College: Column
Matusz, Bumgarner Present Fascinating Contrast
Oct. 23, 2009
Eastern League aces Brian Matusz and Madison Bumgarner approach pitching quite differently in terms of their repertoires, but both dominated the Double-A league en route to the majors. Which method will work better down the line? [...] Continue Reading »
From Indy Ball To AFL
Oct. 19, 2009
Rays righthander Paul Phillips helps exemplify the opportunity that independent baseball can afford. The hard-throwing reliever, who spent the second half of the 2008 season in the independent American Association, signed with the Rays in the offseason and started 2009 in Class A, but finished by winning a Triple-A national championship with Durham and earning a spot in the prospect-laden Arizona Fall League. [...] Continue Reading »
U.S. Aces European Vacation
Oct. 10, 2009
Cuban-born manager Eddie Rodriguez leads Team USA to a repeat championship in the World Cup, as the U.S. continues its recent run of international success with minor league players. [...] Continue Reading »
World Cup Moves International Focus To Future
Sep. 10, 2009
Pedro Alvarez and Justin Smoak lead Team USA to a defense of a World Cup title it won in 2007. This year's World Cup will be the biggest international championship tournament of all time, with 22 countries participating. [...] Continue Reading »
Top 10 Traded Prospects
Aug. 5, 2009
It makes sense that the team that traded the best players—the Indians—should wind up with the best prospects. Our look at the top 10 prospects who changed hands at the trade deadline, with a couple of sleepers thrown in. [...] Continue Reading »
A Career Highlight
Jul. 27, 2009
The Triple-A all-star game will never get that much national attention, but for some of the players at the game it's an impressive career highlight. [...] Continue Reading »
Way Too Long
Jul. 20, 2009
The time of game of the 2009 College World Series averaged 3 hours 40 minutes. Honestly, that's about an hour longer than a game should take. Here are some potential solutions. [...] Continue Reading »
Preseason Rankings Prove Largely Prophetic
Jul. 9, 2009
The national championship series involved our preseason No. 2 and No. 4 teams. [...] Continue Reading »
Spotlight Shines On Hard Use Of Pitchers
Jun. 10, 2009
When the spotlight shines brightest on college baseball, in the postseason, the focus almost always seems to go on two aspects of the sport rarely seen in pro ball in May and June. First, the players will do anything to win, to get to Omaha, and once there, to win it. Second, it's very rare that pro pitchers will work as hard as Austin Wood and Mike Belfiore—who also was a DH and, amazingly, a left fielder and made 10 plate appearances—did in the Texas-BC 25-inning game. [...] Continue Reading »
Giving The Stiff Arm
Jun. 1, 2009
John Manuel says that the NCAA tournament field is proof that the NCAA is not really concerned with helping the game grow outside of the Sunbelt. [...] Continue Reading »
Hard To Profile
May. 12, 2009
Dustin Ackley is making scouts happy by playing in the outfield, but there still are some reasons to be concerned about whether his arm can handle the move. [...] Continue Reading »
Rolling The Wrong Way
Apr. 25, 2009
Bat rolling makes the Southern Conference the nation's most offensive league; plus, the controversy with Orange Coast JC coach John Altobelli. [...] Continue Reading »
How The Conferences Shape Up
Apr. 14, 2009
Let's take stock of how the conferences look so far, with an eye on the NCAA tournament. [...] Continue Reading »
It's Been A Great 10 Years
Apr. 8, 2009
John Manuel looks back over the first 10 years of BaseballAmerica.com [...] Continue Reading »
Economy Threatens Northern Programs
Apr. 7, 2009
A look at how the economy is affecting college baseball in the North, where it's most vulnerable. [...] Continue Reading »
Relevant Again
Mar. 19, 2009
Already this season, the Big 10 has been more relevant than at any time in the last decade. [...] Continue Reading »
Southern Men
Mar. 5, 2009
Lee Smith and Dave Stewart helped Southern as volunteer pitching coaches this preseason; also, what's the deal with Southern California? [...] Continue Reading »
It's All About the Heater
Feb. 12, 2009
As a recent coaching seminar explained again, throwing fastballs is key to success, even in metal-bat environment of college ball. [...] Continue Reading »
Manuel: Making Sense of Fresno
Jun. 25, 2008
Fresno State beat every odd to win its first College World Series championship. [...] Continue Reading »
One Shining Moment
Jun. 16, 2008
Now Bucknell beating Florida State in baseball—that's an upset. And on the first day of the 2008 regionals, it happened, with Bucknell shutting out the host Seminoles, winning 7-0 at Dick Howser Stadium. Florida State was shut out for the first time all season. [...] Continue Reading »
Few Answers For NCAA's Blunder
