College Baseball - Transfer Portal Tracker
- Thread starter TheMookieMonster
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I would like to know exactly what all these bad things are? The coach loves his players? The players play with passion and competitive fire? They wear props after home runs?
They don’t get into fights and they do a lot of charitable work outside of baseball. If being highly competitive is a bad thing then I guess they shouldn’t be playing a sport. It’s great being the villain and hopefully we’re right back at it again next year.
They don’t get into fights and they do a lot of charitable work outside of baseball. If being highly competitive is a bad thing then I guess they shouldn’t be playing a sport. It’s great being the villain and hopefully we’re right back at it again next year.
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DH is a distinct possibility, especially if his heel needs more time to get right.
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chuckiepoo and VolPack22
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I agree on some points but struggle on others. It is a concern because I have had multiple parents or recruits and transfers contact me, maybe cause of here or other places that I don't hide who I am as Kirby's dad. They want to know what the culture is like behind the scenes because a lot of what they see and hear when reading articles and watching games is questionable.
I have defended our coaches as some of the most competitive men I know who love and respect my son which is my first and foremost concern. I'm sure if you sat down with them they would say there are some things that have happened that they wish they could change or go back and do differently. I think one of the big issues this year will be the team attitude toward umpires. From a conversation with a top umpire in the NCAA after the season, the NCAA has a bad taste for UT baseball in respect for the umpires and I understand that having been one up through the MiLB level and college. We have to fix that or it will continue to bite us in big games. Say what you want but an umpire behind the plate can change the outcome of almost any game. I still believe the NCAA sent a group of umpires for our Super Regional to reel us in and I think it worked.
I have told them that like most great teams they are hated but the ones involved with the team closely loves them. Our guys are great young men who love others and their teammates and coaches. We have done some things on the field the past year that I wished we had not but that is also part of dealing with high strung young men who are fierce competitors.
I have defended our coaches as some of the most competitive men I know who love and respect my son which is my first and foremost concern. I'm sure if you sat down with them they would say there are some things that have happened that they wish they could change or go back and do differently. I think one of the big issues this year will be the team attitude toward umpires. From a conversation with a top umpire in the NCAA after the season, the NCAA has a bad taste for UT baseball in respect for the umpires and I understand that having been one up through the MiLB level and college. We have to fix that or it will continue to bite us in big games. Say what you want but an umpire behind the plate can change the outcome of almost any game. I still believe the NCAA sent a group of umpires for our Super Regional to reel us in and I think it worked.
I have told them that like most great teams they are hated but the ones involved with the team closely loves them. Our guys are great young men who love others and their teammates and coaches. We have done some things on the field the past year that I wished we had not but that is also part of dealing with high strung young men who are fierce competitors.
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I do think Tony is still relatively young for a head coach, and he will grow and learn. I never expect that we’ll lose that competitive fire under his tenure, but I do expect that he’ll change some of his behavior. I highly doubt we ever see Tony chest bump an umpire ever again, even if Jeff Mascia is a punk and he leaned into it.
I also think there is just a double standard with baseball that I wish would go away. Tennessee is trying to grow and evolve a sport that refuses to change. It needs this energy, but too many people confuse competitive fire and energy with classlessness. Should Beck have flipped the bird? No. I disagree with him there. But, football and basketball is filled with players chucking expletives across the field and court, trash talking, getting hyped up in big moments and “hot-dogging” when they do something cool.
You see that stuff in baseball and people throw out “concerns” about the character of the player which is just unfair, IMO. I’m one of the biggest baseball fans you’ll find, but the sport needs to let go of the past a bit and change. That is the biggest reason you see people making all of these dumbs concerns about our players. They’d rather those kids have zero fun, casually walk around the bases after a HR, etc.
My prediction….you’ll see a slightly different edition of the BaseVols this year. Tony will reel it in a bit.
I also think there is just a double standard with baseball that I wish would go away. Tennessee is trying to grow and evolve a sport that refuses to change. It needs this energy, but too many people confuse competitive fire and energy with classlessness. Should Beck have flipped the bird? No. I disagree with him there. But, football and basketball is filled with players chucking expletives across the field and court, trash talking, getting hyped up in big moments and “hot-dogging” when they do something cool.
You see that stuff in baseball and people throw out “concerns” about the character of the player which is just unfair, IMO. I’m one of the biggest baseball fans you’ll find, but the sport needs to let go of the past a bit and change. That is the biggest reason you see people making all of these dumbs concerns about our players. They’d rather those kids have zero fun, casually walk around the bases after a HR, etc.
