New manager hired
Chris Bando, a former major league catcher and coach, has been hired as the Wild Things' manager for the 2012 season.Bando becomes the sixth manager in the Frontier League team's 11-year history. He follows Darin Everson, who was not retained after two seasons.
A nine-year (1981-89) veteran of the major leagues as a player, Bando was catcher for the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers and Oakland Athletics. He played in 498 major league games, with his best season being 1984 when he hit 12 home runs and drove in 41 runs for Cleveland.
Bando also has major-league coaching experience as he spent three years on the staff of the Milwaukee Brewers, including two as the team's third-base coach.
The 55-year-old Bando also brings managerial experience to Washington. He spent six years as a manager in the Brewers' system, including three at Class AAA. Bando even was the winning manager in the Class AAA All-Star game. At one point, Bando was named the No. 2 managerial prospect in Class AAA by major league general managers. The guy at No. 1? It was Terry Francona.
Bando also was a manager at Class AA Akron and short-season Class A Mahonning Valley in the Indians' system.
Bando's only experience as an independent league manager was in 2007 with the Aiken (S.C.) Foxhounds of the South Coast League, which lasted only the one season. One of Bando's pitchers in Aiken was Wild Things pitching coach Mark Dewey.
The new manager is currently the athletic director and head baseball coach at San Diego Christian College.
Bando is the younger brother of Sal Bando, who played in three World Series in the 1970s as a third baseman for the Oakland Athletics.
Labels: Chris Bando
posted by Chris Dugan at
1:46 PM
13 Comments:
Stu Williams has broken his promise that the season ticket holders would be the first to know who the new manager would be.
Already the mushroom feed is being scattered around. We should have all known that this would happen.
Like sheep to slaughter we have been lead down the chute.
Never trust a person unless you can actually see them. It is not the naming of the manager that is troublesome it is the line of b### s### that preceded it. How are we supposed to believe ANYTHING else we hear now?
I sure won’t. Any season ticket holder that attends one of those so-called ‘advisory’ group meetings is just being led down the primrose path. If you can’t see that, your are just a fool. I sure won’t be there.
a link from facebook has comments, including bando saying dewey is coming back and lenny randle will be joining the coaching staff.
what about big bob?
Bando told me today that ex-major leaguer Lenny Randle would be on the coaching staff. Did not mention Bob. The Wild Things would not confirm that Randle will be on the staff. My guess is, that's still a crossing the t and dotting the i thing that must be finalized.
By the way, the Schaumburg (Ill.) team will be called the Schaumburg Boomers. Apparently, a Boomer is a male prairie chicken.
http://ballparkdigest.com/201110194268/independent-baseball/news/new-for-2012-schaumburg-boomers
I don’t recall Mr. Williams saying that the season ticket holders would be the first to know who the new manager would be. Anyway, what difference does it make? We now know who it is and it seems a good choice was made.
Ima Fraid
Hopefully Bando does a lot of good with this team and brings in the right type of players necessary to succeed in the Frontier League.
Not bringing back Mark Dewey, if he wants to come back, would be a massive mistake seeing what he has done with the pitching staff the past two seasons.
Anonymous said...
That's a good match with the Wild Things' fanbase because it's 80 percent mentally deficient (probably because of western pa inbreeding) and the rest is just plain arrogant old farts who think they deserve free everything because they happen to be bitter, old and want everything for nothing.
..............................
Now, just whom said they want everything for nothing?
Nobody that I know wants anything for nothing whether they are an "old fart" or a young smart ass.
However, nobody wants nothing for something, and that's what the Wild Things have been giving us for the last few seasons - a lot of nothing expect employees that think we owe THEM something and have to sit quietly by and let them get away with it. The freakin' ushers think THEY own your seat and feel free to let others sit in your seat if you happen to be a bit late. There are also a lot of other 'issues' with the employees, too! I'm NOT putting up with it any more. Those days are over!
Mr. Williams HAS made that promise to me personally, and I believe he will keep that promise. I really don’t care that much about anything else.
Ima Fraid
Looks very well qualified.
No offense meant. Simply a question, how does one go from,
"Among his accomplishments, he was voted the best Minor League Managing Prospect AAA; he was voted the #2 managing prospect by Major League General Managers, behind Terry Francona; and he managed and won the American League AAA All-Star Game"
to Managing the Washington Wild Things in the Independent Frontier League? What happened that he fell from grace so badly with affiliated organizations?
He has been coaching at a Christian College out in California. Does he still have the contacts to bring in the kind of players needed?
"No offense meant. Simply a question, how does one go from,"
Sure hope it isn't the same way Blake Ochoa went from AAA to the Frontier League. What a disaster that proved to be. Please tell me Ochoa wont be back - please..
Cant have worse contacts than ol' Smiley.
Will Chris Bando also be the general manager like Mr. Smiley was most of the 2011 season?
The second season ticket holders meet was held Thursday evening at the Pony League conference room and was well attended.
A number of issues, some old and some new, were discussed. Mr. Williams gave us a brief review of the progress made as far as activities at CEP next season. Since the plans are only preliminary and subject to change, I don’t think it would be right to reveal just what they are – we should leave that to Mr. Williams. It is fair to say that it won’t be the same old thing we are accustomed to seeing at the old ball park! Lots of new things will be going on and it should be more fun for everybody.
I am very optimistic about seeing lots of good baseball and fun activity next season.
Ima Fraid
Looking over the Schaumburg Boomers website I notice their perks and prices for season, and partial season ticket holders are almost identical to those offered to WT fans. Since the WT are near death by financial collapse how do the Boomers plan to survive with almost the same ticket setup?
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