Dewey Kalmer Retires

[MacabreMob]

Not saying schools like IVC don't produce good talent. If a kid goes right to the pro's that doesn't help recruiting any and no coach can be blamed.

Certainly, but there is enough recruitable talent around the area which makes me think that Kalmer got a nice unchallanged ride here for an awful long time.

I think it is a 2 way street. The local coaches need to support Bradley and encourage their top talent to consider Bradley. IMO, it isn't always the Bradley Coach's fault they didn't get some of the best local talent.

[Chico]

I don't follow the local baseball scene as much as I used to, so can anyone tell me what area players are playing Div 1 now? Only one I know about is the Wikoff kid from Limestone, who is doing good at Ilinois.

[Scouter]

I don't follow the local baseball scene as much as I used to, so can anyone tell me what area players are playing Div 1 now? Only one I know about is the Wikoff kid from Limestone, who is doing good at Ilinois.

Grant Escue (Washington) went to Stanford before transferring to Bradley and started at first base this season.

[Chico]

Thanks Scouter. That's a local area talent that Dewey evidently recruited. Was anyone else in the area Division 1 material?

[Beninator]

Thanks Scouter. That's a local area talent that Dewey evidently recruited. Was anyone else in the area Division 1 material?

One of the HS players I mentioned in my previous post is Josh Parr, IVC shortstop, who is going to UIUC. (mentioned 10th paragraph in this column.) I would be extremely surprised if there weren't more local kids with division 1 talent.

http://www.pjstar.com/preps_baseball/x934432548/IVC-is-Parr-for-course

How about Jerry Rashid for consideration for BU's baseball coach? I dont know much about him, but he is averaging 31 wins per year in his 4 years at IVC. What little I have heard has been good and BU could use a new look in the baseball program to turn things around.

[Chico]

You're from Chili and you've only heard a little about Coach Rashid? If he's interested I think he'd be a good choice.

[Beninator]

You're from Chili and you've only heard a little about Coach Rashid? If he's interested I think he'd be a good choice.

I know it sounds strange, but I live outside Chilli and dont get into town much. As MMOb stated on another thread, I'll head into the Short Loin to pick up an emergency gallon of milk.

Dont know if Rashid is a good choice or not...Just threw that out there to get the talk going on who people would like as the next BU baseball coach.

[Braves4Life]

Bradley's choice of a baseball coach and the salary they are willing to pay will speak volumes for whether they want a competitive program, or if they are willing to settle for mediocity.

Kalmer did outstanding considering the support, facilities, and priority that the university placed on the baseball prgram. Now, with a top-notch stadium and new sports facility on the way, will the university choose to make baseball a "franchise" program like basketball? I doubt it. Money speaks and baseball is not a profitable sport like basketball.

Oh, and BU DOES NOT need a high school coach! They need a "name" coach (maybe former player?) who can recruit (where is Mike Dunn and what does he know about coaching?), or a top-tier college assistant with midwest recruiting roots.

[houstontxbrave]

Why would Rashid be a good choice for the Bradley Baseball head coach job? Because he is local, won a lot of High School games, people in Peoria know his name? Im not seeing why a career high school coach would make a good choice to be a college head coach. If that is the case why not John Dyke, atleast he is experienced at the D1 level.

BU needs a young aggressive coach with ties to all over the country regarding recruiting. They need someone who will make it a point to make BU baseball a success. They do not need to recycle the Callahans of the world, they need a new fresh face who will work hard and wants to be successful, I dont even care if the new coach looks at BU baseball as a stepping stone, just is determined to have as successful a program as possible.

They need to look very closely at the hire last year by SLU, Darin Hendrickson is exactly the type of head coach this program needs.

http://slubillikens.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/hendrickson_darin00.html

[Scouter]

where is Mike Dunn and what does he know about coaching?

Mike Dunne is the current Bradley pitching coach.

[Beninator]

Why would Rashid be a good choice for the Bradley Baseball head coach job? Because he is local, won a lot of High School games, people in Peoria know his name? Im not seeing why a career high school coach would make a good choice to be a college head coach. If that is the case why not John Dyke, atleast he is experienced at the D1 level.

