If this is true, this really changes my view of the Farm -- for the better.


Baseball's supporters had, in essence, six weeks to raise $10 million.
In the end, they got it done.

They got it done with support from likely places -- Cal alums, former Cal players -- and a few unlikely places, like kids who cleaned out their piggy banks and boosters of the Stanford baseball program, the Bears' hated rivals across the bay.

"There's no rivalry if there's no Cal," Nickle said. "I don't think Stanford has any problem if Cal loses, but I think they had a problem if Cal didn't exist."

http://w.espn.go.com/espnw/news-opinion/6656251/college-world-series-cal-bears-make-baseball-comeback

there were some stanford alumni that were in the chronicle last fall regarding helping Cal out. No idea how much money they ended up raising. I had a feeling they weren't in the range of making a huge difference - not saying that to diminish the accomplishments or the gesture, but it take many many people giving at the thousand dollar level, but there had to be a bunch some $100k+ donations in there to make it happen. I saw somewhere recently that even scott boras ponied up $50k. That's pretty cool (does he rep any cal players?)

I feel sorry for the 3 kids who ended up transferring out of the program...I wonder what they must be thinking now...(and no, I don't blame them for transferring considering the dire straits)

One of my best buddies is a Furd alumnus. When I told him that they were cutting Cal Baseball, he asked where he could contribute. I've never understood the hate-Stanford thing.

brcal69;519073 said:

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I've never understood the hate-Stanford thing.

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The $C thing is hate. The Stanford thing is a rivalry.

In total, it seems to be about 50k contributed by Stanford. Indeed, a thoughtful an appreciated gesture. In the whole scheme of things, less than half of 1% donated...

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/02/11/rugby-two-other-cal-sports-saved-baseball-axed/

Cal89;519107 said:

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In total, it seems to be about 50k contributed by Stanford. Indeed, a thoughtful an appreciated gesture. In the whole scheme of things, less than half of 1% donated...

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/02/11/rugby-two-other-cal-sports-saved-baseball-axed/

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Since Esquer is a Stanford alum, I'll bet that the actual pledges were much more than 50K. I know some big supporters in the past have been Stanford alums, in some cases because their kid(s) played at Cal or they were friends of Coach Esquer.

$50k is not chump change, especially when donated to a rival's sports program. Kudos to the donors from the Farm and to all those who "get" this rivalry on both sides of the Bay.

Cal88;519139 said:

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$50k is not chump change, especially when donated to a rival's sports program. Kudos to the donors from the Farm and to all those who "get" this rivalry on both sides of the Bay.

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I agree wholeheartedly. That $50,000 could have easily (and perhaps rightfully) gone to Stanford's baseball program instead of Cal's. What a gesture of goodwill.

buster99;519118 said:

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Since Esquer is a Stanford alum, I'll bet that the actual pledges were much more than 50K. I know some big supporters in the past have been Stanford alums, in some cases because their kid(s) played at Cal or they were friends of Coach Esquer.

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Totally agree buster99. As I had said, thoughtful and certainly appreciated...

I know two Cardinal alums who don't follow college baseball at all, but if they knew this tidbit, I'd hear how Stanford, virtually alone, saved Cal baseball.