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JayW UK · 02-18-2026, 02:49 AM

Interlude – Manager Profiles

At the conclusion of the 2043 season, two of the NABL’s premier managers announced their retirements, Cleveland skipper Pat Bennett and San Jose’s Gary Hatcher, so I thought we’d take a look at their careers.

Pat Bennett
Current Team – None (Retired)
Previous Teams – SF (2014-2019), LV (2022-2034), CHI (2036-2038), CLE (2039-2043)

Bennett (whose brother Keith also managed in the NABL) began his career in 2014 as Sanfrancisco’s inaugural skipper, his six-year run in the Bay area included a manager-of-the-year nod and leading the Gold to the2017 World Series championship. After the 2019 campaign Bennett moved on signing with Las Vegas as bench coach but stepped up to the top job prior to the 2022 campaign, the Gamblers struggled to a 64-98 finish with a talent deficient roster, the first losing season of Bennett’s career, a second losing campaign followed before Las Vegas broke .500 in 2024 with an 82-80 record. A playoff appearance in 2025 was followed by a magical run to the clubs first (and Bennett’s second) World Championship in 2026, being named WL Manager-of-the-Year for his performance. Over the next eight years Bennett led the Gamblers to six further playoff trips and another World Series appearance (in which they fell to Indianapolis), earning two further Manager-of-the-Year nods along the way. At the conclusion of the 2034 season Bennett and his bench coach Billy Jackson were unceremoniously dismissed by Las Vegas, an unsatisfactory end to a very successful 13-year run in Nevada. After spending a year away from the game Bennett took up the reigns in Chicago, a 273-213 record over the next three years disappointingly resulted in only a single playoff appearance before Bennett was once again on the move, landing in Cleveland as part of owner Edwin Colon’s overhaul of his moribund franchise. His five-year stay in Ohio netted three winning seasons and one playoff appearance (the Corsairs first in fifteen years), at the conclusion of the 2043 season the now 68-year-old Bennett announced his retirement from baseball after a 30-year career, his 2358 career wins and 21 winning seasons against only four losing campaigns make him the most successful manager in NABL history.

Career Record
Regular Season
2358 wins – 2016 Losses
Post Season
47 Wins – 40 Losses

Career Achievements
2x World Series wins (2017, 2026)
4x Manager-of-the-Year (2017, 2026, 2028, 2031)

Gary Hatcher
Current Team – None (Retired)
Previous Teams – BOS (2024-2030), SJ (2031-2043)

After leading Anaheim Titans to the AAA championship Hatcher landed his first big league managerial role with Boston inheriting a struggling 70-win team. Few could have foreseen the impact Hatcher would have, leading the Pilgrims to a 17-game turnaround and a division title in his first season, 2025 saw Boston once again win the Atlantic division before embarking on a run to the World Series, sweeping WL champs Seattle aside to win the title earning Hatcher the EL Manager-of-the-Year. The following season he led Boston to a franchise best 104-wins and his second manager-of-the-Year award, but that was scant consolation as the Pilgrims fell to Chicago in the playoffs. 2026 proved to be the high-water mark of his time in Boston as the team failed to reach the playoffs in any of the next four seasons, after the 2030 season Hatcher called time on his stay in Boston returning to California to take the reins at San Jose. Once again his man-management was on full display as he turned around the fortunes of the Spartans leading the team to their first ever playoff appearance in 2033, a remarkable postseason run resulted in a World Series berth where the Spartans fell victim to Dixon Bodean and the Tampa Bay Hurricanes. The following season Hatcher led San Jose back to the fall classic where this time the Spartans carried the day sweeping Chicago in an entertaining series. A third World Series appearance followed two years later where Hatcher’s former team Boston proved too much for San Jose, taking the series 4-2, two further playoff appearances followed including a 100-62 franchise best campaign in 2038. As the core of the championship squad began to age and with no reinforcements of a similar quality on the horizon, fortunes for the Spartans began to change with the club missing the playoffs in each of the next five years (recording a single winning season during that span). At the conclusion of the 2043 season Hatcher announced his retirement, joining Pat Bennett in leaving the game as the most successful managers in NABL history.

