Furman baseball alums react to loss of program with heartfelt letters
Furman baseball alums were shocked and saddened when they learned earlier this week that the program is being shut down.
Furman University eliminated the baseball and men’s lacrosse programs amid coronavirus budget impacts. The school is also cutting the salaries of the president and senior administrators and implementing furloughs and budget reductions, the school announced. The university is planning to have classes in person this fall.
Several former Furman players reached out to The State to express their emotions after a difficult week and to share what the Furman baseball program meant to them. Below are excerpts from what they had to say:
Many questions left unanswered
From Beamer Carr; 2007-09; Orthopedic sports surgeon, assistant team doctor for New York Mets
I entered Furman University as a nervous yet excited freshman student. I couldn’t wait to explore the countless learning opportunities of such a prestigious university. I dabbled in history, business marketing, public speaking, economics, health and exercise science, English and French before eventually settling on a B.S. in Neuroscience. This diverse course load from an amazing liberal arts university has uniquely prepared me for my current career as an orthopedic surgeon. However, there was another classroom that equally prepared me for my career — the baseball field.
Being a three-year walk-on member of the Furman University baseball team was the highlight of my time at Furman. The lessons I learned, the discipline I developed and the family I gained has proven invaluable throughout my post-Furman journey. My head coach, Ron Smith, always taught me timeliness and accountability. Early morning weight room sessions prepared me for early morning rounds at the hospital. Coach Smith taught us to never make excuses because our future employers would not accept excuses after a mistake.
When my father unexpectedly passed away three years after my graduation, coach Smith and an assistant coach drove five hours just to cry with me at the wake. My teammates sent a beautiful flower arrangement as well. When we broke the huddle in the weight room, we always said “brotherhood.” That is exactly what we were, and that is exactly what we continue to be.
The recent decision by Furman President Elizabeth Davis and Athletic Director Jason Donnelly to remove the baseball and lacrosse programs with no plans for reinstatement stunned many current and former Paladins. My teammates and I mourn the fact that current and future young men have been robbed of the same lessons, discipline and family that we now cherish. We are sensitive to the unforeseen financial climate created by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the indefinite removal of the baseball program is very puzzling with many questions left unanswered. Why was such a drastic decision made without consulting baseball alumni or donors? How can a university that champions diversity and “engaged learning” eliminate an opportunity for the well-roundedness it claims to promote?
Furman student-athletes, including baseball players, are some of the finest students Furman University can offer. We enjoy a 40-hour weekly commitment to our sport and still find ways to rise to the top of our fields after graduation, largely because of the sacrifice, teamwork and dependability that we learned as student-athletes. So many of my teammates are now successful physicians, lawyers, army officers, businessmen, financial experts, dentists, politicians, scientists, teachers, etc.
Furthermore, the Furman baseball program adds immense value to the beloved city of Greenville. In recent years, the program has developed a tradition of hosting a “Vs. Cancer” fundraiser to raise money and awareness for the fight against pediatric brain cancer. Following the game, the entire team presents a check to the “Vs. Cancer” Foundation after shaving their heads bald to show solidarity for children undergoing cancer treatments. It’s an amazing night that has touched so many lives.
Since 2014, the Furman baseball program has raised over $170,000 with half of these funds directly going to Prisma Health Greenville Children’s Hospital and the other half going to the national research for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Despite the recent news, it is the desire of the Furman University baseball alumni to sponsor another similar fundraiser. To donate to this wonderful cause, please go to the following link: https://team.curethekids.org/furmanbaseballvscancer2020. Further details for an alumni head shaving event are being finalized. We were molded to be strong men who stand for positive impact in our community, and we will not let even the grimmest of news change our commitment to doing so. We are still a family: both for each other and for the greater community of Greenville.
We respect President Davis and her leadership for our alma mater, but we wholeheartedly disagree with this decision. It seems extreme and completely counter to the mission of Furman. We hope for more transparency from the administration and for an open dialogue in the near future. Above all else, we are hopeful that this unfathomable decision by the university can somehow be reversed. After all, if there is one thing that the game of baseball has always taught us, it’s that there is always next year… Please join us so we can #SaveFUBaseball.
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Grateful, heartbroken and confused
From Christopher R. Cowart; 2007-2010; Anesthesiologist Mount Sinai Hospital
I am currently an anesthesiologist battling COVID-19 on the front lines in a large academic New York City hospital. As a physician, I am proud of my accomplishments and what I’ve been able to achieve both personally and professionally. I feel fortunate to do what I do and I certainly am filled with gratitude. What am I most grateful for, however, is my time spent as a baseball player at Furman University.
I was fortunate enough to be on scholarship (academic and athletic) for four years at Furman. Being a member of the baseball team afforded me more opportunities to grow personally and academically than I ever could have hoped. The relationships that I forged with my teammates are ones that remain strong to this day, and continue to grow as time goes on.
As young baseball players at Furman, we learned the value of teamwork, leadership and accountability. We learned how difficult it is to be successful at something and we found out that long term success is the result of tireless amounts of work and consistent preparation. We struggled through adversity and, through that process, we learned what it takes to win. As a result, during my sophomore year, we set the school record for wins in a single season (a record that still stands today). It is through these life lessons and relationships that the Furman baseball program has been able to consistently produce leaders in the fields of medicine, dentistry, law, politics and business. We are pillars of our respective communities. We are leaders.
