Improvements For baseball

[AU64 10,122]

4 hours ago, auburnphan said:

If you build it they will come!!!!

to some extent we need to follow a bit of a miss st model as Butch is building the program similarly.  Enhancing practice and player facilities with a secondary focus on the game day experience.  With the development of the culinary/hospitality program I hope to God that the AD creates a great working development program together for game day experiences.  There needs to be a long term plan that is staged out. There need to be new traditions created for fan involvement.

That sounds good but attendance is just disappointing much of the season.....the Auburn community has not really bought into the program from my observations….lots of parent support of course but only fair student support and not that many of the senior citizens that I would expect to see.     I'm envious of State, LSU and Arky where the fan support is rabid.   Winning helps of course but our sellouts seem limited to a few rivalry teams on Friday night.   I drove over for the AU-Florida game last year to see Mize pitch.....place was maybe half full on a beautiful day. .

 

[mustache eagle 2,397]

I say make the green wall enclosed seating. How about watching the game and a ball pings off the plexiglass and is fielded in play

[auburnphan 6,050]

3 hours ago, AU64 said:

That sounds good but attendance is just disappointing much of the season.....the Auburn community has not really bought into the program from my observations….lots of parent support of course but only fair student support and not that many of the senior citizens that I would expect to see.     I'm envious of State, LSU and Arky where the fan support is rabid.   Winning helps of course but our sellouts seem limited to a few rivalry teams on Friday night.   I drove over for the AU-Florida game last year to see Mize pitch.....place was maybe half full on a beautiful day. .

 

This is what I just don’t get.  Even when I would attend games in the mid late 90’s attendance and especially student attendance was not great.  But I do feel that this challenge can be won with creativity from the Athletic Department and community.  I have lots of ideas to do this.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,648]

As a student, that hates baseball, I still think there's potential for this sport to become a legit 3rd wheel to the football and basketball squads. There's plenty of professional baseball lovers here, so it's not like you're lacking a love for the sport. You just need to implement some gimmicks (plus consistent winning) to draw them in. IDK about any other fanbase but winning matters to Auburn students quite a bit, during that middling portion of last yr's bball season, you could actually come in close to game time and find a seat on the floor. 

[mustache eagle 2,397]

Baseball program was not good at reaching the students to attend games when I was there.  Should easily be able to coax 500-1000 students to attend an on campus event - in the middle of campus.

free food for students would have gotten me there

[AU64 10,122]

1 hour ago, mustache eagle said:

Baseball program was not good at reaching the students to attend games when I was there.  Should easily be able to coax 500-1000 students to attend an on campus event - in the middle of campus.

free food for students would have gotten me there

I guess they would at least like to break even financially.    

Baseball has had it's ups and downs but IMO it's always been good enough for people to attend games and give it support.   Maybe the issue is that Alabama is mostly a football state and students don't grow up watching much baseball in HS.  Even in off years we have had some outstanding individual players who were fun to watch.     I think the game times are part of the problem......starting games at 6 PM screws up the day for anyone traveling more than 50 miles to see a game. 

 

[mustache eagle 2,397]

Maybe they should give away pre-party beer?!?!

[mustache eagle 2,397]

Or how bout this ... now that colleges can serve alcohol at games ... let students only buy beer at games ... 21 and up only ... cough cough

[Win4AU 4,052]

Auburn used to have the nicest stadium in the SEC/Nation according to some.  I’d be more for facilities and some cosmetic stadium work.  Please don’t build gameday condos in right field.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,648]

20 hours ago, AU64 said:

I guess they would at least like to break even financially.    

Baseball has had it's ups and downs but IMO it's always been good enough for people to attend games and give it support.   Maybe the issue is that Alabama is mostly a football state and students don't grow up watching much baseball in HS.  Even in off years we have had some outstanding individual players who were fun to watch.     I think the game times are part of the problem......starting games at 6 PM screws up the day for anyone traveling more than 50 miles to see a game. 

 

They should do free days or do 50% off. I think it’s tone deaf for them to have the same food prices as basketball and football games. (Not just for being a less interesting sport, but being a longer one)

[AU64 10,122]

21 minutes ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

They should do free days or do 50% off. I think it’s tone deaf for them to have the same food prices as basketball and football games. (Not just for being a less interesting sport, but being a longer one)

WHAT......may lightening strike your car for you making that statement.   ☹️  Tickets are only $10 for nearly equivalent of Class A baseball... I mean….50% off of a ten dollar ticket is only  $5.00     

You can go to a baseball game, visit with the rest of the old folks there and eat all day for less than the price of a ticket to see the football team play Kent State. 

JMO but college baseball is about the best bargain around.... 

[aubearcat 2,136]

21 minutes ago, AU64 said:

 

JMO but college baseball is about the best bargain around.... 

Some of my fondest sports memories were attending games at Plainsman Park. Tim Hudson was still playing for AUburn then but nevertheless, just a great game day experience to be there. 

[ellitor 33,077]

6 hours ago, AU64 said:

JMO but college baseball is about the best bargain around.... 

I'll get lambasted for this but softball is 10 times more watchable for me. If I'm watching a baseball game I have to find some other mindless task to go with it. Otherwise I just record a game & start watching it an hour after the game started, fast forwarding through the game only watching the decisive pitch in each at bat.

[AUBwins 10,070]

40 minutes ago, ellitor said:

I'll get lambasted for this but softball is 10 times more watchable for me. If I'm watching a baseball game I have to find some other mindless task to go with it. Otherwise I just record a game & start watching it an hour after the game started, fast forwarding through the game only watching the decisive pitch in each at bat.

