarter offered what is perhaps one of the best descriptions of #32: "Belcher is just a gamer. He's the type of guy that rolls out of bed every morning ready to play ball, no matter what."

 

[BAMASHAQ]

JoJo speaking of Jake another player we could have used that left. Chris Kirkland is having a nice year at Memphis. Throwing out 40% of the runners. Jojo when you get a chance check your private messages.

 

[crimsonkelly]

On another note, talking to my brother a few years ago, he is a high school coach in S. Georgia as well. We were talking about hitting; as his team was struggling at the time. He makes the comment of some people can simply hit (almost as they are natural hitters) while other simply can't. I can't say that I disagree too much with this....it leads me to this, why can't we get guys Peter Stonard from a few years back. I mean that kid could simply flat out rake the ball. Too bad he had the other issues. We seem to be able to find guys like him and Emeel only about once every 3-4 years. In order to win alot of games and the big ones, you have to be able to hit 1-9 in the line-up. I'm not saying everyone has to hit .350, but these .250 and .260 averages don't do much for you. We simply have to find more of these kind of players more often!!!

RTR
CK

 

[J.E.B. Stuart]

I may be speaking completely out of turn, and I too have reserved negative comments, but I have spoken with numerous previous players and a couple of current players and coach wells is just not liked. Previous players told me how they just had no desire to give effort for JW. Now my thought is if you don't like him you still need to show some pride and play your a** off because youre only making yourself look bad. This in no way is meant to be negative toward Wells, because I don't know him nor have I ever played for him. This is just what I have heard first hand. I know this doesn't answer the question but it may offer some insight.


Roll Tide

If they DON'T like the coach, then what the heck did they sign at Bama to play for the guy for? They had to know something about him. I would think they had to come to the decision to come to Bama, not just for the love of Bama, but also to be able to get along with the coach, play for him, and do the job. If they came here simply to go through the motions, then they need to be gone. As much as I love Bama. If I KNEW the coach and I were going to have problems, that others had problems, and that there was that chance that things were going to be bad between me and the coach, then I think I would go somewhere else to play. You are cheating Bama, and yourself, if you accept the scollie, then come here and do not put out your best and blame it on, "oh, I don't like the coach." If you took the offer, you need to live up to it.

 

[Play Ball!]

Something I see in a lot of kids, not all, but alot and I think we have a few on this team, is that it is someone else's fault. You know, the guy on the hill or at other positions just may be a better player.
90% of the kids like this grew up being the best on every team or one of the best in the league they played in since T-ball. Now all the sudden they can't hit, pitch or aren't playing as much as they think they should. Well now they are playing in a league and on a team full of players as good or better. And instead of saying to themselves I need to work and play harder to get better, they just start pouting and blaming someone else. And its not just the kids, their parents are even worse. All I can say to them is welcome to the real world, shut your mouth and play ball...your not in OZ anymore.

 

[Vinny]

It is sad to see the baseball team having such a disappointing season. Hopefully they could turn things around and qualify for the SEC Tournament.

 

[gerry dorsey]

i was talking to a former tide player about this season, and he said in his opinion they miss todd butler (former hitting coach/stud recruiter now at arkansas) more than anyone realizes or at least cares to admit. just wondering if anyone else had heard this or feels this way. :BigA:

 

[Diamond Tide]

Sorry to lock this thread guys, but not all is sad when you take a series from the forth ranked team in the country. Let's move on.

RTR,

Diamond Tide :biga: