This place is a ghost town.

[FlyHawk98]

We can run this conference now if we want to. Hamrick should tell them that baseball stadium standards will be enforced once football stadium standards are implemented.

Piss on this conference if they don't let us play baseball where we want, esp when schools like FIU, Charlotte, and Old Dominion have high school football stadiums.

 

[i am herdman]

I didn't know CUSA had standards.

 

[The Real SamC]

now that you've admitted to being wrong on that, back to the cusa stadium standards. if there were no such standards, why don't we just play our games out at the kennedy center? surely, it'd be more cost efficient than having to put the entire baseball team in a hotel all weekend in charleston/beckley, right?

I would be glad to read any copy of the CUSA baseball park standards you or anyone else cares to produce. In over a decade of CUSA membership, no one ever has.

And, with respect YOU said "the minor leage team/owner pays..." and then decided there was no minor league owner.

In any event, I get it. You want MU and/or the city and/or the state to build a minor league palace for you to rent for$1/year so you can play minor league owner. It ain't happening.

MU needs to build a simple ball park appropriate for MU's needs (KC is not, because it is outside the floodwall and has no real locker rooms directly on site, among other things). It needs to inform CUSA that, as noted above, we consider it as adequate as the joke football stadiums and joke gyms that the new CUSA members have. And inform the wannabe baseball owners that if they want to play minor league baseball there, the rent is $5000/game.

 

[herdit44]

I would be glad to read any copy of the CUSA baseball park standards you or anyone else cares to produce. In over a decade of CUSA membership, no one ever has.

if there are no such standards, why don't we just play our games out at the kennedy center?

 

[The Real SamC]

Just post the link.

 

[AWS1022]

I would be glad to read any copy of the CUSA baseball park standards you or anyone else cares to produce. In over a decade of CUSA membership, no one ever has.

And, with respect YOU said "the minor leage team/owner pays..." and then decided there was no minor league owner.

In any event, I get it. You want MU and/or the city and/or the state to build a minor league palace for you to rent for$1/year so you can play minor league owner. It ain't happening.

MU needs to build a simple ball park appropriate for MU's needs (KC is not, because it is outside the floodwall and has no real locker rooms directly on site, among other things). It needs to inform CUSA that, as noted above, we consider it as adequate as the joke football stadiums and joke gyms that the new CUSA members have. And inform the wannabe baseball owners that if they want to play minor league baseball there, the rent is $5000/game.

The requirements are spelled out in the conference USA membership handbook that's online. The two requirements I see that kick the Kennedy Center out are a separate restroom facility for the visiting team and lights. Those are required by the conference and KC has neither.

 

[FlyHawk98]

Then bring in porta potties and have all the fans bring flash lights. BOOM!

Seriously. As long as we are forced to play conference football games in high school stadiums, and basketball games inside of high school gyms, then we need to tell CUSA that we will play our baseball games wherever we want.

 

[herdit44]

Just post the link.

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools...16/misc_non_event/baseball-regulations-15.pdf

 

[The Real SamC]

Well, well, well. Finally. These vaunted "CUSA standards". A seperate s***er for the players, lights, and an internet hook up. So, what, $15K to do that? Heck, Huntington High would meet these "standards". So would Chesapeake. So could my back yard.

So, finally, we learn what I think we always suspected. All of this "we have to play in Charleston or Beckley because of these lofty standards" is bulls***. Lights, a seperate s***er, and an internet hook up. Nothing about capacity. Nothing about the field's quality other than standard stuff any field has. Nothing about electric scoreboards. Nothing about anything. Just a seperate s***er, lights, and an internet hook up.

So, finally, we know. All of this "CUSA standards" crap is a lie. Just the wannabe minor league play-pretend owners wanting Marshall to build them a ballpark.

KC could meet these "standards" by next Thursday.

It is past time to cut these minor league wannabes out of our plan and move on.

Thank you.

 

[Herd In the Plains]

I like J. Each university must have a crowd control plan. What is a crowd at a baseball game? 100 or 200

 

[FlyHawk98]

Looks to me like it is time for us to start asking Hamrick some questions about this.

