Floundering Millers Bring Back Manager Sackett
Following the 2039 season, the Minneapolis Millers shocked the CBL world when they announced the firing of manager Dominick Sackett after a disappointing post-season for the second consecutive season.
The Millers ownership cited a handful of poor decisions Sackett made in the post-season that ultimately led them to conclude it was best for both parties to move on from one another.
Sackett went a remarkable 629-344 in six seasons as the Millers skipper, a .647 winning percentage, including back-to-back CBL Premier Cup titles in 2035 and 2036.
Despite that success, he remained unemployed throughout the off-season, garnering mild interest from San Diego but nobody else. It was surprising.
“When all the jobs filled up, I figured I’d just take the year off,” Sackett says.
He had three years remaining on his contract, so he wasn’t hurting for a new job, but he loves to manage and was hoping to get back in the game immediately.
The Millers promoted long-time Minneapolis fan favorite and minor league manager Joe Mauer, but it wasn’t a good fit from the beginning.
As we approach the month of June, the Millers are the worst team in baseball, sitting at a laughable 15-29. For comparison, in 2034, Sackett’s first season as manager, the Millers lost 34 games all season.
Earlier this evening the Millers announced the shocking news that they had fired Joe Mauer 44 games into his first season. That wasn’t shocking on it’s own, but announcing Dom Sackett as his replacement was the last thing most people expected. Sackett is returning on a 5 year, $1.36 million contract, and he will also receive the remaining $874,000 he had on his previous deal.
“Look, we screwed up,” Millers assistant GM Dave Spidel told reporters. “We realized that this team is simply a better team with Sackett controlling the team, and we want to give ownership credit for willing to own the mistake.”
The Millers are in bad shape, and their record 16-straight playoff appearances is at serious risk of ending this season. If the team can somehow turn things around, there’s little doubt that Dom Sackett will deserve the credit.
Other News & Notes
- Long-time ace Jose Perez was designated for assignment today, and after missing the 2039 season with Elbow Reconstruction, he looks like a shell of his former self. He’s 0-6 with a 6.61 ERA in 9 starts this season. He’s unlikely to be claimed on waivers, however, and the Millers plan to keep him around if that is the case.
- Edgardo Cordero, another injury prone starter, is nearing his return after missing the entire 2037 and 2039 seasons.
- While many veterans have struggled, Jayson Philmon is hitting .369/.475/.690 and is on pace for the best season of his career, showing no signs of slowing down.
- The Millers have had preliminary trade discussions on several players, and sources have said pitchers Don Kaiser and Augusto Altagracia have garnered the most attention. “I think they both get traded,” one league executive predicted.