New GM In Johannesburg

[Jhilowitz]

Shortly before the 2059 season came to a close, the Johannesburg Gold annouced that Jon Hilowitz would be filling the recent vacancy, flying across the Atlantic from his previous digs in New York. Prior to his post with Johannesburg, Hilowitz successfully led the upstart Oklahoma Scissor Tails in the erstwhile Baseball Classic league, pulling the once decimated franchise out of obscurity and winning two championships before the league closed its doors. But time away from the game has evidently made his heart grow fonder, and the the GM expressed interest in rejoining the competitive ranks, even if it meant taking over a team far from home. "I'm excited about the opportunity" said Hilowitz after landing at Tambo International Airport late last week. "The team has a lot of similarities to what we had in Oklahoma. I like a challenge and I like trying to find success with a rag tag bunch. They're more motivated and hungry than anyone, and sometimes it just takes a little believing to turn a team around."

This season, which was the Gold's innagural run, resulted in a 69-93 record, tied for the second worst clip in the Global Baseball Consortium, barely beating out the Sydney Sharks to avoid that ignominious feat. Nonetheless, Hilowitz and the rest of the team's brass seemed optimistic and enthusiastic about the future. "2059 marked the arrival of professional baseball in South Africa, and that's a great thing. Now, we're going to aim to take the next step, and that means really competing." When asked what Hilowitz's top priorities were this offseason, he didn't hesitiate: "Improved depth up and down the lineup." Currently, the Gold boast a pitching staff and rotation that is filled to the gills, with a whopping 20 pitchers on the big league club. However, the rest of the team's position depth is thin, especially at second base and behind the plate. "In order to compete, we're going to need to bring in some guys that can hit. The pitching situation is in decent shape and we'll look to figure out who the best 10 - 14 guys are there, but the lineup is going to be a top priority."

Some of that lack of depth might be able to be addressed through the organization. For example, Marcos Castillo, who the Gold recently extended an offer to, figures to focus more prominantly in the lineup next season, defensive deficiencies aside. It's also possible that Alejandro Martinez, who spent the season with the Falkland Island Defenders, could end up manning the infield for the Gold next season. Balbinder Polamreddy, equipped with arguably the best name in baseball, is also expected to make the leap. In terms of free agency, Hilowitz made it clear that the Gold will be players in the open market, but that the team is focused on making financially shrewd decisions, which could mean that the team sits out the bulk of the festivities. "We'll see what's out there," said Hilowitz. "I'm always willing to spend to bring in talent, but it needs to make sense positionally. We want to build a culture of hard working players that want to be here." Time will tell what direction the Gold take, but an exciting offseason is afoot.

[Dington]

Love to see the writing, but make sure you label the title to make sure you get proper credit for PPT. Label it as year and TN# such as 59.01.

[Jwalk100]

One of the best logos in both leagues. Thanks for the TN.