Seriously, what is wrong with Huntington High?

 

[herdalicious]

I like J. Each university must have a crowd control plan. What is a crowd at a baseball game? 100 or 200

Which is exactly why this subject is ridiculous to debate in either direction.

 

[herdit44]

Looks to me like it is time for us to start asking Hamrick some questions about this.

Seriously, what is wrong with Huntington High?

there are some logistical issues, most mid-week games are afternoon starts for a variety of reasons, so we'd either have to play those on the road or play them at the kennedy center. cusa sets our conference schedule, so do we get priority over hhs' field because we don't control our schedule and they do? the high school season overlaps our season much more than the power season does (by almost a month).

edit: but honestly, in terms of recruiting power park is more of a draw than of a hinderance.

 

[AWS1022]

Well, well, well. Finally. These vaunted "CUSA standards". A seperate s***er for the players, lights, and an internet hook up. So, what, $15K to do that? Heck, Huntington High would meet these "standards". So would Chesapeake. So could my back yard.

So, finally, we learn what I think we always suspected. All of this "we have to play in Charleston or Beckley because of these lofty standards" is bulls***. Lights, a seperate s***er, and an internet hook up. Nothing about capacity. Nothing about the field's quality other than standard stuff any field has. Nothing about electric scoreboards. Nothing about anything. Just a seperate s***er, lights, and an internet hook up.

So, finally, we know. All of this "CUSA standards" crap is a lie. Just the wannabe minor league play-pretend owners wanting Marshall to build them a ballpark.

KC could meet these "standards" by next Thursday.

It is past time to cut these minor league wannabes out of our plan and move on.

Thank you.

Maybe they tried to get the Kennedy Center up to standards and couldn't. There's a possibility that they won't allow lights there. I tried to get lights installed at the complex where I coached and was told no by the company that owned the complex. Lights are a big deal, you can't play conference games without lights due to rain delays, extra inning games, fog, etc. and if you're trying to get more people to come to games, the Kennedy Center field needs to be completely redone. Horrible place to watch a game, probably the worst I've ever seen.

 

[The Real SamC]

The main issue with the KC is pretty simple. It is outside the floodwall and every 5 to 7 years it is underwater.

The point is that virtually anyplace can meet these "standards". No minor league mega-palace is needed.

 

[herdit44]

The main issue with the KC is pretty simple. It is outside the floodwall and every 5 to 7 years it is underwater.

The point is that virtually anyplace can meet these "standards". No minor league mega-palace is needed.

so, since virtually anyplace meets the "standards," why do we play in charleston?

 

[The Real SamC]

You need to call MH and ask him. Actually this deal goes back to the dark times of his moronic predecessor.

The point is that all of this ho-ha about having to play in something like a minor league park is false. Virtually any HS or rec field either does, or could easily, meet the very minimal standards you posted.

My personal opinion is that MH was promised state help for a field in return for not sqwalking about the WVU 100% taxpayer paid field. But everybody else from that time is either out of office, dead, or in jail.

MH does not have an easy job. If MU goes ahead with a proper field for just MU, then he p***s off the multiple wannabe baseball owners around town, several of which are major BG boosters, and one of which is mayor. If we continue to wait for the $$ for this minor league palace, we will be in the same position 10 years from now.

There is no way we are making any money playing in Charleston, and certainly not Beckley.

 

[herdit44]

The point is that all of this ho-ha about having to play in something like a minor league park is false. Virtually any HS or rec field either does, or could easily, meet the very minimal standards you posted. There is no way we are making any money playing in Charleston, and certainly not Beckley.

given these "facts" you keep spouting, why do we play in charleston?

 

[The Real SamC]

We all get it. You want somebody to build you a baseball park so you can play pretend minor league owner. You think that is is "embarassing" for MU to "have" to play in Charleston and eventually this will cause somebody to build your palace.

It ain't happening.

Anybody with any sense can read these "standards" and understand that MU does not "have" to play in Charleston.

If you want to be a minor league owner, build a field out of your pocket.

