[Muskies]

I arrived at the office early for my annual review meeting with Mr. Stuart. I went through the season in my head; we met his expectations by finishing over .500 and we ended the season with a $7 million profit, despite not making the playoff’s. The Stuarts took out $5.5 million of this to purchase a new yacht. For some reason we just can’t seem to take it to the next level, despite putting together what appears to be a pretty good roster. The glaring weakness was the bullpen, that despite my moves continued to finish at the bottom of the League. Is the staff or is it the coaching?

As I made my way down the hall to Mr. Stuarts suite, I suddenly became aware of the eerie calm through out the office. There wasn’t the usual chatter that would accompany the end of the World Series and the beginning of the work day. Dozen’s of thoughts raced through my mind;

“Did I not do enough?”
“ I haven’t had enough time, its only been two years”
“Did someone pass away?”

I took a deep breath and opened Mr. Stuarts door and inside were both Mgr. Jose Machado and Bench Coach Fred Flowers. Needless to say my heart rate ticked up another notch.

“Good Morning, Kage” said Mr. Stuart somberly, “Come on in and have a seat, it looks like it is going to be quite a day.”

I cautiously greeted both Jose and Fred as I sat down.

“We’ll let’s get right to it. Kage, both Jose and Fred have decided to retire from baseball.

A combination of shock and relief washed over me simultaneously. Calmly I replied, “I had no idea that this was even on the radar? What brought on this decision and why both?”

“Honestly, Mr. Marvin, both of us retiring together is a coincidence. I have been in the league since its inception in 1990 and decided it was time to slow down and spend some time with my family before it is too late.” said Jose.

“I stuck around an extra year for the Stuarts, to help guide the club in the right direction with the turmoil over the last couple of years,” replied Flowers, “but now it is time to move on.”

I paused a moment to collect my thoughts, “I mean it sincerely when I say that you will both be missed and I thank you for your service to the club and the City of Madison, you represented yourselves and the mallards well.

With that they shook hands and left to clean out their offices and lockers.

“Wow” I exclaimed after the door was closed.

“Yep,” said Mr. Stuart “You certainly have your work cut out for you. With the decision to let Hobbs (Pitching Coach) and Davies (Scout) go you have a lot of vacancies to fill. So I will keep the rest of this meeting short.

“First of all, Good news, the latest research shows that the Madison market has increased to “Very Big”. This should help keep the stands full and merchandise revenue coming in.”

“Secondly, I have decided to maintain the budget for next year at $134 million” I know you were hoping for more, but we would need a bigger market or a playoff run to justify a higher payroll. I know you understand.

“Let’s see if we can make the moves to take us to the next level. You continue to have my support. I am pleased with how the minor leagues are shaping up while still providing a solid product on the field.”

“Good Luck, Kage and we’ll see you in December at the Winter Meetings.”


This really came out of left field, I was already looking for a pitching coach and a new head scout; now I have to add Manager and Bench coach to the list. I immediately contacted my assistant, Ms. Gruber, to work on a list of available managers in addition to scouts and pitching coaches.


Jose Machado is 63 year old. He was hired at the end of last season. He has been in the league since 1990 and finished with a career managing record of 1052-1076, and qualified for the playoff’s five times.

Bench Coach Fred Flowers is 61. He has coaching in the ABL since its inception in 1990. His leadership has been valued and will be missed.

AAA Manager Jose Olivares has also decided to retire. He had been working his way up from the R league.