May. 30, 2008
The NCAA's decision to tap Oklahoma for the NCAA tournament left nearly everyone shaking their head. [...] Continue Reading »
Falling Short
May. 13, 2008
This wasn't a particularly pretty year for Baseball America's preseason Top 25, with three of our top four teams in the preseason—UCLA, Arizona and Mississippi—falling out of the rankings completely by April. Let's take a look at where we—and more importantly five of these teams—went wrong. [...] Continue Reading »
UnACCeptable
May. 6, 2008
The Atlantic Coast Conference ain't what it used to be. The league expanded this decade in two stages, from a nine-team league to a 12-team super-conference. Football drove the expansion, of course, as Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech joined the league. Since then, Wake Forest—one of the smallest Division I football programs in the country—has played in the Bowl Championship Series, while Miami and Florida State (added in 1992) have slipped from national powers to mediocrity. [...] Continue Reading »
Three To Watch
Apr. 16, 2008
In honor of former BA columnist Keith Olbermann's "Countdown" show on MSNBC, here are the three stories from the first half of the college season that bear watching in the second half. Sorry, the NCAA already has wrapped up this year's "Worst Person in the World" award. [...] Continue Reading »
Polk's Softer Side
Apr. 3, 2008
Ron Polk's career was so rich, it took two John Manuel columns to encapsulate it. This one focuses on Polk's career that has little to do with the NCAA—in other words, the part Polk won't talk about. [...] Continue Reading »
Quixotic Streak Defined Polk
Apr. 3, 2008
Ron Polk's constant criticism of the NCAA detracts from an otherwise outstanding career as a college baseball coach, including eight trips to the College World Series. [...] Continue Reading »
Paltry Sums
Mar. 25, 2008
A study finds that college baseball players are not raking in scholarship dollars. [...] Continue Reading »
HBP Still A Weapon In College
Mar. 11, 2008
Missouri's offense is based around batters "taking a dose." [...] Continue Reading »
Changes Force Increased Parity
Feb. 20, 2008
The recent rules changes have sprung from a desire of Northern teams to have a more even playing field. [...] Continue Reading »
Evolution Has Made Summer Ball Strong
Sep. 11, 2007
Summer college leagues have grown and evolved over the last decade. [...] Continue Reading »
Matusz, Bumgarner Present Fascinating Contrast
Oct. 23, 2009
Eastern League aces Brian Matusz and Madison Bumgarner approach pitching quite differently in terms of their repertoires, but both dominated the Double-A league en route to the majors. Which method will work better down the line? [...] Continue Reading »
From Indy Ball To AFL
Oct. 19, 2009
Rays righthander Paul Phillips helps exemplify the opportunity that independent baseball can afford. The hard-throwing reliever, who spent the second half of the 2008 season in the independent American Association, signed with the Rays in the offseason and started 2009 in Class A, but finished by winning a Triple-A national championship with Durham and earning a spot in the prospect-laden Arizona Fall League. [...] Continue Reading »
U.S. Aces European Vacation
Oct. 10, 2009
Cuban-born manager Eddie Rodriguez leads Team USA to a repeat championship in the World Cup, as the U.S. continues its recent run of international success with minor league players. [...] Continue Reading »
World Cup Moves International Focus To Future
Sep. 10, 2009
Pedro Alvarez and Justin Smoak lead Team USA to a defense of a World Cup title it won in 2007. This year's World Cup will be the biggest international championship tournament of all time, with 22 countries participating. [...] Continue Reading »
Top 10 Traded Prospects
Aug. 5, 2009
It makes sense that the team that traded the best players—the Indians—should wind up with the best prospects. Our look at the top 10 prospects who changed hands at the trade deadline, with a couple of sleepers thrown in. [...] Continue Reading »
A Career Highlight
Jul. 27, 2009
The Triple-A all-star game will never get that much national attention, but for some of the players at the game it's an impressive career highlight. [...] Continue Reading »
Way Too Long
Jul. 20, 2009
The time of game of the 2009 College World Series averaged 3 hours 40 minutes. Honestly, that's about an hour longer than a game should take. Here are some potential solutions. [...] Continue Reading »
Preseason Rankings Prove Largely Prophetic
Jul. 9, 2009
The national championship series involved our preseason No. 2 and No. 4 teams. [...] Continue Reading »
Spotlight Shines On Hard Use Of Pitchers
Jun. 10, 2009
