Baseball stadium?

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

guys, its time to move on from thinking Hammy will produce any results on the baseball field. While he may be still around, how much is he really working on his last legacy after he was pushed out and his only friend (gilbert) was pushed out too? He should've never announced a baseball field or had the ceremony he did with so little money raised at that time.

The softball location seems to be the option right now they're going with, but until I see bulldozers clearing land I wont believe it.

This is why MU never grows. People like you saying Hamrick never should have tried when he's currently struggling. Unlike the people before him, he actually had a plan to put this together. Of course people immediately were critical of the plans, once more trying to work against MU yet claiming they care so much about it.
You think Hamrick just did this to fool everyone? Yeah, sorry about a global pandemic literally shutting the world down...all the while the MU BoG led a coup to toss out the 2 people we really needed just a year later.
Yes, his mistake was the undervalued cost of the stadium, however, he could have said, "alright folks, we have to re-bid and if we have to raise more money, then let's do it."
Oh, wait, he got fired and hasn't even been officially replaced. I can't say I know why he hasn't said much, maybe he can't (seems like whenever WV has some plans they 'can't tell anyone until its finalized'), who knows. At least he's still involved as we'd know if he wasn't since the MU BoG would love to announce that.

I hope it is finished as it's his final middle finger to those like yourself who said it couldn't be done and he should've just abandoned the idea of...goodness...helping MU Athletics.

 

[bbneutralfan]

I think it would be fair by now to ask Hamrick, where he is in seeking donations for the baseball stadium, basketball practice facility, etc. Give us some idea about the whole campaign progress.

Absolutely. He was appointed to do this and he has not reported anything.

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

Absolutely. He was appointed to do this and he has not reported anything.

I'm starting to wonder if they're considering the ACF lot as a possible new location. In which case they'll need to re-evaluate their approach.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

I'm starting to wonder if they're considering the ACF lot as a possible new location. In which case they'll need to re-evaluate their approach.

I thought the area behind the softball field was now the chosen location. At least that seemed to be what O'Malley indicated in a BOG meeting earlier this year. Personally, I think that would be a great location. Closer to campus and on the river.

 

[wyocinherd]

Frankly, no more time and money should be spent planning a baseball field. Baseball can play wherever. The reality of college athletics couldn’t slap Marshall across the face any harder:

INVEST IN FOOTBALL!

The football stadium is badly in need of a facelift. AD needs a master plan for The Joan upgrades. A sense of urgency would be nice. The department’s facility priorities should be:

1) Overhaul The Joan (other threads have discussed specifics)

2) Build outdoor football practice field(s)

3) Gameday atmosphere inside and outside the stadium (whatever $$ is needed)

4) See Nos. 1, 2, 3

5) If any leftover, make sure soccer facility is kept up.

And while I’m at it, how about overhauling the athletic facilities department. Basic upkeep in The Joan doesn’t happen (painting goal posts, cleaning rails on walkways outside Big Green room, black crap along top of Shewey Building). It’s embarrassing for an FBS program, let alone one as proud and tradition-rich as ours.

New athletic director must be about football, football, football and football.

Marshall better get going ASAP because we’re rapidly being left behind.

 

[goherdorgohome2]

guys, its time to move on from thinking Hammy will produce any results on the baseball field. While he may be still around, how much is he really working on his last legacy after he was pushed out and his only friend (gilbert) was pushed out too? He should've never announced a baseball field or had the ceremony he did with so little money raised at that time.

The softball location seems to be the option right now they're going with, but until I see bulldozers clearing land I wont believe it.

Not sure if it’s bulldozers but ACF is coming down pretty fast..

 

[The Real SamC]

- We have been down this path before. MH was pushed out and the “baseball fundraiser” story is just cover. There is no real reason to believe that any significant amount of $$ will be raised for a baseball facility. Main reason? None has been for 75 years. This year is unlikely to be much different.

