Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Where there are ball players, there are groupies. Universal axiom.
Wildcat Baseball ⚾️ Thread - not for the faint of heart
- Thread starter CoralSpringsCat
- Start date
When I was a student, I never went to see a nu baseball game. I am still not even sure where they play games. How many groupies are out there? I was friends with Mark Loretta as well. Maybe I should have been a better friend and gone to see some of his games playing for nu?? Looking back now.. I regret not having done so
Oh boy…here comes the fallout as per InsideNU. In addition to Alex Calarco transferring to Maryland, Stephen Hrustich is headed to Michigan. Others in the portal: Sam Garewal, David Utagawa, Ryan Keenan, Luke Tanner, Coby Moe, Vince Bianchina and Grant Comstock. Yikes. 😳
W T F
Gragg needs to get his head out of his ass. This is disgusting and shameful negligence... and incompetence. It's obvious what needs to be done.
Northwestern probe of baseball team finds ‘bullying and abusive behavior’ by head coach
As Northwestern deals with the fallout from allegations of hazing on its football team and the dismissal of coach Pat Fitzgerald, the university has been mired in a different controversy centered o…
www.chicagotribune.com
Oh boy.... not a lot of good news for good ol' alma mater right now.Northwestern probe of baseball team finds ‘bullying and abusive behavior’ by head coach
As Northwestern deals with the fallout from allegations of hazing on its football team and the dismissal of coach Pat Fitzgerald, the university has been mired in a different controversy centered o…
Here's the INU story: Inside
Jim Foster accused of toxic workplace environment, nine players and staffers tell 670 The Score
Including this quote about Foster:
"When Foster left Army last summer, there was allegedly a “celebratory Zoom,” and the school was “thrilled” to remove him."
Jim Foster accused of toxic workplace environment, nine players and staffers tell 670 The Score
Including this quote about Foster:
"When Foster left Army last summer, there was allegedly a “celebratory Zoom,” and the school was “thrilled” to remove him."
Yes, when a new AD doesn't know what he's doing and guesses the most important thing is to ingratiate yourself to the donors.
From the article:
"This occurred in spite of a Rhode Island player dying under Foster’s watch, allegedly for a 'punishment run.'"
This caught my attention. Who was this Rhode Island player who died? A pitcher named Joseph Ciancola died at a Rhode Island practice. I tried to find out what happened, and came across this statement from his mother:
https://below104.org/project/joeys-story/
It was a heavy workout, but I don't see anything about singling him out for a "punishment" run. He seems to have been doing the same workout as the rest of the team. And while a heavy workout, a 2.1 mile run each way to and from the field was about what I (not a college athlete) would do for cardio during my 20s (4 miles in about 32 mins). Those (some on this board) who have actually been Division I athletes can better opine on what level of exertion is typical for a baseball practice.
An autopsy on him was reportedly inconclusive:
https://www.foxnews.com/health/autopsy-on-uri-athlete-inconclusive
I can't rule out that conditions of the practice contributed to his death, but I don't see any evidence of him being singled out for a punishment run.
Northwestern baseball head coach Jim Foster created toxic culture within program, sources allege
The Northwestern Wildcats baseball program and head coach Jim Foster are being accused of creating a toxic culture and alleged of medical mistreatment, racism, sexism and bullying, according to sources close to the program.
www.audacy.com
"One allegation that Northwestern’s internal investigation did corroborate was his inappropriate comment to a female staffer. He said that she couldn’t be on the field because he didn’t want players 'staring at her ***' and that she should be in the press box taking notes, sources said. She soon distanced herself from the team, sources said, because of Foster’s comment and behavior."Northwestern baseball head coach Jim Foster created toxic culture within program, sources allege
The Northwestern Wildcats baseball program and head coach Jim Foster are being accused of creating a toxic culture and alleged of medical mistreatment, racism, sexism and bullying, according to sources close to the program.
This alone, which is the only thing that the article identifies as corroborated, is enough to fire him with cause.
More from The Score.....Foster comes off as a complete asshat tool:
One player detailed to 670 The Score how he was the subject of a punishment run for nearly the entirety of a 2 1/2-hour practice last fall. After that, in November, the HR complaint was filed against Foster, and the university began monitoring him more closely, though toxic culture didn’t stop, sources said.
Other Northwestern baseball coaches and staffers made repeated attempts to meet with athletic director Derrick Gragg to detail the toxic culture and medical mistreatment, but they were repeatedly denied a chance to meet with him, sources said.
www.audacy.com
One player detailed to 670 The Score how he was the subject of a punishment run for nearly the entirety of a 2 1/2-hour practice last fall. After that, in November, the HR complaint was filed against Foster, and the university began monitoring him more closely, though toxic culture didn’t stop, sources said.
Other Northwestern baseball coaches and staffers made repeated attempts to meet with athletic director Derrick Gragg to detail the toxic culture and medical mistreatment, but they were repeatedly denied a chance to meet with him, sources said.
Northwestern baseball head coach Jim Foster created toxic culture within program, sources allege
The Northwestern Wildcats baseball program and head coach Jim Foster are being accused of creating a toxic culture and alleged of medical mistreatment, racism, sexism and bullying, according to sources close to the program.
www.audacy.com
Gragg wouldn't even meet with other NU coaches?!?!? Uh, Dude, isn't that what your freakin JOB IS?!?!? What kind of shit is this?!?!?!
If Gragg is still our AD come September.... we really are 1000% hosed. Yeah, with NIL and our Eff You NU Football Admissions policies, we're already trying to compete in P5 football with two hands and nine toes tied behind our backs, but if Gragg is still here?
Lord have mercy. Please.
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Understatement of the year. Gragg is a doofus and should be canned immediately.
Fire Foster and Gragg. How was that female staffer’s concern not addressed?? I give those three coaches that resigned a lot of credit. Was not an easy thing to do at that time. How the university did not investigate the program at that time is mind boggling.
Gragg's behavior with respect to this baseball situation looks flat out bad.
Foster should have been gone well before it came to this point as the details come out...
Hard to believe Gragg will be AD here that much longer. This has been such a disaster on all levels.
Foster should have been gone well before it came to this point as the details come out...
Hard to believe Gragg will be AD here that much longer. This has been such a disaster on all levels.
Man.... for such a high-powered research institute, it sure is looking like NU sucks when it comes to investigating things.
Per the author, this is the story they had been working on since the spring, supplemented by the reporting from the Score and Tribune.
www.insidenu.com
Former Northwestern baseball players, staffers detail misconduct, lack of accountability under Jim Foster
Things could not have gone worse in Foster’s first year in Evanston.
www.insidenu.com
This certainly didn't age well. From the hiring announcement on 6/28/2022.
(my bolding)
"We are so excited to welcome Jim Foster and his family to Northwestern," said Gragg. "In a comprehensive national search, his combination of on-field success and student-athlete development set him apart. The on-field record speaks for itself, both in terms of team and individual success. His experience of leadership at West Point, an institution we have enormous respect for, is something that has prepared him for the academic environment our students thrive in. The future of Wildcats baseball is exceptionally bright with Jim at the helm."
Link to full announcement: LINK
(my bolding)
"We are so excited to welcome Jim Foster and his family to Northwestern," said Gragg. "In a comprehensive national search, his combination of on-field success and student-athlete development set him apart. The on-field record speaks for itself, both in terms of team and individual success. His experience of leadership at West Point, an institution we have enormous respect for, is something that has prepared him for the academic environment our students thrive in. The future of Wildcats baseball is exceptionally bright with Jim at the helm."
Link to full announcement: LINK
