Yellow Springs Nine Announce Staff Departures
November 8, 2056
Yellow Springs, OH
The Yellow Springs Nine Announce the following staff departures, effective immediately.
The following staff members have been let go:
Yellow Springs Nine Team Trainer An-Yi Fou. Fou was one of the last remaining staff members that was hired under Ron Collins's tenure, dating back to 2052. Known for getting players back into the game, his prevention measures, especially with older players such as Dong-po Thum, were not nearly as strong. The Nine frequently had players going onto the injured list over the past several years, sometimes more than once. This included younger players like SP Mike Snow and P Alan Martinez, who was hurt no less than four times in 2056.
"Look, I understand injuries appeared to be up across the league, but this was getting ridiculous," said GM Rob McMonigal. "We met with Fou repeatedly, especially when I found out his idea of prepping the teams was to send them all digital tapes of 'Sweating with the Oldies' and 'Mickey's Mousercize!' I mean I realize Dong-po is nearly 100 years old, but I don't think that's the way to keep him – or any one else – in professional athlete shape. I'm looking forward to us taking a more professional direction in 2057, with a goal to stop the injuries before they start."
Indianapolis Hitting Coach Juan Jose Torres. Torres was the Downforce hitting coach for two years, with the team batting .256 and .253 in his seasons with the team. Players such as Ziya Turkes took a step back from AA to AAA under Torres, with the most notable being Balbinder Polamreddy, who lost 200 points off his OPS and struck out nearly twice as much in 2056 as 2055.
"We wish Mr. Torres well," said McMonigal, "but I wasn't seeing the steady improvement I want from my prospects. It's not not unusual for players to take a step back for a bit as they advance, but there were times when AAA was fielding players who could barely hit .200 after having success either in Santa Cruz or other organizations.
The following staff members retired:
Yellow Springs Nine Hitting Coach Thomas Foster. Foster, 63, decided it was time to go back to his family and leave the dugout. He was a coach for just 7 years, starting in 2050 for the Daytona Beach Cruisers and taking his skills to the Nine in 2055 and 2056. The team's batting improved to .248 in his first year and .253 in his second.
"I appreciate the opportunity to show that I could help major-league quality players be better hitters, day in and day out," said Foster, "but I'm ready to hang up my cleats for good. I thought about sticking around for one more year, but my wife reminded me that my grandchildren are ready to start having kids. I want to be there for them. Nothing's more important to me than family."
Indianapolis Downforce Pitching Coach Basel Dakarai. A few years younger than foster at 61, Dakarai has a long coaching history, dating back to 2041, taking only 2049 and 2051 off. ("For medical reasons," he stated) After 15 years, including the past five in the Nine Organization, he's decided to hang it up.
"I appreciate what Mac [GM Rob McMonigal] is doing here, but damn it, I'm tired of being on the bus all the time. It's aggravating some of my health issues. This is a young man's game. I'd recommend he get some new hotshot with new ideas that can help ensure these guys are ready for the modern game at the highest level."
"I am very sad that Basel is leaving us," said McMonigal. He got the best out of every player he worked with."
Alamogordo Road Runners Hitting Coach Serge Gueguen. Also 61, Gueguen was with the Road Runners for their entire recent run of success, starting in 2052's prep year, then being a part of the team that has made the playoffs four straight years, winning the Championship in 2054. However, the team slipped from .293 to .264 overall from 2055 to 2056, leading some to speculate that the decision to leave of his own accord was preferable to being let go.
"It was my time," said Gueguen. "I admit I wasn't as enthused as I've been in past years. I tried hard but I just couldn't get this team to hit like my other teams did."
The Nine currently are looking for new coaches to fill the vacancies.
"We've already got some feelers out," said McMonigal. "I will say we do not plan to move any staff members around at this time. We like how well each of our core groups are doing with developing players up the ladder, with each step being key. I don't want to break what's working so incredibly well."