- Whether a baseball field is built on it or not, and I say not, A L L of the land we can acquire between 20th St. and the soccer field needs to be banked for future academic expansion of MU. No Kroger’s, no bars, nothing. Academic buildings.

- If we fail at baseball fundraising, AGAIN, then its time to consider replacing the sport with another.

- The football stadium could stand some paint, a good steam cleaning, and restroom renovations. But its fine. Its a football game. Its 6 or 7 times a year for 3 or 4 hours.

- We have an outdoor practice facility. The football stadium.

 

[greengeezer]

-
- If we fail at baseball fundraising, AGAIN, then its time to consider replacing the sport with another.

We have one of the premiere rivers in the country right at our front door. Let’s do crew/rowing.

 

[GreenDuke]

Lol. Yeah we could start up crew “slalom” rowing. Around the river debris and barge traffic.

 

[greengeezer]

Lol. Yeah we could start up crew “slalom” rowing. Around the river debris and barge traffic.

Would you be up for a mud bogging team using the banks of the Big Sandy? 😀

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

Frankly, no more time and money should be spent planning a baseball field. Baseball can play wherever. The reality of college athletics couldn’t slap Marshall across the face any harder:

INVEST IN FOOTBALL!

The football stadium is badly in need of a facelift. AD needs a master plan for The Joan upgrades. A sense of urgency would be nice. The department’s facility priorities should be:

1) Overhaul The Joan (other threads have discussed specifics)

2) Build outdoor football practice field(s)

3) Gameday atmosphere inside and outside the stadium (whatever $$ is needed)

4) See Nos. 1, 2, 3

5) If any leftover, make sure soccer facility is kept up.

And while I’m at it, how about overhauling the athletic facilities department. Basic upkeep in The Joan doesn’t happen (painting goal posts, cleaning rails on walkways outside Big Green room, black crap along top of Shewey Building). It’s embarrassing for an FBS program, let alone one as proud and tradition-rich as ours.

New athletic director must be about football, football, football and football.

Marshall better get going ASAP because we’re rapidly being left behind.

'You're amazing. You've figured this all out already?'
-Hans Gruber

 

[Catsfan123456]

Any news on a site and time frame to start on a baseball stadium?

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

Frankly, no more time and money should be spent planning a baseball field. Baseball can play wherever. The reality of college athletics couldn’t slap Marshall across the face any harder:

INVEST IN FOOTBALL!

The football stadium is badly in need of a facelift. AD needs a master plan for The Joan upgrades. A sense of urgency would be nice. The department’s facility priorities should be:

1) Overhaul The Joan (other threads have discussed specifics)

2) Build outdoor football practice field(s)

3) Gameday atmosphere inside and outside the stadium (whatever $$ is needed)

4) See Nos. 1, 2, 3

5) If any leftover, make sure soccer facility is kept up.

And while I’m at it, how about overhauling the athletic facilities department. Basic upkeep in The Joan doesn’t happen (painting goal posts, cleaning rails on walkways outside Big Green room, black crap along top of Shewey Building). It’s embarrassing for an FBS program, let alone one as proud and tradition-rich as ours.

New athletic director must be about football, football, football and football.

Marshall better get going ASAP because we’re rapidly being left behind.

We invested several million more into the football program via coaches salaries, increased staffing and recruiting budget. We could spend 15 million more a year on football and there would be no guarantee we would be more successful. Money isn't always the driver for success. Its how you spend it and who is on the sidelines.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

- We have been down this path before. MH was pushed out and the “baseball fundraiser” story is just cover. There is no real reason to believe that any significant amount of $$ will be raised for a baseball facility. Main reason? None has been for 75 years. This year is unlikely to be much different.

- Whether a baseball field is built on it or not, and I say not, A L L of the land we can acquire between 20th St. and the soccer field needs to be banked for future academic expansion of MU. No Kroger’s, no bars, nothing. Academic buildings.

- If we fail at baseball fundraising, AGAIN, then its time to consider replacing the sport with another.

