By Samuel Chi
The 2015 college baseball season begins this week, and for me, it's time to say goodbye.
With the help of the esteemed Don Hudson, FBF and a few other contributors, this blog has been in existence since 2009, the most recent (and hopefully not the last) season the Titans made it to Omaha. For six years, we have chronicled one of the best college baseball programs in the land from beginning to end with previews, recaps, analyses and videos.
At a time when newspapers are dying and cutting back their coverage, CSF Baseball occupied a unique place. We became the only publication that covered every single Cal State Fullerton baseball game - home and away, including postseason. In fact, Fullerton is the only West Coast program that had this kind of "media" presence.
We provided coverage and information for the national media, helping to raise the profile of our powerhouse program. We were frequently cited by Aaron Fitt of Baseball America and Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game (now both at D1 Baseball). And our Twitter account was followed by thousands of fans, players, parents, coaches and media members.
But it became clear this was not only unappreciated, but also unwanted. Last season, I was part of a spirited campaign that forced the athletic department to rescind its absurd decision not to web-cast home games. Later, I personally lambasted the administration for its mishandling of Coach Vanderhook's four-week suspension.
Because of my refusal to toe the company line, our presence became a target of the school's blowback. The last straw came over the summer when Twitter suspended our account @CSFBaseball after the school filed a complaint that it was "impersonating" something that it wasn't. Funny thing is, the description of the account - from the very beginning - stated clearly that it was the "Unofficial Twitter Home of Cal State Fullerton Baseball, Not Affiliated With the Program."
I sent Twitter a response, but after a couple of exchanges, I decided to give up the fight and allow the Twitter account to be shuttered. After that, I thought it was time for this blog to shut down for good as well.
I've been a Cal State Fullerton fan since the early 1980s, before I was a student at the school. I attended CSF in no small part because of the baseball program and my fantasy of being able to make it as a walk-on (I didn't). I did end up covering the team for two years before graduating in 1991.
My admiration and support for the team spanned three decades, and that will continue. But while I will root for the team to succeed on the field and in the classroom, I will only do that from the comfort of my own home or at a place away from Goodwin Field. I have no confidence in the people who are currently in charge of the administration or the athletic department. It is my belief that the program will only continue its decline under the current "leadership."
And I will not contribute in any way, financially or otherwise, to the school until this group is gone.
So it's time to say goodbye. We've had a good run. It is my hope that it won't be long before our team will grace the new ballpark in Omaha with its first appearance.
Go Titans!
P.S. You can still find me on Twitter @ThePlayoffGuru, where I riff about college football and the NFL, and occasionally college baseball as well.
