Indeed!
And it looks like front offices want to keep former players out of mischief, too!
Today in the CBO
News and Notes - Reports from around the Commonwealth
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
1 October 2298 - Retirements and Other Firings
The Easy Town Assaultrons announce that hitting coach Bobby Lemus will not make a second try at a championship. Today, he retired from baseball. Also, Diamond City GM Tommy Doddy is going to use his team's first trip to the playoffs as his ticket to success. Doddy is going to spend more time on his BNN offseason baseball show, "Howdy Doddy," that can now expand into the season, too.
The Atom Cats have announced that in addition to GM Rich "Size Man" Szymanowski and manager Ben Stoudt's firing, they would also let go pitching coach Slick Lick Thompson.
The following players have also announced their retirements: 3B Jeff Bust, RP Dick Tricky (Fort Hagen), LF Paul Stands (Sunshine Tidings), and RP Josh Gillette (Jamaica Plain).
Tricky is a "tricky" one. The 36-year-old, who has appeared in 31 games for the Silver Shroud over the past two seasons, accumulating a 1-0 record with one save and a 6.71 career ERA, entered his name into the coaching ranks before the start of the 2297 season. Instead, he ended up leaving the Salem Witch Hats to sign with Fort Hagen when there was no interest in signing him as a coach. With the Shroud, he acted as a coach understudy to manager Mark Andersen and pitching coach Danny Pease. Today's announcement of his retirement took place in The Slog at the Ghouls' ESAU.
2 October 2298 - Tricky Business
Not only did the announcement of his retirement as a baseball player take place at The Slog, but today the Ghouls' GM Plop Wyman made it official that retired Fort Hagen relief pitcher Dick Tricky would be their manager to replace the fired manager, Mack O'Shea.
"We're excited to announce that we brought in who we think will be the best manager," Wyman said, "a former CBO player. Today we announce Dick Tricky as the player who will lead us back to the championship."
Tricky, 36, will match Goodneighbor's Jeremy Whiteplate as the youngest managers in the CBO. Tricky also becomes the second former CBO player as a coach in the league. University Point bench coach Crick Dubya, 28, became a coach after a gangster boss attack ended his playing career.
3 October 2298 - Cats Make a Stands
For the second-straight day, and in a surprise move, a CBO team has signed a newly-retired player as their manager.
The Atom Cats announced today that Paul Stands, who officially retired from Sunshine Tidings just two days ago, would be their new manager. Stands, 36, joins Goodneighbor's Jeremy Whiteplate and The Slog's Dick Tricky as the youngest managers in the CBO.
In three seasons with the Chemists, Stands was more bench coach than player. He appeared in 29 games (24 in 2296) with no starts. He hit .143 in his career as a backup outfielder.
In a statement released on behalf of Stands today, he stated, "I may not have the skills, but I know baseball. I have every confidence I will help the entire lineup of the Cats to improve each day. I won't promise a championship in 2299, but I will fight to make us competitive every day."
Cats owner Zeke called the hire a "groovy, happening affair."
4 October 2298 - Gillette a GM?
In the most surprising move of grabbing up former players in important positions, the Diamond City Swatters announced that retiring GM Tommy Doddy will hire Josh Gillette formerly of the Jamaica Plain Red Rockets and Nordhagen Beach Party Boys.
Gillette pitched two seasons in Nordhagen Beach before being moved to the Red Rockets in 2298. His career numbers were 2-0 with a 8.22 ERA in 65.2 innings pitched.
In a statement released from Moe Cronin's office: "We're trying to be dynamic and make a splatter in the league. Picking up a guy like Josh Gillette will most certainly help us make that splatter. We're happy to have someone who can relate with the players and find the right fits based on what he knows about baseball."
5 October 2298 - Cats Go Treasonous, Hire Burr
Aaron Burr, who retired after three seasons with the Concord Radstags organization, has been named the newest pitching coach of the Atom Cats, joining fellow ex-player Paul Stands on the staff.
Burr has an unfortunate name in the Commonwealth based on history books available in the Boston Public Library. He also had an unfortunate career, appearing in one game in 2296, allowing no earned runs in 2.0 innings with four hits and two strikeouts.
The Cats have yet to fill their GM position. Some think team owner Zeke, also known as Zeke Cat, may take on the role if he cannot find the right fit.
7 October 2298 - Roxbury BC: Volz
The Roxbury Knuckle Punchers have announced that they have signed a bench coach from outside of the Commonwealth with the announcement of the hiring of Travis Volz. Volz states that he has been coaching a team near the Lakes, an area west of the Commonwealth that we assume to be somewhere near the Great Lakes, probably Michigan or Ohio of the former states of the USA.
Since there was no information on Volz, the Knuckle Punchers revealed a little about his philosophy: train hitters to get on base and move them through steals and bunts. Use aggressive base running without caring about the occasional caught stealing and throw outs. Avoid double play situations as much as possible.
According to Roxbury GM Kyle Wolf, "[Manager] Turbo Peabody and I had a long conversation with Mr. Volz, and he definitely knew his stuff. He had heard about the CBO through caravans and wanted to try to get in, and we're happy to have him. He will help [hitting coach] Toby [Slocumsjoe] turn hits into runs, something we could not do this season."