- The football stadium could stand some paint, a good steam cleaning, and restroom renovations. But its fine. Its a football game. Its 6 or 7 times a year for 3 or 4 hours.

- We have an outdoor practice facility. The football stadium.

Mike was pushed out for a few reasons -
1. He kept an average football coach 4 years too long - gave said coach an ill advised extension.
2, Alienated many long time fans - was extremely poor at fan relationships.
3. Pissed off the wrong people in a clash of egos.

 

[19MU88]

We invested several million more into the football program via coaches salaries, increased staffing and recruiting budget. We could spend 15 million more a year on football and there would be no guarantee we would be more successful. Money isn't always the driver for success. Its how you spend it and who is on the sidelines.

as far as I can tell we've pissed away a ton of money into FB the last 10 years with minimal return. the "game changing" IPF comes to mind.

 

[muthed]

Mike was pushed out for a few reasons -
1. He kept an average football coach 4 years too long - gave said coach an ill advised extension.
2, Alienated many long time fans - was extremely poor at fan relationships.
3. Pissed off the wrong people in a clash of egos.

I'm guessing anything Mike did as far as extensions, etc. had to be okayed by somebody above him. Let's give him credit for what he accomplished.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

I'm guessing anything Mike did as far as extensions, etc. had to be okayed by somebody above him. Let's give him credit for what he accomplished.

He deserves a lot of credit, no question there. Just giving my thoughts as to why he wasn't retained.

 

[muthed]

I was in Hton today and drove by the proposed bball stadium site behind the softball complex. IMHO, that is a bad location. It's next to an old chemical company building so maybe brownfields to clean. It doesn't have a "river view." There's a floodwall to block any river view over the outfield fence. It's not easily accessible, and it would be out of sight of passersby down 3rd Ave. I say stick with the 5th Ave. site. Accessible, an extention of the campus looking east, right on a main travel artery.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

I was in Hton today and drove by the proposed bball stadium site behind the softball complex. IMHO, that is a bad location. It's next to an old chemical company building so maybe brownfields to clean. It doesn't have a "river view." There's a floodwall to block any river view over the outfield fence. It's not easily accessible, and it would be out of sight of passersby down 3rd Ave. I say stick with the 5th Ave. site. Accessible, an extention of the campus looking east, right on a main travel artery.

They'll demolish the building and clear the area. I don't think there are any chemical clean up issues. I think they also plan to take down a few buildings -opening up the area as well. We'll see what happens. Not sure why MU moved the site.

 

[The Real SamC]

It’s baseball. It is parents, girlfriends, and a handful of old men who will spend most of the game talking about Pete Rose. Its a handful of people. MU was going to build this palatial park which was unneeded. The bids came in way too high. MH has raised, AFAIK the same amount of $$ that have been raised for this idea in the previous 100 years, which is zero.

So either we drop the sport and pick up another, which would not be wise as we would be the only SBC team w/o baseball and the most obvious replacements would require us to find associate membership in the MAC or something. Or we have the buildings and grounds department put together a simple field in some forgotten post-industrial wasteland between campus and the river. We have held up buying the Chevy we need for decades waiting to be able to afford the Caddy we don’t.

BTW, USM people are saying that when the contract with Montgomery runs out after 24, the SBC baseball tournament will move to the former home of the CUSA tournament in Biloxi. CUSA is resuming campus site tournaments.

 

[Catsfan123456]

What did the new AD say about the baseball stadium in his press conference?

 

[The Real SamC]

What did the new AD say about the baseball stadium in his press conference?

The whole thing is on YouTube. Baseball question is at about 17:00.

Pretty much: competing in baseball is hard when you don’t have a park, I’m going to get to work on getting a park. Nothing specific, nothing we haven’t heard for 30 years.

 

[bbneutralfan]

Disappointing that Mr Spears did not say it would be THE priority so the wait continues.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

Disappointing that Mr Spears did not say it would be THE priority so the wait continues.

