2034.1: Aztecs cut ties with Ayala

[Rubaboo]

It was announced today that the Mexico City Aztecs have terminated the contract of hitting coach Jeremy Ayala effective immediately.

"We would like to thank Jeremy for his hard work and dedication over the last 6 years and wish him the best in his future endeavors." said GM Fred Holmes in a statement released through the team.

Ayala coached in the Omaha/Mexico City organization for 6 seasons, three with AAA Halifax and three with the Barnstormers/Aztecs. His teams with the organization never hit higher than .272, and never made a postseason appearance. The final straw, according to some within the organization, was the poor offensive showing in 2033, highlighted by the struggles of players like Lew Driscoll, Armando Castaneda, and Roy Lynn as well as the slow starts by Willard Gagne and Mike Ellis.

Replacing Ayala at the big league level is Lucio Parra, who oversaw an offensive renaissance in Halifax in 2033 which saw the team win 111 games. This will be Parra's second stint with the big league side, having manned the hitting coach role from 2029-2031 with the Barnstormers.

GM Holmes on Parra: "We have every confidence that Lucio will be successful in his role in Mexico City. He is familiar with many of the players he's inheriting as most of them have worked with him on their way to the majors. Everyone is excited to see Lucio back in the bigs."

Leading candidates to replace Parra in Halifax include newly signed AA hitting coach Gelana Adamu and A hitting coach Robert Hartford, although the team wouldn't rule out an outside hire. "We're exploring all options to make sure we get the right guys in the right places." GM Fred Holmes said.