Sticking Points 2039.2: Rockville Hires Duane Whitley As Manager

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Sticking Points 2039.2: Rockville Hires Duane Whitley As Manager

Post by aaronweiner » Tue Jun 11, 2019 9:19 am

Rockville spent years playing against Hall of Fame first baseman Duane Whitley when he was a member of the Montreal Blazers. Whitley spent years terrorizing opposing batters, posting a lifetime batting average of .332 and elected into the Hall of Fame shortly after retiring. This week, Whitley was hired to terrorize umpires, as the former BBA superstar was hired to become Chet Rouse's replacement as Rockville manager after several successful seasons as a minor league manager in the Twin Cities organization.

"A kinder, gentler alternative to the Carolina Kraken," joked Whitley, whose personality doesn't lead to a lot of jokes in the clubhouse. "Seriously, though, it reflects well on the Rockville organization that they were able to put years of rivalry aside and hire me for my talents as a manager. That's not something that a person takes lightly."

If you ignore his first year in Billings, Montana, Whitley has a career minor league record of 563-483, a .538 winning percentage. He's had just one losing season over that time and has proven to be a tactician whose strong voice in the clubhouse is backed up by his Hall of Fame credentials and his four Sawyer Silk Awards.

"Chet Rouse was the perfect manager at the perfect time for us, since he was great with young people who were trying to make their way," said Rockville GM Aaron Weiner. "But those kids are all grown up, they're champions, and having a strong hand and a former superstar in the clubhouse should make a huge difference in the way we do business."

Rockville's clubhouse has needed a leader for some time, and Whitley may be that voice. Infighting and discord has marked much of Rockville's run of success, and while it hasn't seemed to slow them down at all, a little harmony is rarely a bad thing.

"My father used to say that Duane Whitley was the only player he knew that really compared to him," said Chip Puckett, whose father is Hall of Famer Charles "Cricket" Puckett. "Having him on the team really should make me a better ballplayer."

Whitley also has a eponymous son playing in the BBA, Duane Whitley, Jr., who was drafted #1 overall and just had the best season of his career for the Twin Cities River Monsters.

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Re: Sticking Points 2039.2: Rockville Hires Duane Whitley As Manager

Post by jleddy » Tue Jun 11, 2019 9:41 am

Nice! As a newb, I love learning about these BBA legends and their kin.
"My $#!? doesn't work in the playoffs." - Billy Beane Joe Lederer

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Re: Sticking Points 2039.2: Rockville Hires Duane Whitley As Manager

Post by HoosierVic » Fri Jun 21, 2019 7:53 pm

Cool to bring a former nemesis in as manager. Like Joe says, it’s fun learning the lore of the league and meeting some of it’s legends. Nice post!

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