Career Record
Regular Season
1702 wins – 1538 losses
Post Season
51 wins – 38 losses

Career Achievements
2x World Series wins (2025, 2034)
4x Manager-of-the-Year (2025, 2026, 2033, 2034)

02-18-2026, 02:49 AM	#243
JayW UK Minors (Triple A) Join Date: May 2019 Location: Hertfordshire Posts: 281	Interlude – Manager Profiles At the conclusion of the 2043 season, two of the NABL’s premier managers announced their retirements, Cleveland skipper Pat Bennett and San Jose’s Gary Hatcher, so I thought we’d take a look at their careers. Pat Bennett Current Team – None (Retired) Previous Teams – SF (2014-2019), LV (2022-2034), CHI (2036-2038), CLE (2039-2043) Bennett (whose brother Keith also managed in the NABL) began his career in 2014 as Sanfrancisco’s inaugural skipper, his six-year run in the Bay area included a manager-of-the-year nod and leading the Gold to the2017 World Series championship. After the 2019 campaign Bennett moved on signing with Las Vegas as bench coach but stepped up to the top job prior to the 2022 campaign, the Gamblers struggled to a 64-98 finish with a talent deficient roster, the first losing season of Bennett’s career, a second losing campaign followed before Las Vegas broke .500 in 2024 with an 82-80 record. A playoff appearance in 2025 was followed by a magical run to the clubs first (and Bennett’s second) World Championship in 2026, being named WL Manager-of-the-Year for his performance. Over the next eight years Bennett led the Gamblers to six further playoff trips and another World Series appearance (in which they fell to Indianapolis), earning two further Manager-of-the-Year nods along the way. At the conclusion of the 2034 season Bennett and his bench coach Billy Jackson were unceremoniously dismissed by Las Vegas, an unsatisfactory end to a very successful 13-year run in Nevada. After spending a year away from the game Bennett took up the reigns in Chicago, a 273-213 record over the next three years disappointingly resulted in only a single playoff appearance before Bennett was once again on the move, landing in Cleveland as part of owner Edwin Colon’s overhaul of his moribund franchise. His five-year stay in Ohio netted three winning seasons and one playoff appearance (the Corsairs first in fifteen years), at the conclusion of the 2043 season the now 68-year-old Bennett announced his retirement from baseball after a 30-year career, his 2358 career wins and 21 winning seasons against only four losing campaigns make him the most successful manager in NABL history. Career Record Regular Season 2358 wins – 2016 Losses Post Season 47 Wins – 40 Losses Career Achievements 2x World Series wins (2017, 2026) 4x Manager-of-the-Year (2017, 2026, 2028, 2031) Gary Hatcher Current Team – None (Retired) Previous Teams – BOS (2024-2030), SJ (2031-2043) After leading Anaheim Titans to the AAA championship Hatcher landed his first big league managerial role with Boston inheriting a struggling 70-win team. Few could have foreseen the impact Hatcher would have, leading the Pilgrims to a 17-game turnaround and a division title in his first season, 2025 saw Boston once again win the Atlantic division before embarking on a run to the World Series, sweeping WL champs Seattle aside to win the title earning Hatcher the EL Manager-of-the-Year. The following season he led Boston to a franchise best 104-wins and his second manager-of-the-Year award, but that was scant consolation as the Pilgrims fell to Chicago in the playoffs. 2026 proved to be the high-water mark of his time in Boston as the team failed to reach the playoffs in any of the next four seasons, after the 2030 season Hatcher called time on his stay in Boston returning to California to take the reins at San Jose. Once again his man-management was on full display as he turned around the fortunes of the Spartans leading the team to their first ever playoff appearance in 2033, a remarkable postseason run resulted in a World Series berth where the Spartans fell victim to Dixon Bodean and the Tampa Bay Hurricanes. The following season Hatcher led San Jose back to the fall classic where this time the Spartans carried the day sweeping Chicago in an entertaining series. A third World Series appearance followed two years later where Hatcher’s former team Boston proved too much for San Jose, taking the series 4-2, two further playoff appearances followed including a 100-62 franchise best campaign in 2038. As the core of the championship squad began to age and with no reinforcements of a similar quality on the horizon, fortunes for the Spartans began to change with the club missing the playoffs in each of the next five years (recording a single winning season during that span). At the conclusion of the 2043 season Hatcher announced his retirement, joining Pat Bennett in leaving the game as the most successful managers in NABL history. Career Record Regular Season 1702 wins – 1538 losses Post Season 51 wins – 38 losses Career Achievements 2x World Series wins (2025, 2034) 4x Manager-of-the-Year (2025, 2026, 2033, 2034)