Clemson baseball: Change is hard, but Bakich is in charge

Seven years after the last difficult change in leadership Clemson baseball is at a crossroads.

There’s an old saying that goes something like this: I’m all for change as long as it doesn’t effect me.

There’s a lot of truth in that statement, whether it’s in your office or for sports fans.  People want to win, but they don’t always appreciate the upheaval, uncertainty and the changes that are sometimes required to make the wins happen.

Such is the case with a segment of Clemson baseball fans as Erik Bakich takes the reins of the once proud program.

They’re worried about players transferring (they have, more likely will), Monte Lee taking another job (he will) and most of all recruits defecting (high probability).

Change is hard.  It’s uncomfortable, unsettling and stressful.

Even though most fans weren’t happy with the overall results under Monte Lee, they aren’t comfortable with not knowing what they’ll get from Erik Bakich and staff, who stays, who leaves, what this all means for traditions and rituals of Clemson baseball.

I like Monte Lee and thought he was the right coach at the right time, but it didn’t work out.  He’ll be a fine coach and asset wherever he goes next either as a head coach or assistant.

It just didn’t work at Clemson. That doesn’t make him a bad man or a bad coach.  It just didn’t work.

When the fans start staying away, when those that have followed the team for decades start finding other things to do during baseball games, perhaps there’s deeper issues and difficult decisions need to be made.

If you haven’t already, you’re likely to start hearing reasons why Lee and his staff weren’t successful, specifically resources, facilities and the like and some of that is probably fair.  Some of it’s revisionist and excuses that Monte Lee himself wouldn’t use.

When asked what he needed in his introductory press conference Bakich said he didn’t need much, that this place (Clemson baseball facility) was close to perfect.

The debate may rage on, but I’ve decided to support Erik Bakich and Clemson baseball

Many fans are still debating whether it was the right thing when Jack Leggett was let go over seven years ago.  I’m not sure if that does anybody any good or soothes the wounds of 2015.

I let it go long ago, but it’s clear not everyone has and some never will.  That’s their choice.

For myself, as a Monte Lee supporter, I’m moving forward supporting Clemson, Erik Bakich and his staff and I’m excited about the future of Clemson baseball.

That doesn’t mean this change wasn’t hard for me, too, but I’m looking forward, not backwards.