 

[herdit44]

We all get it. You want somebody to build you a baseball park so you can play pretend minor league owner. You think that is is "embarassing" for MU to "have" to play in Charleston and eventually this will cause somebody to build your palace.

It ain't happening.

Anybody with any sense can read these "standards" and understand that MU does not "have" to play in Charleston.

If you want to be a minor league owner, build a field out of your pocket.

you've still yet to answer the question, if we're losing money playing in charleston and the kennedy center (and any other number of places you claim) are adequate for our conference home games, why do we play in charleston?

it's a simple question, answerable using simple logic. give it a shot.

 

[The Real SamC]

304-696-3880. Ask for Mike.

 

[herdit44]

304-696-3880. Ask for Mike.

why do you think we play all of our games in charleston?

 

[sistersville]

Why couldnt we be excited over who coach dan might sneak into our basketball program next year. On a rival board I mentioned Dan going to McDonald american fiest and game. That was laughed at like nobody wants to come here. Well if they are never ask. Our basketball program could attain greatness with a few more players.

 

[herdit44]

Why couldnt we be excited over who coach dan might sneak into our basketball program next year. On a rival board I mentioned Dan going to McDonald american fiest and game. That was laughed at like nobody wants to come here. Well if they are never ask. Our basketball program could attain greatness with a few more players.

i feel like if we signed the best 5 high school players in the country we could attain greatness. thoughts?

 

[GreenDuke]

I like J. Each university must have a crowd control plan. What is a crowd at a baseball game? 100 or 200

When my son played(and still applies) it was 2-7k every night for conference weekend series. Best seats at many campuses $17-25 a ticket.

 

[oldeherd]

Why couldnt we be excited over who coach dan might sneak into our basketball program next year. On a rival board I mentioned Dan going to McDonald american fiest and game. That was laughed at like nobody wants to come here. Well if they are never ask. Our basketball program could attain greatness with a few more players.

Heck, Sistersville, it would make more sense for DD to start a lot closer to home. If would help our overall recruiting, not to mention enhance our "rep", if DD and staff could get a player or two from Huntington Prep to make that long "trek" of 8 blocks or so to the HC and take an "official visit" to MU. If we could land a player or two from Prep, it would certainly be impressive, given the nationally known coaches, Izzo, Huggs, Self, etc., and schools that are annually in H-town recruiting at that school!!

 

[sistersville]

Heck, Sistersville, it would make more sense for DD to start a lot closer to home. If would help our overall recruiting, not to mention enhance our "rep", if DD and staff could get a player or two from Huntington Prep to make that long "trek" of 8 blocks or so to the HC and take an "official visit" to MU. If we could land a player or two from Prep, it would certainly be impressive, given the nationally known coaches, Izzo, Huggs, Self, etc., and schools that are annually in H-town recruiting at that school!!

buddy I WOULD HAVE A HERD COACH AT EVERY HUNTINGTON PREP GAME. Regardless of what happens i will go to the cam every game. I watch KY alot and m telling you the Herd only needs a few more players to be pretty darn good. Look what we did to the Vols for most of the game. Example,,,marshall by the end of the year was better than auburn

 

[sistersville]

i feel like if we signed the best 5 high school players in the country we could attain greatness,,,I NEVER SAID ANYTHING LIKE THAT. i WOULD BE TICKLED TO LAND ONE. a WHOLE LOT OF KIDS HAVE NOT SIGNED. i SEE THE BEST IN THE NATION IN RUPP AND ITS NOT EXCITING AS SEEING THE HERD IMPROVE. i WANNA DRIVE 25 MILES TO SEE GREAT BASKETBALL NOT 175.

 

[CarolinaHerdZilla22]

connsinfonia
Joined:
Oct 15, 2006
Messages:
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Likes Received:
33
Location:
Rush, KY
As far as attracting fans goes, I feel that Huntington could do well with a nice park - both in minor league and college play. I know that a ton of people on the WV side would love to go to a nice park without driving all the way to Charleston. On the KY side of the tristate, there's three teams anyone cares about at all - UK basketball, Reds baseball, Bengals football. Basketball barely conflicts with baseball, NFL not at all. MLB is a bit different, but out of ten reds fans, maybe two will go to multiple games, three to one game, and five to none. I would imagine the OH side of the tristate I'm not as positive, but I would imagine you would just replace UK Basketball with OSU Football. Ultimately, you have a lot of baseball fans in the area, and just a few (almost exclusively on the WV side of the tri-state) actually go to Charleston for games, and the rest would love to have baseball with less than a three hour drive.

