Boston College earmarks $200M for sports and recreation/Zippo for new baseball facility

BC was one of the few ACC trips I never got to make, but I heard all of the stories about the place from my son and his teammates.   Do they REALLY let people attending football games park on the baseball field?  I remember our radio crew broadcasting from the parking garage behind the field because there was no press booth available.  Hard to believe that the ACC can't pressure them into doing something.  

BC went 4-0 on opening weekend.  It's really a shame they can't get it together and make it happen.  Such a great school and a nice campus.  Yes, they do park for football on the baseball field.  The facilities across the ACC that I have visited are so great, it is hard to believe the ACC hasn't pushed them harder.  You'd think the other schools would be screaming.  Not only is it quite a trip for most, to travel to Boston, deal with the weather, and be forced to play on that field is really unacceptable.

BC won their first four. But they always start strong playing teams that are beneath them. Then they get into playing ACC games and lose, lose, lose. It's playing these early season games and the New England teams who are not in their class that keep them around .500 for the season. Last year they had trouble beating programs like UMass, Northeastern and Bryant.

Last year the spring weather was horrible. BC has overreacted by scheduling their first nine ACC games on the road. The weather has been very mild this winter. Last year we were buried in snow. This year there isn't any.

MTH posted:

BC was one of the few ACC trips I never got to make, but I heard all of the stories about the place from my son and his teammates.   Do they REALLY let people attending football games park on the baseball field?  I remember our radio crew broadcasting from the parking garage behind the field because there was no press booth available.  Hard to believe that the ACC can't pressure them into doing something.  

No press box, no bathroom facilities (unless using a porta potty or walking into the football stadium) and no concession stand (just a hot dog cart in front of the football stadium entrance). Also no seats on the right field side. Just a ramp to stand on or stand in the high rise parking lot. There are only metal bleacher seats down the left field side looking into the sun. At one point the visitors bullpen was under the stands of the football stadium. The ACC put an end to that. The left field foul territory includes a hill. The baseball field is a VIP priority tailgating parking lot during the football season. All this for no charge. No charge is the only plus. You get your monies worth.

Really...? They're playing Clemson here...

How sad for those kids there.  Good news for them is they will have some great experiences on the road.  Saw them play louisville at louisville last year.  So those will be their memories someday.

What you don't see in those pictures is a very large reservoir across the street behind left field. As if it can't be cold enough in March and sometimes April. When the wind blows in from left across the reservoir on a cold day it's brutally cold at the park.

MTH posted:

BC was one of the few ACC trips I never got to make, but I heard all of the stories about the place from my son and his teammates.   Do they REALLY let people attending football games park on the baseball field?  I remember our radio crew broadcasting from the parking garage behind the field because there was no press booth available.  Hard to believe that the ACC can't pressure them into doing something.  

They have or they did, since my son was in school back in 2004-2007.  I remember son telling me that one of the pitchers twisted their ankle in what they call their bullpen. It was then I heard that programs were complaining.

You dont need beautiful facilities to play baseball but you do need them for recruiting so you can compete.  Improved facilites come from championships  mainly from football and well run  giving and alumni programs.  

Here's the baseball coaching yesterday talking up plans that haven't been allowed a permit since first applied in 2009. He's all excited about plans that have been put on hold for seven years. It's probably been part of every recruiting pitch since 2009. There are four classes of recruits who spent four years there not seeing the new field they were told about.

Omaha? It would take a domed baseball facility to make top recruits want to stay and play in cold weather. Recently two of Vanderbilt's weekend starters, their closer and a starting outfielder were from Massachusetts. Previous to that there were two kids each from Maine, Connecticut and Massachusetts on the field for Vanderbilt. If Corbin isn't farming New England with his contacts (he's from NH) the top players are heading for the ACC.

“At Boston College we talk about and believe in cura personalis – care for the whole person. The BC Athletics Department, and specifically the baseball program, strives to live up to that standard by making sure our student-athletes reach their full potential on the field, in the classroom and as people.  These new facilities will play a huge role in helping our players develop on the diamond and, in turn, helping our program compete on the national stage and for a chance to go to The College World Series in Omaha.”

TPM posted:

MTH posted:

BC was one of the few ACC trips I never got to make, but I heard all of the stories about the place from my son and his teammates.   Do they REALLY let people attending football games park on the baseball field?  I remember our radio crew broadcasting from the parking garage behind the field because there was no press booth available.  Hard to believe that the ACC can't pressure them into doing something.  

They have or they did, since my son was in school back in 2004-2007.  I remember son telling me that one of the pitchers twisted their ankle in what they call their bullpen. It was then I heard that programs were complaining.

You dont need beautiful facilities to play baseball but you do need them for recruiting so you can compete.  Improved facilites come from championships  mainly from football and well run  giving and alumni programs.  

Right now football and basketball are in the toilet. In a good year the football program beats up on three Little Sisters of Mercy. They go 7-4 and go to the Obscure Bowl. The basketball team is winless in the ACC this year. They lost to mid major UMass-Lowell who plays in America East

The football stadium holds 45,000. It rarely sells out. Many of us here would call 45,000 a half empty stadium.

The total enrollment is only 14,000 including graduate students. It would take key alumni digging deep for big time facilities. Given people are generally indifferent to college sports other than hockey it's a tough sell.

Actually, to his credit, Gambino is pretty honest with recruits about the field situation.  He definitely says a plan is in the works but admits it has been for some time and that he doesn't want a kid to come to BC on the premise that they will be playing in a new stadium, especially without a construction start date. 

RJM posted:

What you don't see in those pictures is a very large reservoir across the street behind left field. As if it can't be cold enough in March and sometimes April. When the wind blows in from left across the reservoir on a cold day it's brutally cold at the park.

My son's team played there on Mother's day weekend in 2012. The wind was howling in from left field right at the shaded parking garage, where we were watching the game from the third level. Talk about cold!

A parked car in the garage up against the field is what's called a luxury box.

And I thought pitt was cold

Bolts-Coach-PR posted:

Really...? They're playing Clemson here...

And on this episode of Things Only an Umpire Would Notice...

Assuming proper mechanics and taking the pic at face value, this must have been immediately after a passed ball or wild pitch for ball four or uncaught third strike with R2.