One managerial opening
The Normal CornBelters, who finished in last place in the West Division with a 29-67 record that included only one win in the last 14 games, have fired manager Chad Parker after only one season.
Parker previously managed in the Frontier League with the River City Rascals.
“Square peg in a round hole. It wasn’t the right fit. It just didn’t work out,” Parker told the Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph. “I wish them the best of luck, and I’ll move on to a place that fits me better.”
The CornBelters have been in the Frontier League for three years and are still without a winning season. Normal hosted the Frontier League all-star game this year.
“Our owners expect a winning team – a team that is highly competitive on the field,” Normal president Steve Malliet said. ”We took a step backward on the field (this season).”
Parker previously managed in the Frontier League with the River City Rascals.
“Square peg in a round hole. It wasn’t the right fit. It just didn’t work out,” Parker told the Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph. “I wish them the best of luck, and I’ll move on to a place that fits me better.”
The CornBelters have been in the Frontier League for three years and are still without a winning season. Normal hosted the Frontier League all-star game this year.
“Our owners expect a winning team – a team that is highly competitive on the field,” Normal president Steve Malliet said. ”We took a step backward on the field (this season).”
Labels: Chad Parker, Normal CornBelters
posted by Chris Dugan at
9:10 PM
16 Comments:
“Our owners expect a winning team – a team that is highly competitive on the field,” Normal president Steve Malliet said. ”We took a step backward on the field (this season).”
You won't hear this from the Washington owner or Ass. GM.
The nonsense on Sunday night was just that. Bush league nonsense. I paid good money to attend the final game of the season and the team didn't even try to win the game.
You got that right!
Stu Williams is strickly a 'local yokel' kind of guy with almost no sense of humor. He will not ever admit that the Bando's were a big mistake.
There shuold already be an opening for a new manager for the Wild Cubs.
Chris,
Reading your article in today’s paper sort of sums up why I don’t much care for Indy leagues.
Too much fiddling with the rosters, players not getting a chance to prove what they can do before being released, too many amateur (not even close to professional) players that often don’t know when to throw the ball, or just hold on to it. The resulting overthrows and errors make it look like PONY League stuff.
As you said, many of the “diehards” had a difficult time trying to identify with the 2012 Wild Things.
This season was like being in a fog, (at my age that’s normal I guess), but every time you went to CEP there was some fresh player on the roster. “Who is that?” was the most frequently asked question this season!.
Now, from reading your article, it seems we are going to have to suffer another year, or more, of Chris Bando. I know about his physical problem but that does not excuse his poor performance this season.
I presume his mental capacities were not effected. Fact is – he did a terrible job that was just not acceptable. Results – no excuses! God knows we have heard enough excuses the last few seasons, Even worse than the excuses, we’ve heard more than enough promises. If bull crap were gold everybody at the Wild Things office would be millionaires, not just Stu Williams.
I realize that’s just my opinion and doesn’t mean a darn thing but I know a lot of other fans share my opinion. The greatest example was the nepotism shown when it came to leaving Michael Bando on the roster the entire season. Michael did nothing to show he deserved to be in a Wild Things uniform much less to be allowed to actually be in the starting line-up as much as he was. I see no reason why either Bando should return next season.
I am usually among the first to renew my season tickets but this year I am actually thinking about it real hard before parting with my hard earned retirement savings. It doesn’t seem like a very good investment right now.
Ima Fraid
How can a team that finishes 20 games back be considered a serious contender in 2013?
Just more Wild Cubs rope-a-dope.
How can a team that finishes 20 games back be considered a serious contender in 2013?
History lesson my friends ..... at least three times a team that did not exist the previous year has won championships. The Lake Erie team that won in 2009 was the Chillicothe team in 2008 that finished more than 20 games back. Gateway won a championship in 2003 after finishing more than 20 games back in a shorter season in 2002. One season means almost nothing to the next season in this league. That's one of the beauties of the Frontier League.
FL Historian
Teaching people on this blog one day at a time.
Correction on that history lesson, the inaguaral Lake Erie Crushers team had only Drew Saylor from the old Chillicothe team when they won the 2009 Championship. Regardless, the point is a team of new faces has won the championship before.
