An Interview

[Clayman]

Did you build the Centaurs in your own image?

If you mean the way they played then yes, I've always liked players who can get on base. Pitching side that would be power and strikeouts, I think we succeeded in those points.

Does it feel different the second time round?

100%, in 2042 we were a bunch of, well to be honest a bunch of rejects. This time there are some good players, no that's wrong there were good players in 42 just this time teams would give there high teeth for these players back then not so much they were giving them away.

What was 2042 like?

I've been a GM on many teams, I've had ups and downs but everything and I mean everything happened in 42 even a Game #163. They haven't made a film yet but they'd be crazy not to, it was a bunch of guys who were taking their last rollercoaster ride that is baseball with a few guys taking their first ride. It was a magical time, a time i would say was the best of my baseball career.

What went wrong in 2043?

If I knew I'd never have left Athens, I left because I was drained, I had no idea how to fix it simply because I couldn't get my mind on the job it was fried.

Do you keep in touch with The Originals?

"The Originals are the players who suited up in The Athens Fighting Centaurs first season in 2042".

I keep up with the guys, when I was GM in Valencia we'd play in Sacramento and I'd meet up with Benny he's a teacher there. Wild Bill as a store in Nashville, I'd meet him and his family for dinner when we played the Bluebirds, so yeah I keep in touch.

You were improving Valencia, why leave?

I wanted to be GM of the Centaurs, I knew they were going to be looking for a GM so I made myself available. I phoned Papa said I wanted to be the first he called it the job opened up, he said "To to the airport first thing, I'll have a private jet waiting for you".

What's the plan for Athens?

I came in with a different plan than I had in 42, than I had with Valencia but I say down after we got swept by Mumbai and thought this isn't me, we aren't having fun even when we lost in 42 we could laugh at ourselves because we knew we'd come out fighting next time.

What happened in those final days of 42?

Totally my fault, 100%. No blame on the coaching staff, players or anyone but me. We came up against Kuwait City in the final series, we got to the final game and I made everyone available, we lost and had to play Jerusalem in game #163 the infamous game #163. We had tired bodies and lost 5-4, if I had to do it all again I'd play that Kuwait game as normal and have some fresh bodies against Jerusalem, easy when you have hindsight.