BU needs a young aggressive coach with ties to all over the country regarding recruiting. They need someone who will make it a point to make BU baseball a success. They do not need to recycle the Callahans of the world, they need a new fresh face who will work hard and wants to be successful, I dont even care if the new coach looks at BU baseball as a stepping stone, just is determined to have as successful a program as possible.

They need to look very closely at the hire last year by SLU, Darin Hendrickson is exactly the type of head coach this program needs.

http://slubillikens.cstv.com/sports/...n_darin00.html

Maybe we should start a new thread with the new coach topic... Houston and B4life you mention some very valid points. I threw Rashid's name out there as I am an IVC grad as well as a BU grad. If a coach can win at IVC, I figure he or she can win anywhere!

I tend to agree with Houston's point of view about a young coach with recruiting ties around the country. However, I dont think Mike Dunne would be my choice for the new coach.

[RickBB]

Once again, in full disclosure, I played for Dewey in the early 90's. It doesn't surprise me at all that those who had limited interactions with him didn't come away with the best feelings towards him. He's not a PR guy, he's kinda old school in his beliefs, etc. but he's the kind of coach that most former players are intensely loyal to after their playing days are over, even if they didn't "get along" with him while playing for him.

I hope that the next coach can generate some excitement about the program that leads to more people in the stands than just parents and girlfriends. As much as people complain about the ping of aluminum bats, high level collegiate baseball is as intense and exciting as can be. Check out a game in Wichita sometime and find out. But, there is certainly an effect on a kid who is deciding between BU and another school that has better attendance when they come on a recruiting trip and see a couple hundred peoplein the stands if they visit elsewhere and see a couple thousand.

As far as local talent is involved, I haven't lived in the Peoria aea for over 10 years, but the thing I have realized as I have evolved away from the emotion of my own playing days is, usually, college coaches are pretty much right in their evaluation of talent. I played at a Central Illinois High school which won over 20 games 4 or 5 years in a row, of the players on those teams, maybe 4 or 5 players played D1 baseball (That's off the top of my head). If you'd have asked our parents, the entire starting lineup should have been going somewhere to play. Some players develop at juco or at D2 or D3 schools enough to end up getting drafted, but most kids who go to D1 schools and have careers there (not guys who a coach took a flyer on and took up a roster spot for a year) are way more talented than most people realize.

When I was at BU we had a ton of local talent...guys from East Peoria, Pekin, Woodruff, Central, Morton, LaSalle Peru, Beardstown, Galesburg, Rock Island and Quincy. (I realize I'm stretching it when I include the WB6 guys). If kids today aren't good enough to go to Bradley (or ISU or Eastern or Western), I'll trust those coaches ability to evaluate talent. (Boy do I sound like an old timer now.)

Good luck to whoever is the next hire. I hope he takes the program and leads it to heights it has never seen before.

Oh, and thanks to bradleyfans.com for being a place I can keep up with my basketball Braves (Hey, I was 5-11 as a seventh grader and thought I was going to be the next Mitchell Anderson......until I was still 5-11 as a senior in high school).

[Scouter]

I guess that depends on your relationship and interactions with him. I always found him to be a very "nice guy."

[Lakeview Brave]

Looks like thier is some local talent, not sure if they are D1 or not but hopefully the new coach can tap into it.

http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x765550276/Diggle-Peoria-areas-baseball-boon

[basketball nut]

Oh, and BU DOES NOT need a high school coach! They need a "name" coach (maybe former player?) who can recruit (where is Mike Dunn and what does he know about coaching?), or a top-tier college assistant with midwest recruiting roots.

Iinteresting you would mention a college assistant coach w/ midwest recruiting roots. Perry Roth who was at both ISU & BU as an assistant coach and is now at UAB as their hitting coach as well as the main person in charge of recruiting might be a nice choice to bring back to BU. Everywhere he goes it seems his teams batting ave goes up plus he has helped 2 of his players earn all american status w/ how much their hitting improved. Besides he is a central IL product having graduated from Gridley. He might be ready to move back to central IL as all of his family still lives around here.
Someone mentioned how much the new coach would be paid and that is interesting as I know that when Perry left BU to go to Birmingham Southeran it was for a considerable pay raise.