Tennessee baseball obsession

Baseball IS America’s game. Many people still love baseball and our fanbase is obviously part of that group.

Yeah being elite is fun Gotta keep it going though but knowing you’ve got a bonafide chance at a postseason run completely transforms the outlook

Don't think we've had a team that could've won a natty in anything other than baseball since covid other than maybe the basketball team with Dalton Knecht on it. For better or worse, the team under TV in many ways represented the fanbase. Loud, in your face, aggressive. It resonated with many fans. TV said it himself "in the SEC, we just wanted a chance to compete and since nobody wanted to invite us in, we had to go out and take it ourselves". It definitely worked well with a fanbase that was hungry for a team that was actually competitive.

Before Bruce and eventually Tony, all we had was the SAE boxing tourney from Signing Day through O&W game. We were starving for 2nd semester entertainment.

I just have always loved baseball

bigvol18 said:

I have seen a bunch of people in the media question why a large part of the fanbase is so immersed in Vol Baseball. I think it is simple, at least in the Tony V era (but I think it will continue), we had a shot at winning the whole thing EVERY year. In football and basketball, I think we've only had two teams that could have one the whole thing since covid. Transfer portal recruiting is also fascinating and the next player we land could play a huge part in our natty run and if not, they'll still be high draft picks and we can watch them for the decade at least in the big leagues. The point is, our baseball program can land just about any player they want, somewhere I hope our football and basketball team can be in the near future.

I attended games as far back as Raleigh, but never was a big UT baseball fan until the 2021 season. I think it's based on the high quality Tony produced PLUS FB had just languished for so long in low quality it created an "opening" for me anyway to get into cult mode like I always have been for BB and FB.

This sums it up…

bigvol18 said:

I have seen a bunch of people in the media question why a large part of the fanbase is so immersed in Vol Baseball. I think it is simple, at least in the Tony V era (but I think it will continue), we had a shot at winning the whole thing EVERY year. In football and basketball, I think we've only had two teams that could have one the whole thing since covid. Transfer portal recruiting is also fascinating and the next player we land could play a huge part in our natty run and if not, they'll still be high draft picks and we can watch them for the decade at least in the big leagues. The point is, our baseball program can land just about any player they want, somewhere I hope our football and basketball team can be in the near future.

For me, I grew up loving baseball as my favorite spectator sport. So many statistics and analytics even before that was a term used. The strategy of how to sequence pitching and location, how to move runners over, sacrifice or not, etc.... Just as the Vols started getting good under Tony AND playing a fun, exciting, never quit attitude, not only did my mlb team, the Cardinals start sucking, but also the MLB version of the game got increasingly boring. Their analytics said use more relievers for shorter outings, emphasize power over everything especially hitting, homers over contact. It created too many strikeouts and less and less strategy. The major league infielders are so good as are the catchers that they just eliminate so much offense that isn't a homerun. The college game, with aluminum bats and smaller parks has so much more offense that leads aren't as safe, the kids play hard, but even their increased errors create more excitement. The fact that we brought in offenses that were at the top of the heap just made the games that much more exciting. Streaming has a lot to do with this as well. 10 years ago, you couldn't watch UT play baseball very much at all. Now, I barely miss a game, even if I watch a good bit on delay.

George Cafego said:

Baseball IS America’s game. Many people still love baseball and our fanbase is obviously part of that group.

Amen Sarge. Nothing like going out to the ballpark on a sunny day and hearing the pop of a mitt and the crack of the bat. Being a kid growing up in LA my grandfather wasn’t a huge sports fan. But he loved taking me out to Chavez Ravine to Dodger stadium. He gave me my first glove and ball cap. Nothing like hearing him say hey kid let’s go to the ballpark.

stefanc22 said:

Don't think we've had a team that could've won a natty in anything other than baseball since covid other than maybe the basketball team with Dalton Knecht on it. For better or worse, the team under TV in many ways represented the fanbase. Loud, in your face, aggressive. It resonated with many fans.

I have to agree

TaylorMadeR7Vol said:

I just have always loved baseball

I remember getting into to games by bringing a can of soup…bad baseball by the Vols but was still baseball.

George Cafego said:

Baseball IS America’s game. Many people still love baseball and our fanbase is obviously part of that group.

This

Bigun said:

I remember getting into to games by bringing a can of soup…bad baseball by the Vols but was still baseball.

