Battle for Baseball

A couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to tour the new weight room at the University of Alabama.

By now you have seen the photos of this phenomenal facility that, while connected to the football fields, both indoor and outdoor, can be used by all athletes.  It was just another example of the commitment Alabama has made to provide the very best in facilities to its athletes.

Remember back in grade school where you had to take those tests. The ones that shows you all the pictures, then has the multiple choice at the bottom saying “which one does not belong?”

I think you know where I am going here.

I have been to many of the facilities on campus.  I still feel a little awestruck when I walk around Bryant-Denny stadium and have been impressed with the facilities for everyone from the basketball teams to the tennis team.  But there is one exception.

As I left the weight room facility tour, I made the exit down the driveway back toward Bryant Drive, and there stood staring back at me was Sewell-Thomas Stadium.  Like I said-I think you knew where I was going.

With the recent hire of Bill Battle as the University of Alabama’s new athletic director, I hope this is a priority-in fact it needs to be. The university is currently seeing unprecedented success and the revenue that comes with it.  If now is not the time to upgrade Sewell-Thomas (maybe rebuild), when will be the time?

I look around the conference and see the commitment that is being made in Baton Rouge and Columbia to their baseball programs and they’ve had success to show for it. Maybe I am naïve, but if the same commitment was made here, at the University of Alabama, I can only imagine that it would just be a matter of time until the Crimson Tide returned to Omaha.

Bill Battle will certainly have a lot of things on his plate as he takes over, settling in during the coming days.  While there are many issues that will call for his attention, the call for a new baseball stadium should be just a little bit louder.

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