Baseball Dropped (Updated)

[MetroMizzy]

Sending email to Mark Ryan this afternoon. Thanks apaladin - good call.

I'm not here to argue the women's equality thing Affirm. It's honestly not on my radar and I have three daughters. And I'm a lot less angry today...

One thing on the Furman baseball history, that 15 year period you reference plus another 5 or so years, was the best the SoCon was in baseball. The conference was STRONG. A number of years (and I'm not going to go back and look it all up) the SoCon was rated as a Top 10/Top 12 baseball conference. That would be significantly better than the conference would rank in the other major sports at FU at the same time and even now. Yet the university was behind in facilities at the time AND scholarships. We were competing against a conference full of fully funded teams when we had 6-8 scholarships generally speaking.

Additionally there were multiple years that the SoCon put multiple teams in the NCAA Tourney - 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012.

Soooo imagine if the SoCon was putting multiple basketball teams in the NCAA Tourney...I know I'm going to get crushed for this by the football people but SoCon baseball was the best sport in the conference for a long period of time AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. I know App State football, Georgia Southern, Furman, Wofford...I know but its not the highest level. Period.

In 2005 the baseball team was sent to Atlanta to play #1 Georgia Tech. We lost 5-4 in the bottom of the 9th. Then lost to Michigan the next day 6-3 and were eliminated.

[Roundball]

This proposal, which will probably pass, would add even more financial stress to programs like Furman. Maybe the decisions makers at Furman knew this was coming.

[fufanatic]

One thing on the Furman baseball history, that 15 year period you reference plus another 5 or so years, was the best the SoCon was in baseball. The conference was STRONG. A number of years (and I'm not going to go back and look it all up) the SoCon was rated as a Top 10/Top 12 baseball conference. That would be significantly better than the conference would rank in the other major sports at FU at the same time and even now. Yet the university was behind in facilities at the time AND scholarships. We were competing against a conference full of fully funded teams when we had 6-8 scholarships generally speaking.

Additionally there were multiple years that the SoCon put multiple teams in the NCAA Tourney - 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012.

Soooo imagine if the SoCon was putting multiple basketball teams in the NCAA Tourney...I know I'm going to get crushed for this by the football people but SoCon baseball was the best sport in the conference for a long period of time AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. I know App State football, Georgia Southern, Furman, Wofford...I know but its not the highest level. Period.

In 2005 the baseball team was sent to Atlanta to play #1 Georgia Tech. We lost 5-4 in the bottom of the 9th. Then lost to Michigan the next day 6-3 and were eliminated.

I'm glad you brought this up Metro. Great points all around. The SoCon was outstanding for many years and Furman was certainly competing decently well with basically one hand tied behind their backs. In 2010, the league placed three teams in the NCAAs. That's remarkable. In my personal opinion, baseball is one of the few college sports where a team from a smaller conference can really make a run ... see Fresno State, Coastal, Davidson, Stoney Brook (?), etc. It's possible with a couple of really good pitchers or some mashers at the plate. However, and I've brought this up with the SoCon in other sports - including MBB and football - the league just hasn't done a great job of taking advantage of opportunities. In looking at the SoCon record book, it looks like there's only been two teams ever to advance out of regionals - The Citadel's famous CWS run in 1990 and CofC in 2006. I think that's what bums me out most about Furman dropping baseball ... that once in a generation shot at making a Cinderella run ... it would be so fun to watch Furman win a regional or make a CWS ... but I'm not sure if it would have ever happened just as it never happened for all but one of our league schools.

[FurmAlum]

Metro Mizzy, I feel your pain. I am a former FU golfer. I think the same way about my golfing days at Furman that you do about baseball. I also went to school with Ron Smith, although I was 3 years older and didn't know him very well, but I know he is devastated by this news.

We were just as outraged as you are in 2014, when they tried to ax the men's golf program. We were able to save the program, but it was not easy and we had to raise a lot of money, most of it donated by former players and friends of the program. And also from some former players on the women's team. We now have several scholarships that are endowed.

Don't give up yet, but it's going to take more money to save baseball than it did to save golf. I also feel bad for the LAX guys, too, but would have to choose BB over LAX.

Good luck with your efforts. I just sent in my Paladin club donation a few weeks ago and would be willing to send in some more if BB could somehow be resurrected.

[apaladin]

You’re welcome Metro! Good luck and please keep us updated.

[Affirm]

Good piece.

Outstandingly good.

[Affirm]

Sending email to Mark Ryan this afternoon. Thanks apaladin - good call.

I'm not here to argue the women's equality thing Affirm. It's honestly not on my radar and I have three daughters. And I'm a lot less angry today...

One thing on the Furman baseball history, that 15 year period you reference plus another 5 or so years, was the best the SoCon was in baseball. The conference was STRONG. A number of years (and I'm not going to go back and look it all up) the SoCon was rated as a Top 10/Top 12 baseball conference. That would be significantly better than the conference would rank in the other major sports at FU at the same time and even now. Yet the university was behind in facilities at the time AND scholarships. We were competing against a conference full of fully funded teams when we had 6-8 scholarships generally speaking.

Additionally there were multiple years that the SoCon put multiple teams in the NCAA Tourney - 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012.

Soooo imagine if the SoCon was putting multiple basketball teams in the NCAA Tourney...I know I'm going to get crushed for this by the football people but SoCon baseball was the best sport in the conference for a long period of time AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. I know App State football, Georgia Southern, Furman, Wofford...I know but its not the highest level. Period.