My prediction….you’ll see a slightly different edition of the BaseVols this year. Tony will reel it in a bit.
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I can think of three things right off the bat about umpires and the UT team last season that I wish hadn't happened and is used against us by umpires and fans and other teams: 1) Tony bumping Macias. That's a no-no no matter what an arrogant jerk he is, CTV had every right to argue vehemently, but not to make contact. 2) Drew cursing out homeplate umpire repeatedly, showing him up, and getting tossed, 3 ) Frank Anderson going crazy at the umps in each incident and getting tossed both times. Those three things were not a good look for our program. I'm sure CTV knows it and will try to correct it this coming season.
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VolGirl81 and chuckiepoo
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Several months ago, Coach Vitello answered a question during an interview about Tennessee culture. (I looked for the interview but could not find.) He said (paraphrased) when the staff and I got here, we thought about what we needed to do to change the culture.
He continued, we don't have six national championships like LSU. We didn't have a large stadium filled to capacity like Arkansas. We don't have beautiful weather 12 months of the year like Florida. So what was going to be our signature... what we talk about with recruits. We decided it would be our culture. A competitive spirit inside-the-lines second to none. A love and passion for the game and each other thats real and not just talk.
I think Coach Vitello would be the first to say that passion boiled over a couple of times this year and was contrary to what we want to portray. However, in a game where tradition runs deep and unwritten rules are ubiquitous, passion for the game and having fun will be seen by some as classless behavior. I think traditionalist may always struggle with batflips and homerun celebrations and label them as classless. I hope not. Tennesse was a joy to watch this year...but (of course) I understand my opinion is biased toward the team I wanted to win.
He continued, we don't have six national championships like LSU. We didn't have a large stadium filled to capacity like Arkansas. We don't have beautiful weather 12 months of the year like Florida. So what was going to be our signature... what we talk about with recruits. We decided it would be our culture. A competitive spirit inside-the-lines second to none. A love and passion for the game and each other thats real and not just talk.
I think Coach Vitello would be the first to say that passion boiled over a couple of times this year and was contrary to what we want to portray. However, in a game where tradition runs deep and unwritten rules are ubiquitous, passion for the game and having fun will be seen by some as classless behavior. I think traditionalist may always struggle with batflips and homerun celebrations and label them as classless. I hope not. Tennesse was a joy to watch this year...but (of course) I understand my opinion is biased toward the team I wanted to win.
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Other schools are trying to create a narrative about TV and the staff. Not just Arkansas or Vandy, but others are too. The ump bump, FA getting tossed twice, Gilbert getting tossed, and the Beck finger gave ammunition to them. I will go to bat and defend them all day, but I am just suggesting what outsiders seem to think about our program right now.
Edit: I hadn't read the responses but this was all mentioned.
Edit: I hadn't read the responses but this was all mentioned.
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I think you will see the culture change a little this year just because of team makeup and a change of the guard. The ones who are left have a different disposition than some that are gone. The new fielders across the board will change the makeup and I also think some of it will be intentional. Add in the no celebration stuff on field, if it passes, and you just have a different culture. The fire will not go away but you just hope you can control it a little better. I think this will be a middle ground between those who are left that contributed and those who are coming in that will contribute. TV and FA will not become "mellow dudes" but I think they may be more controlled on the field when dealing with umpires. As I told several parents, I think there are only 3/4 things I would take away from the season. The bat flips, daddy hat, coat, and TV fire I'm okay with. I think we will have a celebration ritual but I think it will not be the daddy hat and coat since they were inspired by the group that left. I would love to see something for the pitchers that have a great inning, a fielder that makes a great play, and a batter who has a great hit. I don't know what those would be but I think it will be something different. I guess we will see how creative this new group can be.
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No celebrations on the field is stupid. Baseball knows no bounds in holding itself back in regards to MLB and college.
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chuckiepoo
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Well said. Umpire bias is real and UT felt their wrath on several occasions. They need to stop blatantly ”showing up” umpires and overtly disrespecting them. I could see an umpire telling his buddies that he was assigned the TN Super, them remarking how “out of control the Vols are”, and the umpire responding “not on my watch” or ”I’m not putting up with any BS”. Umpires are human and have egos and like to flex. TN needs to stop making it harder on themselves and need to be taught “umpire relations”. I’m dead serious, they should hire a retired umpire to speak to them about this subject, and “coach them” on the do‘s and don’ts of umpire interaction.
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