That’s awesome. I have always been a big MLB fan but never really huge into college until I went my freshman year in 1995. Todd Helton homered and I was hooked after that

I have seen a bunch of people in the media question why a large part of the fanbase is so immersed in Vol Baseball This just shows how ignorant the media really is

Tony Vitello helped increase the college baseball viewership numbers.

Do you love Tennessee? Do you love baseball? Two great tastes that taste great together

stefanc22 said:

Don't think we've had a team that could've won a natty in anything other than baseball since covid other than maybe the basketball team with Dalton Knecht on it. For better or worse, the team under TV in many ways represented the fanbase. Loud, in your face, aggressive. It resonated with many fans. TV said it himself "in the SEC, we just wanted a chance to compete and since nobody wanted to invite us in, we had to go out and take it ourselves". It definitely worked well with a fanbase that was hungry for a team that was actually competitive.

What do you mean "actually competitive"?

VOL-1 said:

I have seen a bunch of people in the media question why a large part of the fanbase is so immersed in Vol Baseball This just shows how ignorant the media really is

The fanbase is the definition of frontrunners. Media is 100% correct for saying "so NOW you care?" Most of the baseball fanbase mirrors the worst of Alabama football.

Anon1745154589 said:

What do you mean "actually competitive"?

As in seriously competing for the national championship year in and year out. Football hasn't come close in nearly 30 years, Basketball hadn't gone farther than the sweet 16 in 15 years until 2023/24. Baseball has been in the mix for it pretty much every year since 2021 to include having a team that some argue is amongst the best of all time.

Anon1745154589 said:

The fanbase is the definition of frontrunners. Media is 100% correct for saying "so NOW you care?" Most of the baseball fanbase mirrors the worst of Alabama football.

Are you mad that people in our fanbase care about baseball now?

bigvol18 said:

I have seen a bunch of people in the media question why a large part of the fanbase is so immersed in Vol Baseball. I think it is simple, at least in the Tony V era (but I think it will continue), we had a shot at winning the whole thing EVERY year. In football and basketball, I think we've only had two teams that could have one the whole thing since covid. Transfer portal recruiting is also fascinating and the next player we land could play a huge part in our natty run and if not, they'll still be high draft picks and we can watch them for the decade at least in the big leagues. The point is, our baseball program can land just about any player they want, somewhere I hope our football and basketball team can be in the near future.

If a coach brings a winning product and has continued success, people flock to it. Plus, it was a new brand of baseball that made it very exciting to watch. More and more people started watching college baseball due to what Tony did. With that, the sport is growing more than ever in ratings.

Baseball has always been a sleeping giant in this area. I have always been impressed with high school baseball in East Tennessee. There are multiple excellent high school baseball coaches and many of them been doing it for decades. Communities - from big 6A schools to the smaller 1A schools in more rural communities - have always shown loyal support to those high school programs. I remember when the Smokies first moved to Seviervlle all the people and families that went to every single home game. Some people would drive a good ways to attend those games. So when Vitello got the Vols really rolling I was not surprised that it became super popular in the community amongst people who already have a lot of orange clothes in their closet and grew up pulling for the Vols in other sports.

bigvol18 said:

I have seen a bunch of people in the media question why a large part of the fanbase is so immersed in Vol Baseball. I think it is simple, at least in the Tony V era (but I think it will continue), we had a shot at winning the whole thing EVERY year. In football and basketball, I think we've only had two teams that could have one the whole thing since covid. Transfer portal recruiting is also fascinating and the next player we land could play a huge part in our natty run and if not, they'll still be high draft picks and we can watch them for the decade at least in the big leagues. The point is, our baseball program can land just about any player they want, somewhere I hope our football and basketball team can be in the near future.

Tony Vitello connected with the fans and was one of us. He was loved due to his swagger, thoughtful and engaging interviews, and fiery attitude. His teams played with flair and wore their heart on their sleeves (just like their head coach). Even when they lost, they were excited and fought to the end. He was exactly what the BaseVols needed and I‘m not sure LNS will ever be the same…

Last comment…Vitello recruited players with personality and swagger and let them be themselves. See Drew Gilbert, Evan Russell, Kirby Connell, Luc Lipsius, Ben Joyce, Hunter Ensley, Liam Doyle, Billy Amick, etc. And he made them available to the fans so they connected. Fans love characters and the ambassadors like Christian Scott, Reese Chapman, etc. There was always a great blend of big characters and likable ambassadors that won and that kept the fans coming back!