2046.5: So Long, Sam

[Rubaboo]

Shocking news out of Mexico City today, as Aztec manager Sam Brewington has officially retired from the game of baseball.

"We're obviously disappointed with this news, but respect Sam's decision and wish him the best. He's a hell of a guy, a hell of a manager. The game will be worse without him," said Aztec GM Fred Holmes.

To say that Brewington's retirement came as a surprise to the Aztec front office would be a gross understatement. Brewington's influence helped lead the 2046 Mexico City club to a semi-respectable 80-82 record when very little was expected of the team during a transition season.

"He made us all better," Aztec RF Fernando Moreno said after hearing the news of Brewington's exit, "His poise, his experience, his wisdom. He was responsible for more of our success this season than anyone outside this clubhouse can know. You can't just replace a guy like that."

Alas, that is exactly what the Aztecs must now try to do. They go into the offseason looking for a manager for the second season in a row. Who will have the dubious honor of trying to build off of Brewington's foundational work and help a team that is seemingly ready to do so take the next step? Signs would seemingly point to an internal candidate taking the seat, as both current big league pitching coach Steve Hoffman and current AAA manager Roberto Gomez have had success within the organization and are both well respected in baseball circles. With both candidates under contract at their current positions, however, there seems to be no real rush to name a successor, at least not from the Aztec GM.

"We are going to take our time and make sure we find the right person to help plot our course going forward here. We've got, at least in my eyes, a young team that is ready to take the next step. I want to make sure we can learn from the short time that Sam spent with us and really find someone who can carry on his vision and hope to repeat his success with this group."

A Herculean task to say the least. Expectations are that interviews will begin almost immediately and that a large pool made up of both internal and external candidates will be considered, but that fit will be very important, making Hoffman and Gomez the clear front runners from the start.