BLACKSBURG - Virginia Tech baseball coach Chuck Hartman gets asked about retirement quite a bit.

His answer is usually the same: As long as his health and enjoyment of the game hold up, he plans to keep coaching.

All is well on the health front.

Enjoyment? This season, that has come and gone.

"I had a lot of doubt in my mind about three weeks ago," Hartman said in his office Tuesday morning.

Doubt that he'd be coming back for another season?

"Yeah," he said. "Because I wasn't enjoying it. I just couldn't get our kids to play hard. It wasn't any fun watching them play.

"All of a sudden, the fun was taken out of it for me."

This is alarming, only because Hartman is such a tough man to discourage. This is a man who, the day before going to the hospital for triple-bypass heart surgery in 1998, found a way to joke about it.

"It's just a triple," he said back then. "You know I never could hit one out of the lot."

So if he says he's not having fun, that's pretty serious stuff.

But don't go buying any retirement gifts for the 70-year-old legend just yet. Hartman stresses that over the past three weeks, things have changed. He's seen his team crank up the intensity, bear down on the execution and compete to the best of its ability. He's not exactly sure why this happened ("Maybe they just got tired of me chewing their butts," he says), but he's happy that it did.

The Hokies recently took two of three from Duke in Durham to stay out of the ACC cellar. And they claimed the opening game of last week's series against Clemson, their first ACC home win. But they remain on pace for their first losing season since 1991, which Hartman still considers his most frustrating year at Tech.

Hartman doesn't stutter when he says that at this moment, he plans to return for next season. But he does hedge a little, adding that his decisions are made "month to month."

Don't know about you, but that sounds to me like the 2005 Hokies, whether they realize it or not, are still playing for their coach's job.

Or at least his sanity.

They're doing so short-handed. There was a wide talent gap to begin with when this team moved from the Big East to the ACC this season, and injuries to key players - Tech's best hitter and ace pitcher have both gone down - haven't helped matters.

In a situation like that, fundamental execution is vital. If you make a mistake, you lose. It's that simple.

"It's like that seat over there has got a little bit of dynamite in it," Hartman said, referring to his spot in the Tech dugout where he's spent the past 27 years. "And somebody might light it at any time."

This season, that pyromaniac has been awfully naughty.

Boom! N.C. State rallies from 7-2 down off three freshman relievers to beat the Hokies.

Boom! Tech nurses a one-run lead into the eighth inning against Clemson only to give up a grand slam to the son of a former big leaguer.

Boom! Miami detonates, scoring 20 runs off six Tech pitchers.

Boom! A missed cutoff man adds a run. Boom! A strikeout kills a rally. Boom! A botched bunt turns a tight one into a rout.

Each explosion has left a blemish on Tech's 20-23 (5-15 ACC) record entering the weekend. And the aggregate force threatens to blow Hartman, a damn good coach and one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, right out of this profession.

It's not the losing. Hartman knew he'd lose his share as Tech moved to a tougher conference, and he takes full responsibility for not having ACC-caliber recruiting prior to this year.

He can handle losses. But it's the way the losses materialize that has tugged at his good humor. If the hustle or effort isn't there, neither is Hartman's patience.

The ultimate decision on when to quit is Hartman's. Tech's athletic administrators have given no indication that they plan to expedite the retirement of a man who's won more than 1,400 career games and is a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Nor should they.

And Hartman brightens when he talks about his 2006 freshman class, which includes two pitchers who throw 90 mph.

They'll be a nice fit in Blacksburg - unless they go pro in June.

Even the draft can be dynamite.

There's still a little time left in this season. After Sunday's series finale against Georgia Tech, the Hokies have one week of games remaining before the ACC tournament.

"Overall, it's been a pretty rough year," Hartman said. "But hey, I'm proud that they're battling harder now than they probably have at any time during the season.

"That's good. It shows they have some character about them. It certainly lifts my spirits up and makes me ready to go everyday."

And as long as he's ready to go, he'll be ready to stay.

Major-league players who played under Virginia Tech coach Chuck Hartman

Franklin Stubbs: 10 seasons with Dodgers, Astros, Brewers and Tigers

Mike Williams: 12 seasons with Phillies, Royals, Pirates, Astros and Phillies

George Canale: 3 seasons with Brewers

Brad Clontz: 6 seasons with Braves, Dodgers, Mets and Pirates

Kevin Barker: 3 seasons with Brewers and Padres

Brian Fitzgerald: 1 season with Mariners

More of the best quotations from Chuck Hartman's career at Virginia Tech

"We're going to have to be like instant coffee this year, whereas last year we were regular coffee. We're going to have to turn it up, start percolating some.'' -May 1998, before the Atlantic-10 tournament.

"If you ask me, we just dumbed ourselves right out of the bid. "May 1998, on how the weak nonconference schedules of many Atlantic 10 teams harmed the league's NCAA chances.

"If I had to pick it, I'd pick us.'' -February 1998, on Tech's chances of winning the A-10.

"If it gets down to going to Omaha, I may pitch." -May 1997, when Tech's pitching depth was questioned

"I've nicknamed him, 'Hoo-killer.'" April 1993, after catcher Denny Hedspeth led the Hokies to two victories over Virginia.

"All I know is that I've been asking everybody to give us any spare long johns. We're sure gonna need 'em." -February 1995, commenting on Tech's move from the Metro Conference to the Northern-based Atlantic 10.

"There's something about left-handers. They seem to win." -December 1992, after signing a pair of southpaw pitchers.

"It's probably undescribable. Or indescribable, whichever it is." -May 15, 1991, after Tech lost 17-1 to South Carolina in the first round of the Metro Conference tournament.

"No more coaching! I'm going to the golf course!" -April 27, 1992, after his 1,000th career win.

" I'm still excited as the devil. I feel like I'm about 25 years old. I'm like a little kid right now, I'm still bubbling inside." -May 22, 1997, after the Hokies upset Southern California in the NCAA regionals