Bando resigns as manager; Zeller promoted

Chris Bando has resigned as manager of the Wild Things. Bart Zeller, who managed Joliet the last two years and was recently hired as a coach by the Wild Things, has been promoted to manager.

Bando resigns, replaced by Zeller

Zeller joins coaching staff

The Wild Things have added a former Frontier League Manager of the Year to their coaching staff.

Washington announced Wednesday the hiring of Bart Zeller as their bench coach for the 2013 season.

A 71-year-old Chicago native, Zeller has spent six years in the Frontier League, including the last two as manager of the Joliet Slammers. In 2011, Zeller managed the Slammers to a 56-40 record and the Frontier League championship in their inaugural season and was named the league’s Manager of the Year.

Zeller was fired after Joliet posted a 37-58 record last season. The Slammers were recently sold but will remain in the league.

Prior to managing Joliet, Zeller was the hitting and third-base coach for Southern Illinois for four years, during which the Miners won two West Division titles and advanced to the Frontier League playoffs twice.

After attending the University of Arizona for his freshman year, Zeller transferred to Eastern Illinois, where he earned all-conference honors in both football and baseball. He was a third team NAIA All-American in baseball.

As a catcher, Zeller played professional baseball in the St. Louis Cardinals’ system, advancing to the major leagues in 1970. He played in only one inning of one game in the major leagues, catching the ninth inning of a game against the Philadelphia Phillies May 21, 1970. He never had a plate appearance. He was released as a player by the Cardinals June 8, 1970, but stayed on as a coach for the remainder of the season.

Zeller brings extensive minor-league coaching experience to Washington. In addition to coaching in the Cardinals’ system, he was bench and hitting coach for Sioux Falls of the Northern League in 2005 and American Association in 2006.

Jim Tatum and Lenny Randle will not be returning to manager Chris Bando’s coaching staff. Their contracts were not renewed.

A complete mentality

In this age of closely monitored pitch counts and six inning "quality starts," the Wild Things' Justin Hall (pictured) arrives for work every fifth game with a refreshing outlook to his craft as a starting pitcher.

Hall (8-6, 3.44) wants to finish what he starts.

The right-hander has four complete games, and it would not have been surprising if Hall had been allowed to pitch the ninth inning of the Wild Things' 5-2 win Wednesday night over the Joliet Slammers.

But after throwing 115 pitches, Hall's night was over. Washington manager Darin Everson had decided to call upon closer Tyler Wolf to get the final three outs for his 10th save. That, however, doesn't mean Hall couldn't have completed the task.

"We were thinking about maybe letting Justin go out for ninth, but it was a save situation, so you've got to go to your closer," Everson explained.

That was disappointing for Hall, who seems to be a different breed of starting pitcher in the Frontier League. While other starters generally start looking to the bullpen for help after pitching five or six innings, Hall has a nine-inning mentality.

"Most of our starters don't have that six-inning mentality," Everson said. "From day one, we've told our starters that we'll let them go as long as they can. They built up their arm strength to pitch nine innings and are in great shape, which is a credit to (pitching coach) Mark (Dewey).

"Lately, it seems I've been going out to the mound in the sixth and seventh innings just to ask a pitcher how he feels, not to take him out of the game."

While Joliet is enjoying a 6 1/2 game lead in the East Division, Hall has a 2-0 record in as many starts against the Slammers. Back in the second game of the season, Hall threw a four-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts at Joliet.

"The key is Hall throws strikes, gets ahead of the hitters and makes them hit his best pitches," Joliet manager Bart Zeller said. "It's a real simple formula, but it's really effective. He's always pitching ahead in the count."

Zeller said he was impressed by Hall in the fifth inning, after Joliet scored twice in the fourth to pull to within 3-2.

"He didn't get flustered after we scored those two runs," Zeller said. "He got six straight outs after that. That's the sign of an outstanding pitcher."

Hall ended up retiring 13 of the last 14 batters he faced.