I have a question: just what color is the moon on Chris Bando's planet? That was some good comedy today in his O-R interview. Perhaps Chris didn't get the memo, but Frontier League teams have a major roster overhaul each year. Players play for peanuts, nearly all are college educated, so if a good job opportunity comes along that they can't pass up, they're gone. It would be miraculous if even 10 players on the season finale roster are on the 2013 opening day roster.
Not once in the interview does Bando address how he could justify releasing nearly all of the opening night starters throughout the season, but keep his lame-ass kid on the team. I'm fairly sure that he could have recruited a guy in the stands each night to play first base, and they would have combined to bat over Bando's pathetic .172 average.
How in the world this guy was once considered a top MLB baseball managerial candidate baffles me. He must have been blackmailing the guy who came up with the list.
Ima Fraid, that was a fantastic post up above. I seriously wonder how any season ticket holder could consider renewing next season. Not after this train wreck. And it's not like you won't be able to pick your seat for any given game next season, assuming there IS a next season. I'd love for Stu to sell the team to another local businessman, but barring that, how about hiring a GM with experience in the league, let him pick a manager, and Stu can stay at home and count his money. Having a local minor league team is a wonderful thing to have, no matter how low the talent level. As teams of the past decade have shown us, it can be exciting to watch. But this year's team, wow....and the attendance figures have proven that. When folks don't even come out to watch fireworks, you've got a problem, Stu my friend. Americans LOVE to see stuff explode.
I do wish the man good luck with his surgery. Nobody wishes any harm to the man. Just please don't return next year, one year of this circus has been plenty.
"That's one of the beauties of the Frontier League."
What? There is something beautiful the Frontier Leage?
Maybe it's the London Rippers.
The Frontier League is Junk baseball and that's not beautiful my friend. The poor quailty of play cannot be defended by anyone, incliding you.
"That's one of the beauties of the Frontier League."
"What? There is something beautiful the Frontier Leage?
Maybe it's the London Rippers.
The Frontier League is Junk baseball and that's not beautiful my friend. The poor quailty of play cannot be defended by anyone, incliding you."
...You say as you spend time to write on a Frontier League blog behind an anonymous screen name. Usually I don't care for Fraid's tirades and rants, but every now and then he makes a valid point or logical thought. Well said, Ima.
How can Washington justify bringing anyone back that was involved in baseball decisions?
One awful trade:
Steve Grife: 11IP, 6H, 14K, 0.82 ERA
Nick Cicio: 12 2/3IP, 3H, 12K, 0.71ERA
Darian Sandford: .236 BA, 26H, 28K, 26SB, 16CS, 4 errors in 30 games as an outfielder
One awful coaching staff:
Mark Samuelson (London): .278 7HR
Mark Samuelson (Wash): .250 2HR
Brad Agustin (London): .280
Brad Agustin (Wash): .183
Jim Vahalik (London): .282
Jim Vahalik (Wash): .163
Stu, Steve, and Bando
They gotta go
Since when did one have to be a fan of the Frontier League to make a comment about it. Like it or not, which I don't, it's what we are dealing with since we have nothing better in the way of baseball.
If you don't like Frontier League baseball, then why are you attending the games?
If you're not attending the games, then why are commenting about the Frontier League? It's hard to have an opinion on something you don't see.
The people in Washington get dumber by the day.
Anonymous 9/8 2012 2:42 PM ~ All I can say is Hillbilly hates the team, hates the coaches, hates the owners, etc. etc. blah, blah, blah. It is getting quite tiresome to read his posts.
For someone who hates all Things Wild, he spends an inordinate amount of time posting about The Wild Things.
The man/boy needs to find a job or a hobby...
Perhaps he can fill in as a player since he apparently has a World Series ring....
It's a social event - a meeting place.
Why don't you spend more time sleeping and less time putting other people down for their views?
"It's a social event - a meeting place.
Why don't you spend more time sleeping and less time putting other people down for their views?"
What I'm about to say may sound like a put down, but its not. The two factions on the blog represent the fundamental differences in sports. Some people want to win; some people are just happy being on the team.
It's what separates actual viable "holy crap these guys do it right" franchises from the "is this the year they move" franchises.
The factions on this blog are cry babies with nothing better to do. They sound like the worst fans and in the world and make me never want to attend another game. It must be nice to have free time like that.
Signed
The Frontier Phantom
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