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Home > Terence Moore > Archives > 2008 > May > 11 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USShaken Tech baseball team regains focus
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In the language of Georgia Tech sports history, this is James Forrest’s shot against USC. This is that 51-48 miracle over Jasper Sanks and the dreaded Bulldogs. This is those less famous than Lethal Weapon 3 or the Thin Gold Line reaching the Final Two. This is Joe Hamilton passing like crazy in the heat of Tallahassee or Eddie Lee Ivery running like crazy in the snow against Air Force.
This is unbelievable, especially when you analyze the journey from last month to now for members of Tech’s predominantly young baseball team.
Despite the tragic death of a teammate, complete with scrutiny from everywhere, the Yellow Jackets entered their weekend series at home against Clemson grieving and streaking. They whipped the Tigers 5-1 Friday at Russ Chandler Stadium after hammering a splendid Georgia bunch on the road earlier in the week.
While their ERA steadily has dropped since late April, their batting average steadily has risen. Not only that, eight of their 14 losses prior to Saturday’s 7-1 victory over Clemson were against a combination of Miami, North Carolina and Florida State. Those teams join Tech in the ACC, and they also rank one, two and three atop the national polls.
No wonder the Jackets are within a hook slide of the elite 25.
We’re talking about Tech grieving and streaking while doing the unthinkable at this level by starting six freshmen, including three up the middle at shortstop, second base and center field.
We’re talking about Tech grieving and streaking with its players still excelling as student-athletes (21 of 31 guys on the dean’s list).
Mostly, we’re talking about Tech grieving and streaking despite a 21-year-old pitcher’s drug-related death in his junior season. Michael Hutts was found dead in his off-campus apartment by a teammate exactly four weeks ago.
The grieving began in a hurry. So did whispers that heroin possibly contributed to Hutts’ death. As a result, slumping instead of streaking was more likely for a Tech team that was smashed that weekend at home by Miami. The grieving intensified a few days later when all of the Jackets players and coaches attended Hutts’ funeral in Dunwoody before busing their way to a series of road games against Georgia Southern. There was a pit stop at Russ Chandler Stadium for practice.
Then, during the early grieving, Tech coach Danny Hall asked permission of his bosses to drug test the whole team. He got the OK, and everybody passed. He even gave his players a surprise drug test several days ago with the same clean results.
“I needed to clear my conscience,” said Hall, showing his considerable worth to the Jackets on and off the field during what is his 15th and best season.
It’s better than the three times he took Tech to the College World Series. It’s better than anything he’s done throughout his 21 years as an award-winning head coach, period, because this really is unbelievable. Just consider that the Jackets are dealing with “constant reminders as we go along that, hey, we’re missing somebody here,” Hall said, glancing around from the home dugout.
Even so, Hall has kept his players, coaches and himself mentally together enough to prosper. “I think you just have to show them empathy,” Hall said. “I’ll never forget what happened. I know these guys won’t forget what happened. Nobody we’re playing is going to feel sorry for us, so you have to keep motivating them every day. Let them know that you appreciate them.
“We also have great senior leaders such as Eddie Burns and Brad Feltes. They’ve said that they do a lot more things as a team off the field as opposed to what they were doing prior to this. The whole thing has brought our team closer.”
So was there anything during Hall’s previous 53 years on Earth that prepared him for this? He thought, before sighing and saying quietly, “Nothing.”
Permalink | Comments (14) | Post your comment | Categories: Tech/ACC
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Comments
By sljackson
May 11, 2008 1:16 PM | Link to this
great article terrance!
By CarolinaJacket
May 11, 2008 2:50 PM | Link to this
Hang in there guys. You are dealing with some terrible conditions, but you have already shown great character and grit. Whatever you do from here on, you have won our respect and appreciation.
By fred
May 11, 2008 3:20 PM | Link to this
Proud of these guys and Hall—-proud, VERY PROUD!!!
Go Jackets!!!
By M39Buzz
May 11, 2008 3:35 PM | Link to this
Thanks for the great article, Terrance. Hats off to the coach and the team. It seems they are channeling their emotions, staying focused and surging at just the right time.
Go Jackets and God Bless the Hutts Family.
By JustMe
May 11, 2008 4:15 PM | Link to this
It is really great to see that this was an anomaly at Tech. Regardless of how the ajc or the ugay fans want to paint it, things like this tragedy are extremely rare at Tech. We are not like the country sticks 13th through 16th grade academy in Athens where the athletes regularly get in trouble with the law, dui, fighting in bars, etc.
There is still Tech pride. Get to the College World Series and win it!
By SanDiegoJacket
May 11, 2008 5:41 PM | Link to this
Terence
You just made youself into a real human being. Whatever made you write this article with the poignancy is just remarkable. You’ll despite knowing what comes next about beating up on TECH, you now get a pass from me.
Good on you, Good on Danny Hall, Good on TECH and
THWG Every Day and Every Way God Bless you
By David Perno
May 11, 2008 7:32 PM | Link to this
Who cares? You beat our #7 pitcher twice. Guess who will be hosting a regional, a super regional, and most likely punch their ticket to Omaha?
It won’t be you! Enjoy your meaningless season. For it will end in just a few weeks.
By jj
May 11, 2008 9:04 PM | Link to this
Coach Hall has done a tremendous job with this year’s young team. GT baseball is the winningest team in town that nobody talks about.
By KillerBees
May 11, 2008 9:40 PM | Link to this
Well written article…..enjoyed reading…
By JJ
May 11, 2008 9:49 PM | Link to this
UGA is way over rated in a conference that is way down this year. Tech is more than holding their own with the tradegy and in a conference with 3 teams in the top 4. Tech will make it 3 in a row this week against UGA.
By the way UGA, ya’ll looked great on TV earlier this week with the rapper hats and 3,000 rednecks in the stands.
UGA will fold now and in October in football…it’s fairly obvious.
By friend of hutts
May 11, 2008 10:06 PM | Link to this
i think you need to stop the references to the death of michael hutts. his friends and family have grieve enough over this, there is no reason for you to have to go over the details of his death constantly (ie: drugs). his family has suffered enough. leave them in peace!!!
By Bama Dog
May 11, 2008 10:38 PM | Link to this
Hey JustMe,
Are you so insecure that instead of recognizing a true tragady and appreciating a nice write-up about a fine coach and the where withall of your team, you have to be the first person on the blog to start throwing stones at UGA?
And you wonder why Georgia fans could care less about the spoil sport Tech fans.
By Terence Moore
May 12, 2008 10:24 AM | Link to this
Thanks for all the nice comments about the column. This really is an incredible stretch for Danny Hall, along with for his coaches and his players.
By OSJ
May 12, 2008 11:27 AM | Link to this
I didn’t know all this. Great article. Thank you Terence.