Fast and furious, people responded to the change of baseball coaches at Ohio State, more about kids playing community baseball…and what seven divisions of OHSAA sports could mean down the road.
Despite cold weather, indifferent success on the field, and the afore-written about the priority of college baseball in Columbus, Bill Mosiello’s abrupt departure brought a lot of opinions and questions about his coming, and going.
“You cover that team every week, so what’s your own opinion about why Mosiello left the way he did, and what did he leave behind.” … Joe Conley
(Ed. Note: First, I have to believe someone who says he needs to be closer to his family. Second, I think that all other considerations about why he left are secondary because he didn’t leave for more money. As to what he’s left behind…some chaos, truthfully, with a staff that wasn’t prepared for the next chapter in their own careers. They’re all out there scrambling now, looking for the next job. Pitching coach Sean Allen was named to that same position at the University of Southern California this week.)
“What will Bill Mosiello do now that he’s dumped Ohio State?” … Tom Casto
(Ed. Note: He’s already been hired at Texas Christian as the top assistant to head coach Kirk Saarloos.)
“Was Mosiello the best hire they could find to replace Greg Beals?” … Marc Disch
(Ed. Note: How do you answer that? He checked a lot of boxes in terms of experience and success at his previous positions. And truthfully, I’m not sure of the other options. Justin Haire was one of them, apparently.)
“How did you personally get along with Bill Mosiello?” … Don Motz
(Ed. Note: Actually, very well. I don’t think he was accustomed to that kind of daily coverage, home and road, because he would sometimes ask if he had to talk with us after every game. But Bill was interesting because he could process the game at a glance and tell you without filter why they won or lost. Once he knew that people actually wanted to hear him he put up with the questions OK. You might not like what he had to say, but you knew he was being honest.)
“Why are you the only one who cares enough about Ohio State baseball to write about it?” … Jack Bond
(Ed. Note: I’m not sure. I can only tell you that out of respect for the kids who play I think they deserve at least proportionate recognition that goes to football and basketball. Don’t you?)
“Apart from your obvious bias for Ohio State baseball, how much talent do they have and will they be better next year without Bill Mosiello’s constant criticism?” … Steve from Westerville (via Twitter)
(Ed. Note: There’s absolutely talent there, assuming that their upperclassmen come back or don’t sign in the amateur draft. Pettorini, Lipsey, Kaczmar, Graveline, and sophomore Ike Cadena are all in the top 100 prospects in the Big Ten. Will they be better? That depends on how much their pitching improves.)
“First time writer who now follows OSU baseball on Press Pros. Please tell me why this team didn’t win 35 games, like you predicted [in February].” … Jim Rossiter
(Ed. Note: Failure of starting pitching beyond Landon Beideschies. And two, they had to lean too heavily on the four freshman arms that are talented, but weren’t ready for the stress of pitching against Big Ten hitters every day. Herrell, DeVooght, Brown and Michalak are all big-time talented. But there’s a difference in the adjustment to this level of college baseball. And, I didn’t say they would win 35. I said 32-24, but they lost at least two games to bad weather. I guess they could have been 31-24.)
“Read your Monday column about the financial realities of college baseball, and wondered what you thought of the Texas A&M coach leaving for Texas the day after he lost in the World Series.? Reportedly, he got double what he was making at A&M. Will the Big Ten ever figure it out?” … Tim Courtney
(Ed. Note: Relationships have a lot to do with coaches pulling up and leaving for greener pastures, just like Mosiello did when he went back to TCU. The glass half full is that there’s a lot of good baseball coaches out there. The glass half empty is losing your entire staff, as A&M did and that Ohio State did. Will the Big Ten ever get it? The official word in the past has been ‘no’ over paying SEC market price for baseball coaches. Football, of course, is another matter.)
“What’s your early prediction about this team in 2025? Better, the same, or another disappointing year?” … Tom Killilea
(Ed. Note: Don’t be quick to throw the baby out with the bath water. College baseball can turn around very quickly if the pitching matures and they can find at least two more dependable arms out of the portal. Matt Graveline’s commitment to leave the portal and come back to Ohio State last week was a big momentum boost.)
“What’s your biggest concern about the OHSAA going to seven divisions in all sports?” … Danny Burcham
(Ed. Note: Don’t know if it’s the biggest, but something that no one else has thought of, probably. Who’s going to cover all those divisions, when there were so many holes in covering four? With fewer newspapers, and many printing three days a week, there’s less day to day, I would be concerned that the majority of coverage might center around the urban areas and Divisions I, II, and III. And how do you pick, then, from IV, V, VI, and VII?)
On community baseball, and why it’s not the end of the world….
“I disagree with you about kids needing to play baseball, just because you played baseball. No sport is a perfect fit for everyone, and there are other ways of learning to compete without blood and guts. At least now kids can pursue other interests that fit their personality without adults pressuring them to play sports.” … Diane Hertzel
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