New Management for the London Monarchs [PP:2051.1]
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2022 6:15 pm
New Management for the London Monarchs
- David Random, The Times sports staff (London)
Things are stirring up rapidly with the new London Monarchs franchise in the GBC. After a series of interviews with owner Yahyah Talal over the weekend, the first-year franchise settled on American Mike Bauer to become the new general manager of the Monarchs.
Hailing from South Dakota, Bauer signed a 4-year contract that will pay him over £212,000 annually.
Sporting a black blazer, a gold tie and slicked back hair, the confident Yankee unveiled some of his plans for the Monarchs in a brief Monday afternoon press conference.
"Good afternoon everyone. I want to deeply thank Mr. Talal for giving me this incredible opportunity to build something special here in London. It is a real honor, and a deep responsibility, to increase the popularity of baseball in the UK and reward our Brewster Baseball Association investors for all the time and energy they put into starting this incredible London franchise and the GBC league."
"I regard the UK as the pinnacle of excellence for entertainment and athletics. This is the country that gave rise to the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Genesis, Queen, Pink Floyd and so many other musical innovators. It's also the birthplace of golf and tennis. As much as I love baseball, I truly cannot imagine a life without either of those sports. I will certainly take a bit of free time to visit the All England Club to be a spectator at the most iconic tournament in the world. In fact, I'm not sure if I will be able to perform my job properly with all the tennis matches running. But I can't wait to try."
"Getting back to baseball, we will be making some changes to strengthen not only the Monarchs, but also our minor league affiliates. I'm not afraid to invest further in the minor league teams to get them winning and pick up the spirits of those loyal fans around the globe. That is part of the Brewsters' tradition. Our patriarch Montgomery Brewster sure wouldn't sit there on his wallet and watch, he'd be out there spending on whatever he could, budget be damned. And when you seek to win at the minor league level, some of that success will bubble up."
"As for the current Monarchs season, we are currently sitting at .500 in a league with a lot of parity. Our pitching has been impressive. If we fine tune some things on offense and tweak our approach to generate more runs, I think we have a good chance to make the playoffs. And then things could get really interesting. With all due respect, we ain't in Beirut anymore."
When asked a question about a possible return to the States if a BBA opportunity presents itself, Bauer replied, "No that's not something I'm concerned with at all. My focus, if it's not on Wimbledon, is on winning here in London. There are some businesses where you can fail upward, but baseball isn't one of them. No one wants to hire someone who is thinking about their next job. At least I sure wouldn't."
- David Random, The Times sports staff (London)
Things are stirring up rapidly with the new London Monarchs franchise in the GBC. After a series of interviews with owner Yahyah Talal over the weekend, the first-year franchise settled on American Mike Bauer to become the new general manager of the Monarchs.
Hailing from South Dakota, Bauer signed a 4-year contract that will pay him over £212,000 annually.
Sporting a black blazer, a gold tie and slicked back hair, the confident Yankee unveiled some of his plans for the Monarchs in a brief Monday afternoon press conference.
"Good afternoon everyone. I want to deeply thank Mr. Talal for giving me this incredible opportunity to build something special here in London. It is a real honor, and a deep responsibility, to increase the popularity of baseball in the UK and reward our Brewster Baseball Association investors for all the time and energy they put into starting this incredible London franchise and the GBC league."
"I regard the UK as the pinnacle of excellence for entertainment and athletics. This is the country that gave rise to the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Genesis, Queen, Pink Floyd and so many other musical innovators. It's also the birthplace of golf and tennis. As much as I love baseball, I truly cannot imagine a life without either of those sports. I will certainly take a bit of free time to visit the All England Club to be a spectator at the most iconic tournament in the world. In fact, I'm not sure if I will be able to perform my job properly with all the tennis matches running. But I can't wait to try."
"Getting back to baseball, we will be making some changes to strengthen not only the Monarchs, but also our minor league affiliates. I'm not afraid to invest further in the minor league teams to get them winning and pick up the spirits of those loyal fans around the globe. That is part of the Brewsters' tradition. Our patriarch Montgomery Brewster sure wouldn't sit there on his wallet and watch, he'd be out there spending on whatever he could, budget be damned. And when you seek to win at the minor league level, some of that success will bubble up."
"As for the current Monarchs season, we are currently sitting at .500 in a league with a lot of parity. Our pitching has been impressive. If we fine tune some things on offense and tweak our approach to generate more runs, I think we have a good chance to make the playoffs. And then things could get really interesting. With all due respect, we ain't in Beirut anymore."
When asked a question about a possible return to the States if a BBA opportunity presents itself, Bauer replied, "No that's not something I'm concerned with at all. My focus, if it's not on Wimbledon, is on winning here in London. There are some businesses where you can fail upward, but baseball isn't one of them. No one wants to hire someone who is thinking about their next job. At least I sure wouldn't."