The decision by Elizabeth Davis and Furman University to end the baseball program has left me and my former teammates heartbroken and confused. Not only does this lead to the dismantling of a more than century-old program, but it strips away the opportunity for young men to experience the same life lessons and personal development that we were afforded. It also has implications beyond Furman’s campus.
The Furman baseball program regularly took part in projects and causes throughout the Greenville area. During my time as a Paladin, we spent spring breaks building houses with Habitat for Humanity. Since 2014, the Furman baseball team has raised over $170,000 for pediatric cancer research.
While this decision was allegedly made in light of the current pandemic in order to alleviate financial concerns, the removal of the baseball program is undoubtedly a net loss. My heart goes out to all current and would-be future Paladin baseball players. We stand with you.
Baseball impact lasts forever
From Drake Browne; 2010-2013; Marketing content specialist at Herschend Family Entertainment
Being a member of the Furman Baseball program is the single-most influential experience of my lifetime. While it was great to compete at a high level, I continue to benefit from the lasting impact every day. I learned the importance of giving back to our community, building meaningful relationships, and always using the platform we were given as athletes for the greater good. I am heartbroken for the coaches, players, and alumni, but also for the university as a whole.
Frustrated but thankful
From Brian Harrison; 2008-2010; Drafted in 13th round by New York Mets, Vice President Asset Management at Preferred Apartment Communities, Inc.
Growing up in Hilton Head, South Carolina, I had dreams of playing Division I college baseball and ultimately getting drafted and playing professionally. I was highly focused on academics, would go on to graduate second in my class and was being recruited by some of the bigger baseball programs in the Southeast. From the get go, there was one program that stood above the rest, one that made the most effort in getting to know my family, prided itself on growing teenagers into men, and emphasized its focus on winning championships. I was well aware of the academic reputation of Furman, but it was the love I felt from the coaches and players and the promise of playing competitive Division 1 athletics that led me to signing my Letter of Intent and stepping foot onto Furman’s campus in the Fall of 2007.
As a freshman, I was thrust immediately into action, and I have never had more fun playing baseball in my life. We set the school record for wins that year and at one point rattled off 13 consecutive Southern Conference wins. We made a strong push in the SoCon tournament and unfortunately came up just short. Donning the purple jerseys with “FURMAN” across the front that year was incredibly special. Not just because of the on-field success, but because we played the game the right way, represented the school proudly and most notably formed incredible friendships that would last a lifetime.
Furman baseball brought together a well-rounded group of young men from different parts of the country to Greenville, and I am forever grateful for the bonds that have been formed. Most of our weddings are filled with other Paladins lined up as groomsmen, and we still plan trips and talk regularly, even 10 years after we last suited up together. Furman’s baseball program getting cut abruptly this week has no doubt brought an already close group even closer, and we will do everything in our power to bring back this program that has meant so much to so many.
Ultimately, Furman baseball allowed me to accomplish my goals and has set me up for a great life after baseball. I was drafted in 2010 and played in the New York Mets system for four years. I tried to play the game the right way, so that anyone who was at a minor league ballpark on a given day and saw “Furman” next to my name in the program would understand the type of players and men that Furman baseball produces.
I am frustrated with the university’s decision to cut the Furman baseball program, but I am thankful for the opportunity and friendships that the Furman baseball coaches and donors provided for me. Now, it is my goal to ensure that others can have the same experience I did.
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What happened to the ‘Furman Advantage’?
From Barry Benton; 2007-2010; Orthodontist at Designer Smiles—Braces by Benton
Furman Baseball is more than a team, more than a field, more than a jersey. Furman Baseball is family. A family built on shared experiences, tears and victories. My heart breaks as I hear the news that Furman University has discontinued my family; a family that’s competed every year since 1896 with the exception of five years. My heart breaks for the student-athletes that now must decide whether to continue their academic career at Furman without baseball or transfer to another institution where they can both earn a college degree and pursue the game they love.
Why should Furman’s baseball players be forced to choose between playing baseball at a high level and earning a prestigious, distinguished education? Why should those choices be mutually exclusive? One does not have to look hard to find a Furman Baseball alumnus who has excelled in his chosen profession and simultaneously become a pillar of his community.
I would put forth that the success of Furman’s Baseball alumni is rooted in the student-athlete experience at Furman University. Baseball players are asked to commit 30-40 hours a week to baseball while maintaining a full academic schedule and engaging in the general student body. Many baseball players hold positions of leadership in various clubs, organizations, and societies unrelated to athletics during their time as student-athletes. Baseball players generously volunteer their time outside of the university by partnering with charities that serve the greater Greenville area. During my years at Furman, my teammates and I assisted on a Habitat for Humanity construction build in Travelers Rest. Many more recent players have gone all in “Vs. Cancer” by raising awareness and supporting children battling this nightmare of a disease. This generosity is joyfully provided by players because it is a way to show our love to Furman and Greenville and say thank you for all the support the Furman student body and the city of Greenville gives to Furman Baseball.
Furman University continually promotes the “Furman Advantage” and asks all students to “engage” with Furman in order to become the well-rounded and distinguished alumni any university would be proud to call their own. The very nature of a Liberal Arts education is based on a diversity of coursework, subject matters, and experiences to provide an environment where students are exposed to various ideas and thoughts. A Liberal Arts education develops a cultured graduate whose critical thinking skills are sharpened in the furnace of debate while simultaneously fostering an empathy for the world.
The past and present Furman baseball players embraced the challenge of a Liberal Arts education and championed its ideals through hard work, determined effort, and persistent dedication. It will be a “Furman Disadvantage” if baseball is not reinstated.
This story was originally published May 23, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
