Billiken Baseball

[cheeseman]

Some of you are really talking about the which came first - the chicken or the egg. Money does not solve everything but I agree that it can help greatly if used wisely. Years ago, I was given a facility to manage - not my first but clearly the most challenging to that point in my career. When my boss showed me the place and asked me what I thought I immediately started pointing out all the shortcomings of the facility and explaining why these shortcomings were problematic for it to be an effeciently run place. What he told me stuck with me - he said, first of all, it is your job to figure out how to make it work - period. Second, he asked me if he had made a mistake in offering me this opportunity to show that I deserved to be viewed as a "can do" kind of guy with a future. I realized at that point that I needed to simply say no problem we will make it the best damn facility in the organization and I welcome and appreciate the chance to prove myself and to back up your flattering comments about me. The point being - Hughes does not have the greatest situation- agreed. However, what comes first - support or success. In this world, normally you have to show some success before the support comes. I understand that SLU athletics are not just soccer and mens bb - however, the entire program has to function as a whole and that means revenue sports get the lion share. Baseball can become one but I think success has to be first.

[Billsboys]

>Some of you are really talking about the which came first -

>the chicken or the egg. Money does not solve everything but

>I agree that it can help greatly if used wisely. Years ago,

>I was given a facility to manage - not my first but clearly

>the most challenging to that point in my career. When my

>boss showed me the place and asked me what I thought I

>immediately started pointing out all the shortcomings of the

>facility and explaining why these shortcomings were

>problematic for it to be an effeciently run place. What he

>told me stuck with me - he said, first of all, it is your

>job to figure out how to make it work - period. Second, he

>asked me if he had made a mistake in offering me this

>opportunity to show that I deserved to be viewed as a "can

>do" kind of guy with a future. I realized at that point

>that I needed to simply say no problem we will make it the

>best damn facility in the organization and I welcome and

>appreciate the chance to prove myself and to back up your

>flattering comments about me. The point being - Hughes does

>not have the greatest situation- agreed. However, what

>comes first - support or success. In this world, normally

>you have to show some success before the support comes. I

>understand that SLU athletics are not just soccer and mens

>bb - however, the entire program has to function as a whole

>and that means revenue sports get the lion share. Baseball

>can become one but I think success has to be first.

Good point. Bob has been there a while and when you have done things a certain way for a long period of time and when your boss tells you he or she does not expect much from you because of your situation then you get the reults you see.

[StLouBlue]

On SLU's website it shows SLU having 2 assistants and 1 volunteer assistant. I would assume this as correct, but if you know otherwise let us know. I would guess that Tulane is paying their assistants more than SLU. I would also guess that except for very few top programs, most assistant coaches are making very little. It seems like the kind of job you take to get some free tuition while you finish up your degree, get 2nd degree or grad degree and can then go get a real job.

As far as the facilities, I know they have improved from the early 1990's when I was in school. As I said before the field is now on campus which has to be a big plus. Baseball is not a money sport, very few schools, even the top ones make money in this sport. For SLU I would guess it is a question of how much they can spend on it and would ideally like to get it closer to a break even level.

I would love to see SLU spend more money at this sport and get it to a level where getting into the tournament was a regular occurrance, but I just don't see this happening. Also the move to the A-10 puts us even farther away from this. I am interested to see what changes with the program with our new AD though.

[SluSignGuy]

I have to agree here. Newberry, you are pushing it a bit. I have never read anything, definitely from Roy, that rips John Garrison or Braun.