In 2005 the baseball team was sent to Atlanta to play #1 Georgia Tech. We lost 5-4 in the bottom of the 9th. Then lost to Michigan the next day 6-3 and were eliminated.

Not the best sport in the conference, nor at Furman, for quite a while. As pointed out by MetroMizzy, even when (if) it was, only 1 school was ever able to get to CWS.
Glad that MetroMizzy does not wish to oppose Title IX and equal rights for approximately half the population (considerably more than half of the Furman student population). Arguing against that is wrong and should not succeed. It is 2020. (I am not trying to re-kindle MetroMizzy’s previous anger level - just trying to say what I believe.)

[tim]

FWIW, I think Furman baseball experienced another NCAA playoff run in the mid 60s maybe? Maybe under Tom Wall? I think they won a game or two and was finally eliminated by FSU?

[apaladin]

FWIW, I think Furman baseball experienced another NCAA playoff run in the mid 60s maybe? Maybe under Tom Wall? I think they won a game or two and was finally eliminated by FSU?

Late 60’s IIRC FU was 2 outs away from going to the college World Series. They were in the winners bracket and led FSU 4-3 in the ninth before FSU rallied to win 5-4. FSU then took the second game 6-3.
Another good article from D1 baseball:

https://d1baseball.com/stories/furman-b ... -baseball/

[freebird]

My neighbor and good friend Todd Brenizer played baseball and basketball for Furman back in the early 70's. He played basketball under coach Joe Williams and also was a pitcher for Furman under coach Tom Wall. I told him about Furman dropping baseball. He shook his head and said that Furman doesn't resemble anything now like it did when he was there. True statement. It doesn't look anything now as it did when I was there in the early 80's.

[Roundball]

My neighbor and good friend Todd Brenizer played baseball and basketball for Furman back in the early 70's. He played basketball under coach Joe Williams and also was a pitcher for Furman under coach Tom Wall. I told him about Furman dropping baseball. He shook his head and said that Furman doesn't resemble anything now like it did when he was there. True statement. It doesn't look anything now as it did when I was there in the early 80's.

Does anything look now as it did back in the early 80’s?

[youwouldno]

Not the best sport in the conference, nor at Furman, for quite a while. As pointed out by MetroMizzy, even when (if) it was, only 1 school was ever able to get to CWS.
Glad that MetroMizzy does not wish to oppose Title IX and equal rights for approximately half the population (considerably more than half of the Furman student population). Arguing against that is wrong and should not succeed. It is 2020. (I am not trying to re-kindle MetroMizzy’s previous anger level - just trying to say what I believe.)

The undergraduate student population in the U.S. as a whole is majority female. I must have missed the part where "equal rights" means "exact same number of athletic scholarships between males and females at every undergrad institution in the country."

What about other categories of people? Like, say, people who just aren't very gifted athletically. Why shouldn't there be scholarships set aside for them? Or even more importantly, people with physical disabilities?

I have a daughter that loves sports, so the current system may ultimately benefit me down the road, but it's a bad job of social engineering.

Furman of course is impacted the same as everyone else, so it's not a disadvantage in that sense, but it does drive up the overall costs of college athletics.

[freebird]

My neighbor and good friend Todd Brenizer played baseball and basketball for Furman back in the early 70's. He played basketball under coach Joe Williams and also was a pitcher for Furman under coach Tom Wall. I told him about Furman dropping baseball. He shook his head and said that Furman doesn't resemble anything now like it did when he was there. True statement. It doesn't look anything now as it did when I was there in the early 80's.

Does anything look now as it did back in the early 80’s?

For starters how about the bell tower. Next question.

[Furmanoid]

My neighbor and good friend Todd Brenizer played baseball and basketball for Furman back in the early 70's. He played basketball under coach Joe Williams and also was a pitcher for Furman under coach Tom Wall. I told him about Furman dropping baseball. He shook his head and said that Furman doesn't resemble anything now like it did when he was there. True statement. It doesn't look anything now as it did when I was there in the early 80's.

I remember him from the days when I followed them on the radio. Todd Brenizer, Bud Bierly and Bernard Collier. I agree with you. It isn’t much like it was 79-83. Things have changed by intention, and I guess most people think it’s great. I don’t.

[MetroMizzy]

Just a quick update. We are all trying to handle this with grace and humility (although it might not seem like it sometimes) which is the only way we have a shot to save the program. We've had several calls with JD and Trustees. I will tell you this: take that press release with a grain of salt. I'll provide the real facts to the backstory when it's appropriate. JD was extremely candid last Thursday on a call. We have one shot to do this and do it correctly and we don't need anything put out on social media to screw it up. JD is developing a plan and presenting it to our "advisory board" or whatever you want to call it, I believe, on Thursday. This plan will provide parameters for us to work within to save Furman baseball. At this point, we have no idea if it's feasible...but we're going to try.

If you're on twitter please give @SaveFurmanBSBL a follow and retweet anything you feel would be appropriate. You will see a consistent message which lines up with what I've been posting on here which might clear up anything that I may have not so eloquently attempted to say. There is also a group on Facebook but I don't utilize Facebook.

Sidenote: If TB12 is a 6 handicap, I could have played golf at Furman...yeah right.