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McKAY OUT AS SUSQUEHANNA MANAGER
HAD LED TEAM TO FIVE NEL TITLES & THREE TWC TRIUMPHS OVER ELEVEN SEASONS

WILKES-BARRE, PENN. (Oct, 10, 1880) - The end of the week has brought stunning baseball news with it, as 3x N.B.B.O. champions Susquehanna B.C. have announced that they are replacing Field Manager Callum McKay after eleven seasons in charge of the team.

McKay was named the Susquehanna manager in the winter of 1869-70, and after a .500 debut season the team took off:

Susquehanna had a Winning Percentage of at least .600 in each of the past ten seasons, and over that time they earned the following while being one of the smallest clubs in the N.B.B.O.:

• 8x Inland Championship winners (1871-72, 74, 76-80)
• 5x Northeastern League champions (1874, 76-79)
• 3x Tucker-Wheaton Cup champions (1874, 77, 79)

McKay’s 508 Wins rank 6th in N.B.B.O. history, with every Field Manager above him having 14-15 years of N.B.B.O. experience instead of his eleven. McKay’s Winning Percentage of .660 (508-262) is 2nd only to Todd Rogers among Field Managers with 10+ years of experience in the N.B.B.O., his eight playoff appearances rank 2nd behind only Rogers, and his three cup titles also rank 2nd behind only Rogers.

Why the change? McKay has let it be known that, even though he’s 56 years old, he’s not retiring. Apparently, the Susquehanna front office decided to let his contract run out and not bring him back for 1881. What makes the decision more of a head-scratcher is that he’s being replaced by David Roberts, a former All-Star Pitcher for Victory who hasn’t had any jobs in baseball since he retired from playing in 1867.

What does Susquehanna see in Roberts that meant McKay couldn’t manage the team any longer? The Writers Pool is collectively baffled, and those close to the club don’t seem to know either. The fans will be stunned at the change, and any players who were informed of the move this morning will likely be as well.

In any event, it’s the beginning of a new era in Wilkes-Barre, and given Roberts’ lack of any managerial history there are many unknowns to be fleshed out in the coming months.