Outside of attracting fans, I feel that if we had a local minor league team - particularly one that marketed itself as the Tri-State's Team instead of Huntington WV's Team - the tristate area could really establish an identity for itself outside of "Way over here at the unpopulated edge of KY/OH" or "Little Detroit, WV." That alone is something this entire area needs more than anything else if it wants to attract more business, industry, and population, and rejoin the rest of the country in getting out of the recession. A little baseball team of course wouldn't do it all, but it would absolutely be a good start. After all, if you were a business looking to expand, where would you rather look - a large metropolitan area spanning three states, with a major university, located close to many large cities (Lexington, Louisville, Cincinatti, Columbus, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, DC, Tidewater, Richmond, Roanoke, Charlotte, Nashville, Knoxville); or would you rather expand to a tiny city in the edge of nowhere in Ky/OH, or a small city in a sparsely populated state.

It's a small difference between the two, but there is absolutely no identity to the tri-state right now, just to each of three major cities in the area. And although a minor league team (along with MU Baseball finally having a home) seems like a small thing doomed to failure, it could be an excellent start to building towards revitalizing this entire area. Only a start, and there would be many other things that would need to happen in addition, but I don't see what else could get that start at this point. But first it would need a home, marketing to the entire tristate, and the support of the tristate.

tl;dr - Build it, and they will come.

31
GREAT comments connsinfonia. I love BASEBALL. I tried to get $$$$$ raised for baseball years ago. I ran into a STONE wall. Along with Coach Waggs, I was told........"Waggs, you coach...Sweeney, leave Fund raising to Marshall"...spoken by Lance West! Same thing was said to me by Lance when I attempted to raise $$$ for our School of Journalism when they lost over $15,000 annually from the state of WV (Charleston). I spoke to a classmate Saturday. She wants to start a scholarship to fund a FEMALE student/students majoring in Chemistry. Her take....."Sweeney, it seems Marshall is only interested in HERDing from Alumni that has million$ to pledge." She too spoke with Lance West. I love Huntington. I support many graduates that chose/forced to earn a living out of WV... feel the same. I thought our Mayor was a God send when he first took office when he declared he would work hard to help build a baseball field in Huntington. "Mayor, WE are still waiting." Many small cities/towns in North Carolina (Kannapolis, Hickory, Zebulon) support minor league baseball. "Build it--they will come." For years, we had AAA minor league baseball located in Ft. Mill, SC. Folks from Charlotte only attended in mass on July 4th (fireworks). The Charlotte Knights (Chicago White Sox) were LAST in all of minor leagues (A-AA-AAA) in attendance for years. The city of Charlotte finally built BB&T Stadium near Bank of America Stadium (NFL Panthers). BUILD IT---THEY WILL COME. Our great stadium NOW leads in attendance for ALL OF MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL. My point is....what comes first? The Chicken or the Egg? I support the TRI-STATE area of WV, KY, OH would support a baseball stadium located in HUNTINGTON and this would give the fine folks that reside there some GREAT FAMILY entertainment during Spring (Marshall baseball) and Summer with the TRI STATE "RailRoaders." Be creative like Green Bay......PERMIT local investors to become OWNERS of Minor League Baseball....and charge Marshall $100/season to use it. Better still.....MARSHALL could cough up some $$$$ too.

HerdZilla22 (Gary Sweeney in Charlotte)

 

[The Real SamC]

Woody has the quote of the decade re: baseball in this week's Herd Insider. Huntington Mayor Steve Williams:

"We are going first class or not do it."

Exactly. Which is why it has never gotten done. The money and the market for "first class" is not there, and for 65 years we have not just built what would be good enough.

 

[GreenDuke]

Mayor Williams is so full of bull crap it's coming out his ears.