Michigan Wolverine Baseball: Building a Successful Baseball Program — Part I
Posted at 5:30am — 7/2/2012
Michigan Wolverine Baseball: Building a Successful Baseball Program — Part I
Collegiate baseball has a wide spectrum of program type and depth. For example, there are small Division III schools that struggle to offer any scholarship help and fill out a roster. These teams may have players on the roster that had moderate success in high school. There is no revenue generated, players are happy to eat value menu items after the game, and are crowded into vans to travel to away games. Still, many are eventually drafted in part due to successful player development.
Then there is the other end of the college baseball spectrum, the big players known as BCS conferences in football and a large group of southern small schools that land big baseball talent.
There is one thing about baseball that is different than football; in baseball: very small schools (in enrollment) can compete against major universities. But, the successful smaller schools have support, financial or otherwise, and have established strong traditions and success that lure recruits. Small schools play big schools in baseball, occasionally in basketball, but rarely if ever in football. Match ups between Slippery Rock and Alabama in football serve no purpose but to exchange money for injuries. A match-up between powerhouses in baseball powers and decent Division III types usually but not always results for the smaller entity in a simple loss and the experience of playing the big boys, harmless.
Michigan is at the top end of the spectrum concerning size and resources. The limitations are those germane to the cold weather northern and midwestern schools. These teams usually travel to warm weather sites to play warm weather teams. Recently, the trend has started for traveling teams to take several mini weekend trips starting in early February. This replaces the old “southern trip” where teams travel for a week to ten days and play as often as possible.
This is the most important stage in any program for obvious reasons; without success in this stage, the next stages are moot. The goal is to make this stage as short as possible. Many, in words and actions, historically have stated the accepted timeframe for this stage, as three to five years. The recent decade has seen a desired acceleration of this timeframe in major college football to three years, with administration becoming impatient, even after two years. Again, baseball is different and the patience level is usually longer. However, Michigan’s David Brandon is an administrator that has publicly stated that success across all programs, Men or Women’s, major or minor, is the lynchpin of the department’s priorities. Furthermore, support will be given, but results are expected.
And so any new head coach to the Michigan staff must immediately understand and accept this mandate that quick success is expected.
Now the discussion moves on to elements/tasks that enhance initiative stage success. These elements have as a base common management strategies.
Task 1: assess resources of all types, including facilities, staff, players, and support personnel (such as admissions, academic support, etc.). The physical facilities at Michigan for the baseball program are adequate and one could see some modifications based on coach preference. For many coaches taking on a new position means starting with the basics, the field, maintenance, time and location for indoor practice etc. Michigan has these prerequisites in line. So, time energy, and money are saved and it is on to the next task.
The staff construction will be critical. Every coaching selection must possess an abundance of teaching skill and knowledge. Baseball coaches, by and large, have similar methodology, but have differences in pitching technique, batting philosophies, strength and conditioning, and team management. The coaches must match Coach Bakich’s philosophy and style.
Coaches in baseball frequently must undertake two assignments of specialty, and the head coach frequently takes on at least one area of responsibility. Such areas include hitting, the running game, team defense, catchers, pitchers, infield play and outfield play. During game time, coaching responsibilities include first base, third base, bullpen, and bench order. It is critical that every area be covered with a coach beyond reproach as to the knowledge base of the specified area.
The success of a college baseball program in large part depends on the expertise and execution of duties of the assistants. Again the two cornerstones are knowledge/teaching/development and recruiting.
Recruiting certainly is a mandate for success in the initiation stage. The start of this process is an evaluation of current players. This will not happen at Michigan until the fall. There is some summer league ball that may offer some observation, but this is insufficient for making key decisions. So, timing will handicap recruiting this summer since the current resources are still somewhat unknown and the opportunity to acquire high-end players is limited. The real Bakich recruiting starts with the class of 2013.
Task 2: the establishment of community.
As a new coach starts tenure, the analogy of a honeymoon period is frequently cited. This bliss is not automatic. Sometimes hard feelings endure when the past coach leaves. Sometimes change in implementation manner is resisted. New coaches must be firm and clear on expectations and program basics (philosophy, team rules, expectations, etc). At the same time inclusion and support for players must also be demonstrated as a long-term valuable program component.
The team members are the immediate community, but university types and high school coaches must be offered immediate welcome. As with football, the search for talent has a wide path and a college coaching staff cannot always depend on the limited amount of staff to make judgments. In baseball the process is called birddogging, where scouts and high school coaches “tip” or provide critical information and ties to player recruitment. If a high school or legion coach likes other programs much better, the odds of success in recruiting will obviously decline.
Community includes establishing events, clinics, and other public endeavors that draw coaches and recruits. It is a necessary part of the job and frequently provides good compensation.
Part II we will talk about the “Action Stage”.
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Written by GBMWolverine Staff — Doc4Blu
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