Bear Bryant


If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride - and never quit, you'll be a winner. The price of victory is high but so are the rewards.

Bear Bryant


Set goals - high goals for you and your organization. When your organization has a goal to shoot for, you create teamwork, people working for a common good.

Bear Bryant

The Tide Will Rise Again!!!

Alabama coach Jim Wells, on sweeping Vanderbilt last weekend: "We needed to win."

Posted by Ian R. Rapoport -- The Birmingham News April 21, 2009 8:29 PM

Categories: Baseball  

The Alabama baseball team spent last Wednesday in Birmingham, dropping a baffling 14-13 loss to Samford in a bizarre game. Clearly, it was not what the team wanted heading up to Nashville for an SEC series against Vanderbilt.

So how did the Crimson Tide respond?

By taking all three games from the Commodores to improve to 27-13 and 10-8 in the Southeastern Conference. But what it did for the team's confidence is even tougher to quantify. Essentially, it changed the outlook for the SEC season, which continues Friday against Kentucky.

"It was huge ," catcher Kyle Moore said. "It was so big. To win the series was awesome, but then to sweep to go from possibly a 9-9 to a 10-8 is exactly what we needed. We couldn't ask for anything more. Maybe we can get the momentum to just carry on. ."

Moore and the rest of his teammates talked about the stunning weekend today, before heading down to Mobile for a game against South Alabama. But seriously, it's impossible to underestimate how big sweeping Vanderbilt was. After losing a series at home to LSU, the Crimson Tide at least needed very badly to steal one on the road.

But with the sweep, it's like they got an extra win for the standings. And the way they did it impressed coach Jim Wells . With new reliever Jake Smith holding on in ninth for UA's first SEC save. Yes, its first save in 18 conference games.

"Any time you win it's good, but we needed to win, had to win, all those things ," Wells said. "But it was the manner which we won. We lost a lead and the feeling was, 'Here we go again.' Came right back against two first-round pitchers (in the first two games) and then the last game being able to hold on 7-6 after the solo homer and runners on. We haven't done that all year , not against anybody, much less an SEC team. If we can hold somebody down, (the Tide hitters) score 7 to 10 runs against anyone. The best offense you could ever have. They score early and often ."

Also a huge bonus was the fact that, because of the threat of rain, the teams played a doubleheader Saturday instead of a game Sunday. So, Alabama swept a series and got an extra day of rest for its weary arms.

"That is the best ," Wells said, laughing. "Seriously. An extra day off, and they had yesterday off. Two days. I could talk a long time about that... "

 ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank god Gottfried is gone. I cant wait for Tubby Smith era to get here lol