Fully agree now that I started watching softball during the beginning of our run if good years at Auburn. A runner on first with no outs is a heck of a lot more intense in softball compared to baseball. Probably due to the bunt game being so strong in softball. 

[autigeremt 6,589]

Baseball should drop to 7 innings. 

[Mikey 16,565]

44 minutes ago, autigeremt said:

Baseball should drop to 7 innings. 

Heretic!

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,648]

9 hours ago, AU64 said:

WHAT......may lightening strike your car for you making that statement.   ☹️  Tickets are only $10 for nearly equivalent of Class A baseball... I mean….50% off of a ten dollar ticket is only  $5.00     

You can go to a baseball game, visit with the rest of the old folks there and eat all day for less than the price of a ticket to see the football team play Kent State. 

JMO but college baseball is about the best bargain around.... 

This isnt about normal people, its about students lol. Have different food pricing for students 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,648]

2 hours ago, ellitor said:

I'll get lambasted for this but softball is 10 times more watchable for me. If I'm watching a baseball game I have to find some other mindless task to go with it. Otherwise I just record a game & start watching it an hour after the game started, fast forwarding through the game only watching the decisive pitch in each at bat.

I have some other reasons for preferring softball...We got a solid team in and out

Past the suggestive remarks, I've heard this sentiment a couple times from people who watch way more than me. Softball does seem a bit more fast paced 

[AU64 10,122]

That could be...was at UCF early this season and their students got a break on concessions....doubt it cost them very much since there were not that many students at the games...…..and I'm betting student tickets are dirt cheap anyway.   Back when the Braves could not draw flies in Atlanta I always thought it would be good to let kids in free just to get some parents to come and discounted concessions is not a bad idea.      Back then they just needed some crowd and crowd noise to create the excitement ……and anything to put people in the seats would have been worth while. 

[Weagle98 119]

14 hours ago, autigeremt said:

Baseball should drop to 7 innings. 

I love this and hate this.  

 

I love baseball but I have been watching games and I'm like this is taking way too long.  The reason I hate it is that it completely ruins pitching matchups and surviving the starter and lighting up the reliever in the later innings.  A lot of times, and look at the Braves lately on this, hitters figure out a pitcher on the third go around and start putting up numbers.  Shortening the game would greatly hinder that.

[Tigerbelle 5,299]

On 6/19/2019 at 10:06 PM, ellitor said:

I'll get lambasted for this but softball is 10 times more watchable for me. If I'm watching a baseball game I have to find some other mindless task to go with it. Otherwise I just record a game & start watching it an hour after the game started, fast forwarding through the game only watching the decisive pitch in each at bat.

Multi-tasking is your friend. I load the dishwasher, throw a load of clothes in the washer, take a load out of the dryer and get them folded, get dinner started, put things away that are just laying around....

I usually watch baseball on my laptop so I just carry it from room to room as I work. I get so much done!  Big Nope to 7 innings......my housework would pile up! And I think 9th inning drama is interesting. 

[ellitor 33,077]

1 hour ago, Tigerbelle said:

Multi-tasking is your friend. I load the dishwasher, throw a load of clothes in the washer, take a load out of the dryer and get them folded, get dinner started, put things away that are just laying around....

I usually watch baseball on my laptop so I just carry it from room to room as I work. I get so much done!  Big Nope to 7 innings......my housework would pile up! And I think 9th inning drama is interesting. 

I essentially do the same thing. I just can’t sit and watch games often anymore.

[AUGoo 2,659]

On 6/18/2019 at 8:14 AM, AUcivE09 said:

I came here expecting to see something about the hurry up no batting glove check offense.

Oh yeah!!!

I'm all for the HUNBGCO!

[AU64 10,122]

9 hours ago, Tigerbelle said:

Multi-tasking is your friend. I load the dishwasher, throw a load of clothes in the washer, take a load out of the dryer and get them folded, get dinner started, put things away that are just laying around....

I usually watch baseball on my laptop so I just carry it from room to room as I work. I get so much done!  Big Nope to 7 innings......my housework would pile up! And I think 9th inning drama is interesting. 

Baseball is the perfect game....distance from the mound to the plate, the distances between bases are precise and properly proportioned......change anything by more than a couple inches and the entire game does not work.    And,  JMO that also goes for the number of innings which used to work out perfectly for the pitchers, most of whom not all that many years ago, could actually pitch a nine inning game without relief.  

Overmanaging the game is what is ruining it.   Game was intended to last about 2 hours and for a hundred years you could count on that happening...before TV and five pitching changes in a 2 run game stretched the typical game to 3 hours and beyond.    The length of the game is fine....its the non-game stuff that is ruining the game for fans and making it boring.   Might allow belle to get her housework done but the pedantic pace is killing fan interest.   

Football headed in the same direction....60 minutes of play taking upwards of two and a half hours now.  At least at home when there is a 2 minute time out to sell something, I can run do a couple tasks around the house....can't imagine what it's like to sit in the stadium with all that nothing going on between plays or changes of possession.....

[gr82be 14,421]

9 hours ago, Tigerbelle said:

Multi-tasking is your friend. I load the dishwasher, throw a load of clothes in the washer, take a load out of the dryer and get them folded, get dinner started, put things away that are just laying around....

I usually watch baseball on my laptop so I just carry it from room to room as I work. I get so much done!  Big Nope to 7 innings......my housework would pile up! And I think 9th inning drama is interesting. 

I love this post but it reminds me of something Yogi Berra once said. He suggested moving first base another foot down the line to eliminate close plays at first. The last inning drama will still be there even in the seventh. But I wouldn't want it to change from nine either. 😁