BaseBulls win 5-0

[HaulingBull Sucks]

How many people really care about USF baseball?  Can Tampa be even considered a baseball town?

[Brad]

I will respectfully disagree with Bulliever here. The history of USF baseball has been until last May an indictment of an athletic department that never put more than a nickel into the baseball program than it had to. It probably has been better than it should have been, though not as good as it could have been.

The short version: Robin Roberts basically brought them to an NCAA level program in the '70s and '80s. EC had some very good teams from '86 through '94 and a Top 20 level group from 1995-97. The team struggled for a year or two after in rebuilding, but got back to the regional level in 2000-01 in a much more competitive league than it had played in before.

And somewhere after that, something changed (and there's plenty of speculation why). One of the most knowledgeable baseball men I've met in 30 years of following the sport told me last year that the difference over a five-year period was like night and day. And he was right.

If you want more input on EC as a coach, ask jg or EXBULL21, who played for him and can give you their perspective. As a recruiter, he did OK but missed on too many big-name players. It seemed that U of Tampa always managed to snare a big prospect every couple of years that he should have snagged. But this also has to be said: EC's players were almost always good representatives of USF on and off the field and in the classroom.

The biggest problem was the lack of support from the athletic department. Even in the Top 20 days with Gload, Dellaero and Heintz crushing the ball, there was never a chance of getting to host a regional (back then, six teams, double-elimination) because of the complete absence of marketing to build crowds. And in the six-team regionals, you basically had to go into a Top 10 team's stadium and win a grueling tournament where one loss meant you had to go 5-1 over four days to win. Home-field advantage was a TRUE home-field advantage on those tournaments.

The hiring of Prado at a considerable salary was the real commitment ever to this program. There will be a new stadium and there is the first real attempt to add some pizzazz to the experience. Like everyone, I'm very pleased so far.

I'm not interested in a debate here. I know Bulliever has strong opinions on the topic. I have a different perspective than he does: If University X commits 250 percent less money than does a university that is regularly considered a Top 20 baseball team, then even if it's located in a goldmine of high school talent, I don't expect University X to finish .500, much less get to Omaha. And that's the real history of USF baseball.

Good points.  I don't blame RR and EC for everything - I want to be clear.  We have squandered the opportunity to be a solid player in the state of Florida - there is enough blame to go around.  

[JoeB]

How many people really care about USF baseball?  Can Tampa be even considered a baseball town?

This is the dumbest thing I've ever read on this board.  You sir know nothing about Tampa baseball.  Its a factory for major league talent.  Always has been, always will, so yes Tampa is a baseball town.

[AndytheBull]

How many people really care about USF baseball?  Can Tampa be even considered a baseball town?

Yeah, I have to agree w/ JoeB, are you new to the area? Lou Pinella, Fred McGriff, Al Lopez, Tino, Luis Gonsalez Chone Figgins of the Angels, Derick Bell, Daryl Strawberry, Doc Gooden, and those were just the ones off of the top of my head in 10 seconds.

[nukebull]

How many people really care about USF baseball?  Can Tampa be even considered a baseball town?

This is the dumbest thing I've ever read on this board.  You sir know nothing about Tampa baseball.  Its a factory for major league talent.  Always has been, always will, so yes Tampa is a baseball town.

Who is this Al Lopez guy they named a park after? Has UT ever done anything in Baseball. Where did Tony La Russa go to school?

[JoeB]

Actually all the names you said are from Tampa with the exception of Strawberry.  He grew up in LA, went to Crenshaw HS with Eric Davis of the Reds.

[AndytheBull]

Actually all the names you said are from Tampa with the exception of Strawberry.  He grew up in LA, went to Crenshaw HS with Eric Davis of the Reds.

Thanks, I didnt know that. I'm 20 so I've always been under the impression he was originally from here. Did he move to Tampa during spring training or something when he was young?

[JoeB]

Not sure, I think everyone lumps him in with Doc Gooden and Sheffield.  Maybe because he played with Doc and the Yanks and they train down here.  He also had his law troubles in the Tampa area so everyone assumes he's from here.  I do believe he lived here and still might.

[AndytheBull]

Yeah I guess I did just lump them together. I heard Strawberry on Ron and Ian a while back(within a year prob.) and he said he had to move from Tampa to California to get away from the people he knew here(drug dealers, etc) so he could stay clean and start over.

And back on topic: Yes, Tampa is a baseball town.