Hopefully Hamrick has resumed raising money for the baseball stadium. Would be nice to know how much is now committed and how far we have to go to cover the cost.

 

[The Real SamC]

Hopefully Hamrick has resumed raising money for the baseball stadium.

MH is working out his contract and they had to come up with a title, nothing more. Why would anyone donate money via MH for anything ? What could he offer them?

Would be nice to know how much is now committed and how far we have to go to cover the cost.

Zero and all of it.

MU has the choice of building a small, adequate field for this minor sport, which we could have accomplished at anytime in the last 100 years, or continuing to pursue a palatial minor league style baseball park that will be grossly over our needs.

Note that our new AD comes from Pitt, where the baseball field holds 900, admission is free, and the facilities are shared between all of the other minor sports. All we need. A nice field, seats for a couple hundred, close enough to the HC that current facilities can be used. And let the wannabe minor league baseball owners around town play on their own dime.

 

[Catsfan123456]

Hopefully we will have an update soon on the baseball stadium project. I would think with the new AD taking over an update would be in order.

 

[RhinoD]

I just wish someone would shoot this dead horse one way or the other... Either, we are going to build something and actually get it done... Or decide we aren't going to build shit and baseball will continue to play in Charleston forever and end the half-measures, fundraisers, architectural drawings, etc. 20-plus years of thoughts and prayers about a baseball stadium is long enough, either do it, or put it to bed.

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

He deserves a lot of credit, no question there. Just giving my thoughts as to why he wasn't retained.

Maybe you should have said,
"In my opinion, Mike was pushed out for:"

Instead of posting like its some sort of fact.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

Maybe you should have said,
"In my opinion, Mike was pushed out for:"

Instead of posting like its some sort of fact.

What are talking about WIllis? My thoughts are my opinion. Where did I state it was fact? Settle down there Columbo.

 

[sluggo72]

Maybe you should have said,
"In my opinion, Mike was pushed out for:"

Instead of posting like its some sort of fact.

Are you saying he wasn’t pushed out? Please

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

Are you saying he wasn’t pushed out? Please

Oh, I know he was.
Why, is a whole different story.

 

[sluggo72]

Oh, I know he was.
Why, is a whole different story.

1 reason, he wouldn’t fire Doc. Chris Miller told him to

 

[muthed]

1 reason, he wouldn’t fire Doc. Chris Miller told him to

He didn't answer to the used car salesman. He answered to Gilbert.

 

[sluggo72]

He didn't answer to the used car salesman. He answered to Gilbert.

Seems to me everybody answers to car salesman. Gilbert got tired of that and left

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

1 reason, he wouldn’t fire Doc. Chris Miller told him to

Do you feel MU's AD would have been in good hands had a makeupless clown like Chris Miller, been at the helm?
MU almost destroyed its credibility by narrowly electing him as MU AD.
The mere fact he was considered made me question everything about their leadership.

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

Seems to me everybody answers to car salesman. Gilbert got tired of that and left

Gilbert got tired of the soggy human waterbed named Jim Justice, buzzing in his ear about firing people.

 

[THUNDERGround]

Gilbert got tired of the soggy human waterbed named Jim Justice, buzzing in his ear about firing people.

That made me spit beer. Cheers to you, Sir!

 

[muthed]

Do you feel MU's AD would have been in good hands had a makeupless clown like Chris Miller, been at the helm?
MU almost destroyed its credibility by narrowly electing him as MU AD.
The mere fact he was considered made me question everything about their leadership.

God help us if that had come to pass.

 

[sluggo72]

Gilbert got tired of the soggy human waterbed named Jim Justice, buzzing in his ear about firing people.

Him too

 

[GoHerdMarshallYes]

God help us if that had come to pass.

It was pretty close from what I heard. He really wanted the job too. He was also against MU leaving so they could collect the payout.
Glad to see we are gone and so is he.