TIGER FAN JOINS DYNAMOS
The Detroit Dynamos wasted no time announcing their new General Manager as Tiger Fan, who guided both Brooklyn and Cincinnati to a total of 7 pennants and 3 World Championship Series victories, has decided to make his first foray in to the Federal Association. The long-time Continental Association General Manager had been in the league since 1925 and Detroit will become the third organization he has been employed by. The position opened when Detroit owner Powell Thompson announced a short time ago that DD Martin -who had headed the club for the past decade- was fired. There had been rumours that Thompson and Tiger Fan had been discussing the move for several weeks but neither would comment one way or another, citing that there was no need to stir up potential wounds in other parties.
The move takes place immediately and with the blessing of Cincinnati owner Mike Tice, who admitted regret that the only general manager he has had since purchasing the Cannons and moving them from Baltimore is leaving, but said he understand the Tiger Fan's desire for a new challenge. Tice also confirmed that the Cannons had not had any talks with Martin. "We have not had time to meet with anyone," said Tice. "Tiger Fan did tell me he wanted to be allowed to pursue other options -due to some interests outside baseball- when we signed our recent contract extension and I gave him permission to do so. He has left this organization in a much better place than when he arrived, and with 3 pennants and two WCS wins so now we will begin a new search for the next General Manager of this great franchise.
The main reason for the move was a surprising one, and according to Tiger Fan it had little to do with baseball. "I am at the stage of my FABL career where I want to branch out into other things and I have been fortunate enough to purchase a small ownership stake in the Detroit Motors hockey franchise. I had hoped to become involved in the day-to-day operation of that club as well as my baseball responsibilities and this position with the Dynamos allows me the ability to do just that. I am also quite certain I will have no problem handling both roles. Mr. (Dynamos owner Powell) Thompson is fully aware of what drew me to Detroit and has assured me I will be given complete support and freedom to do both jobs. He and I also discussed in great detail some ground rules for both of us and I am confident he is a man of his word and has promised me free reign and full control of the baseball operations as long as I work within a budget that he has prescribed. He was very agreeable and to be honest, I think he gets a bad rap in the papers by some of you guys."
*Note that Tiger Fan had his stare fixed directly on Detroit World scribe Freddie Farhat when he uttered that final sentence.
CITY OF CINCINNATI IN SHOCK
That collective gasp that came out of Cincinnati this week when word broke that the Cannons General Manager was leaving could likely have been heard as far away as Detroit. The only GM the Cincinnati club has ever had, one who helped assemble a team that won three straight Continental flags and a pair of World Championship Series, brought in stars like Adam Mullins, Chuck Adams and Al Wheeler, has bolted north and joined the Federal Association Dynamos.
Cannons owner John Tice said all the right things. That he 'understood' and 'accepted' Tiger Fan's decision and reason for moving but deep down the magnate must have been steaming. The GM had just been handed a hefty and much deserved pay hike immediately after the WCS loss to the Philadelphia Keystones. At his GMs urging Tice also okayed big raises to manager Ad Doria, most of his coaching staff and Scouting Director Bill Borland with all working under the assumption the objective was a fourth straight banner - something never before achieved by a Continental nine.
That banner may still very well be a reachable target, but competition will be tougher than ever, and it remains to be seen if the new man Tice brings in to run his organization -whomever that might be- has the same willingness to identify the correct pieces and get the tough deal done in July when the right move can be the difference between winning or losing.
The Cannons cannot afford to pause. I believe the search for a new head of the baseball organization is already underway and it certainly needs to be handled quickly. The competition anticipated from Toronto and Chicago is expected to be ratcheted up even higher this season and every decision made over the winter and through the trade deadline can have a gigantic impact on what is anticipated to be -with apologies to all of our former servicemen for the analogy- an all-out war for top spot in the CA this summer. The question is can the Cannons win that battle without their front-office General? A general that we quickly went from comparing to MacArthur or Patton to having it seems much more in common with another General, one who went by the name Benedict Arnold.