When the spotlight shines brightest on college baseball, in the postseason, the focus almost always seems to go on two aspects of the sport rarely seen in pro ball in May and June. First, the players will do anything to win, to get to Omaha, and once there, to win it. Second, it's very rare that pro pitchers will work as hard as Austin Wood and Mike Belfiore—who also was a DH and, amazingly, a left fielder and made 10 plate appearances—did in the Texas-BC 25-inning game. [...] Continue Reading »
Giving The Stiff Arm
Jun. 1, 2009
John Manuel says that the NCAA tournament field is proof that the NCAA is not really concerned with helping the game grow outside of the Sunbelt. [...] Continue Reading »
Hard To Profile
May. 12, 2009
Dustin Ackley is making scouts happy by playing in the outfield, but there still are some reasons to be concerned about whether his arm can handle the move. [...] Continue Reading »
Rolling The Wrong Way
Apr. 25, 2009
Bat rolling makes the Southern Conference the nation's most offensive league; plus, the controversy with Orange Coast JC coach John Altobelli. [...] Continue Reading »
How The Conferences Shape Up
Apr. 14, 2009
Let's take stock of how the conferences look so far, with an eye on the NCAA tournament. [...] Continue Reading »
It's Been A Great 10 Years
Apr. 8, 2009
John Manuel looks back over the first 10 years of BaseballAmerica.com [...] Continue Reading »
Economy Threatens Northern Programs
Apr. 7, 2009
A look at how the economy is affecting college baseball in the North, where it's most vulnerable. [...] Continue Reading »
Relevant Again
Mar. 19, 2009
Already this season, the Big 10 has been more relevant than at any time in the last decade. [...] Continue Reading »
Southern Men
Mar. 5, 2009
Lee Smith and Dave Stewart helped Southern as volunteer pitching coaches this preseason; also, what's the deal with Southern California? [...] Continue Reading »
It's All About the Heater
Feb. 12, 2009
As a recent coaching seminar explained again, throwing fastballs is key to success, even in metal-bat environment of college ball. [...] Continue Reading »
Manuel: Making Sense of Fresno
Jun. 25, 2008
Fresno State beat every odd to win its first College World Series championship. [...] Continue Reading »
One Shining Moment
Jun. 16, 2008
Now Bucknell beating Florida State in baseball—that's an upset. And on the first day of the 2008 regionals, it happened, with Bucknell shutting out the host Seminoles, winning 7-0 at Dick Howser Stadium. Florida State was shut out for the first time all season. [...] Continue Reading »
Few Answers For NCAA's Blunder
May. 30, 2008
The NCAA's decision to tap Oklahoma for the NCAA tournament left nearly everyone shaking their head. [...] Continue Reading »
Falling Short
May. 13, 2008
This wasn't a particularly pretty year for Baseball America's preseason Top 25, with three of our top four teams in the preseason—UCLA, Arizona and Mississippi—falling out of the rankings completely by April. Let's take a look at where we—and more importantly five of these teams—went wrong. [...] Continue Reading »
UnACCeptable
May. 6, 2008
The Atlantic Coast Conference ain't what it used to be. The league expanded this decade in two stages, from a nine-team league to a 12-team super-conference. Football drove the expansion, of course, as Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech joined the league. Since then, Wake Forest—one of the smallest Division I football programs in the country—has played in the Bowl Championship Series, while Miami and Florida State (added in 1992) have slipped from national powers to mediocrity. [...] Continue Reading »
Three To Watch
Apr. 16, 2008
In honor of former BA columnist Keith Olbermann's "Countdown" show on MSNBC, here are the three stories from the first half of the college season that bear watching in the second half. Sorry, the NCAA already has wrapped up this year's "Worst Person in the World" award. [...] Continue Reading »
Polk's Softer Side
Apr. 3, 2008
Ron Polk's career was so rich, it took two John Manuel columns to encapsulate it. This one focuses on Polk's career that has little to do with the NCAA—in other words, the part Polk won't talk about. [...] Continue Reading »
Quixotic Streak Defined Polk
Apr. 3, 2008
Ron Polk's constant criticism of the NCAA detracts from an otherwise outstanding career as a college baseball coach, including eight trips to the College World Series. [...] Continue Reading »
Paltry Sums
Mar. 25, 2008
A study finds that college baseball players are not raking in scholarship dollars. [...] Continue Reading »
HBP Still A Weapon In College
Mar. 11, 2008
Missouri's offense is based around batters "taking a dose." [...] Continue Reading »
Changes Force Increased Parity
Feb. 20, 2008
The recent rules changes have sprung from a desire of Northern teams to have a more even playing field. [...] Continue Reading »
Evolution Has Made Summer Ball Strong
Sep. 11, 2007
Summer college leagues have grown and evolved over the last decade. [...] Continue Reading »
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