Peoria’s Coach Sent Down The River

by Tomorrows Blues on Apr 17, 2008 11:44 PM CDT

By Brian Weidler, Game Time Prospect Department

After failing to steer the Peoria Rivermen into the AHL Calder Cup playoffs for the second straight season, head coach Dave Baseggio was fired by the Blues on Wednesday.

The most thorough coverage is in the Peoria Journal-Star's article.

In 2006-07, Baseggio's first season, the Rivermen missed the playoffs by a single point. This year, the AHL West Division was by far the strongest in the league, and it took 94 points for San Antonio to finish fifth in the West and claim the last playoff spot.

After a strong first half, especially a 13-2-1 January, the Rivermen were in second place in the division on February 1. A disastrous (1-9-1) February, and 12 losses in their last 18 games, left the Rivermen on the outside looking in.

Baseggio is under contract to the organization for one more year, and has been offered a position in the scouting department. Speculation is that assistant coach Davis Payne, who won a Kelly Cup with Alaska in 2006-07, will be offered the head coaching position with the Rivermen.

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Damn. They have patience with Schwarz/Ears/Bishop/Hyphenator and then they fire the coach for not making the playoffs?

Impatience is beginning to creep into the front office. This is bad.

by The Goalie Guy on Apr 18, 2008 2:29 PM CDT reply actions

I’d like to hear comments on this from those of you who have been following the Rivermen and have a feel for Baseggio — was this warranted?

by Mr. Particle on Apr 18, 2008 2:56 PM CDT reply actions

i said it elsewhere, i’ll say it here:

coaches get fired when they team does not meet expectations. the blues had OBVIOUSLY higher expectations including harming the nhl club (when it was out fo the race so not much of a harm) to help and set up peoria to make a run.

so on that front, I guess it shouldnt be a shock.

the reason it is kind of a shock:

a) the blues don’t do this in the pros, they let things go waaaay to long, and contiinually re-up failing players (and staff sometimes), why were the blues so exacting on hte peoria expectations and so lax on the nhl ones?

b) if they disliked or didn’t work well with him, they wouldn’t have offered him another job immediately, which they did. the EXACT nature of the job, i’m not sure of, and db is under contract, so i guess they blues figure they might as well get something out of the money. but it is not the removal or a cancer. and there are some cancers on the pro club that the blues have no intention of removing

c) why do it now? plenty of off-season time, they have a probable replacement down there already, but they certianly could have explored more options, waited et al.

d) was it player motivated? the blues have leaped frogged a bit in the prospects rankings and such and also have several 8th d-men, 14th forwards and the like down there. is there a player down there with enough upside and pull to complain loud enough to be heard in the loo?

by Childhood Trauma on Apr 18, 2008 4:22 PM CDT reply actions

somewhat surprised no one else has taken a stab at the situation. the peoria article definately pointed out there were expectations and they were not met, however several times there seemed to be a situation were the blues claimed to have reasons, and the coach seemed to have stuff to say, but both sides claimed it wasn’t nice to talk about it right now.

witho all those hints dropped, the failing expectations could be one one of several reasons

by Childhood Trauma on Apr 23, 2008 9:05 AM CDT reply actions