Pre-Alabama Thoughts brought to you by Todd4State Bridal
I think this team is at a crossroads right at the moment. We've gone through a lot, dealt with a lot as a team, and I think we have had a very good season- if not remarkable season overall. But something just didn't seem right tonight like we were in the twilight zone or something. I don't know if it's guys getting a big head because we've done some things, just fatigue, or guys looking at the big picture rather than focusing on one game at a time- but whatever it is I think Cann will straighten it out.
One thing that has sort of bothered me is all of these fans that we have on various message boards, twitter, whatever else basically thinking that this weekend is going to be a slam dunk sweep because Alabama is struggling. I'll just caution everybody that it seems like whenever we play Alabama in baseball something weird happens. We're going to be missing our SS on Saturday which is already kind of weird in and of itself or like last year where we had to play those double headers and it messed up how we managed our pitchers and we lost a game and then I remember Butch nearly killing an umpire after a game because we got squeezed really bad. And I think we played them the weekend that they had those really bad tornados in Tuscaloosa a few years ago. It's always seems like it's something and we end up losing a game we shouldn't to them. They have some coaches with Mississippi ties and they're going to give us everything that they have. Now Alabama is having a tough season but I don't think this will be a cakewalk. Especially if our top hitter is Spencer Price.
My two cents again on the wedding stuff even though I don't think anyone wants to really talk about it but it's on my mind because of Twitter tonight and some differing opinions and I guess I just want to get it off my chest and it's easier to do it when I'm not limited by 140 characters or whatever Twitter gives you. I'm sure this won't be popular but I really don't give a shit.
1. I THINK RYAN GRIDLEY SHOULD GO TO THE WEDDING.
2. I think that it's wrong of our fans and out of line to verbally attack the Gridley family- Ryan, sister, Mom, Dad, dog, cat over it. Even if we lose Saturday on an error by the SS- just don't do it.
3. I do think that Ryan should do something to make up for missing the game. I think that this is where there is a lot of contention because apparently people think that I want to "punish" Ryan. That was surprising to me because I never really thought of it as a punishment. The reason I didn't think of it that way is because if you are given a baseball scholarship (I know, 30 dollars or whatever Title IX allows) to me that is a contract between the player and the school and part of that stipulation of that contract is that you are at all of the games. He's not paid money since he's not a pro, but he is given something so that he can get an education. By playing baseball for MSU he is being given the opportunity to play in the best college baseball league in America and possibly have a very good chance to play baseball for a living. I don't think it's fair to the other players on the team for one player to allowed to be present at 55 games and everyone else be present at 56. To make it up I think he should do something in the Starkville/MSU community for one day. I would not be surprised if Cann has already done something and we just don't know about it. I would be interested to see if those people that told me my priorities are out of line would say the same thing about Cann if that is the case. My guess is no. To me this isn't about punishment as much as it is fulfilling an obligation. As my Dad says- the further you go in baseball the more serious it gets. Especially when money starts to become involved. And I don't think a lot of people understand that.
4. Another reason I think Gridley should have to make it up is because we do have to draw the line somewhere. OK, we allow weddings. Do we allow guys to miss because of graduations of random family members? Apparently some coaches have done that in the past and if we want to do that- I'm fine with that if that's not where we want to draw the line. A death in the family is obviously excusable. But what about bachelor parties, Bar Mitzfah's, birthday parties, Jazz Fest... I am being a little silly here but my point remains. The line has to be drawn somewhere because otherwise I think we've created a slippery slope potentially. Hypothetically, what if another player's sister wants to get married during baseball season? I know the whole BUT SHE'S GOING TO BE A RESIDENT! side of that but how fair is to allow one player to go to a wedding without having to make it up and then not allow another player to do so next year? And then you have other players asking off for other things because they want to go to the beach- and you know family first. If we allowed players to miss for every family related reason- I do think that would become an issue down the road unless parameters are set. And again- I wouldn't be surprised if Cann has already dealt with it.
5. I think the biggest mistake Cann has made thus far was revealing to the media that Gridley was going to miss a game for a wedding. That probably should have stayed in the clubhouse. If that's the biggest mistake he makes- I can live with that. It probably would have come out anyway when we all wondered why the hell Stovall was starting at SS and Gridley wasn't in the lineup.
That's my two cents on it, and that apparently makes me a baseball obsessed terrible person and an "unreasonable" fan. Which is a little ironic to me because I think my opinion is actually the most fair way of handling it for all parties involved. And I'll say this- I've been following baseball since 1984 and I can't recall a MLB or MSU baseball player having to go to a wedding like this during the season. I'm sure it's probably happened but I can't recall it. I know that there is no way in hell my uncle would go to the wedding if it was him that was involved. There is a reason why my parents anniversary is in November.
Now flame away and talk about what a terrible person I am. I'll read the responses while I'm at the ballpark.
