New colors, new logo, new manager. Gary Cathcart was introduced as the fourth manager in Fisher Cats history on Wednesday night. Here are some additional comments from Toronto farm director Dick Scott, who phoned me back after I’d left the office last night:
“He’s had two good years managing (at Pulaski and Lansing), and it was time for a change there with the manager. We think Gary is a real capable guy. Hopefully he can continue onward with what he’s done the last couple years and get Double-A New Hampshire back into the playoffs.”
DON’T BE SURPRISED if ex-Fisher Cats skipper Bill Masse is named the next manager of the San Antonio Missions, the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. Masse has been in talks with the Rockies, Padres and Giants since the Blue Jays let him go after managing the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in 2007.
Masse didn’t mesh with the Toronto organization and was told he wouldn’t be rehired just days after the 2007 season — a year in which the Fisher Cats came within one victory of reaching the playoffs.
As readers may know, I’ve been supportive of Billyball and his style. I’ve been at almost every home game and into the clubhouse after wins and losses, and I’ve seen how his players respond. I like the way his teams fight.
Outfielder David Smith, the Fisher Cats MVP in 2007, credited Masse for pointing out the players weaknesses and pushing him to get better. Aaron Mathews, Lee Gronkiewicz and Tree Thorpe have all been supportive of Masse since his firing.
Masse will get in your face if needed. Can’t handle it? Well, maybe you’re not suited for pro sports. Go sell insurance.
“He’s a winner,” Gronkiewicz told me today. “Some people in minor league baseball don’t have the same views he has. I wish there’d be more coaches who were more accepting of winning personalities and people that don’t take losing very good. He just wanted to win, and I don’t blame him. Winning is more fun.”
Gronk just signed a minor-league deal with the Red Sox. More on this in tomorrow’s paper. On Sunday, I’ll have a look at Gronk’s chances of pitching for the Red Sox.
At this time, I would also like to clear the air regarding a recent baseball column involving Masse. An editor inserted some words while attempting to transition into a new paragraph. I did not type the words “While Masse struggled in Manchester.”
The paragraph was published like this:
“While Masse struggled in Manchester, Gary Cathcart led the Lugnuts to a franchise-record 78 wins, earning the Bobby Mattick Award, the Toronto’s nod to a member of the organization who displays outstanding dedication and excellence in the field of player development.”
I never noticed the editing job until a reader pointed it out.
STILL waiting for the Fisher Cats to introduce their next manager. I heard it will be Bedford resident Gary Cathcart. In the meantime, check out this auction from a Fisher Cats fan.
The eBayer really sells his product when writing, “These are beautiful animals and I love watching them in the woods.” Oh, really?
This is why I wore my UNH Football sweatshirt the last two days:
“As a (University of Northern Iowa) fan, I can certainly profess that the game last night was epic. New Hampshire played like champions. Mr. Santos is a special athlete, a leader, a winner. Your whole team was prepared, skilled, fast and tough. Best wishes for future football success in the Granite State” — Craig Maltby, Clive, Iowa.
That response was posted on-line at the end of Al Lessels’ game story on Sunday.
HANK STEINBRENNER’S favorite actress is Jennifer Love Hewitt. Do you get a sense the Yankees are in serious trouble by reading this Q&A in the New York Post?
I mean, Hewitt starred in such film classics as “Can’t Hardly Wait,” which netted the starlet an MTV Movie Award. Her best role had to be “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.” Hewitt flat-out deserved her Teen Choice Award for that one. Hank knows talent when he sees it.
GARY CATHCART, former coach of the independent Albany Diamond Dogs, among other job titles the past decade, will be named the fourth manager of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats next week. Good to see another Northeast guy back in the manager’s office.
Cathcart, of New Bedford, Mass., told me on Tuesday he hadn’t heard the news yet. So I knew before Cat? My story ran in today’s paper after talking with multiple sources yesterday … Reminds me of the time John “Doc” Hussey, a long-time Union Leader sports reporter, informed Chad Paronto of North Haverill he’d been drafted by the Orioles.
I think Cathcart was put in an awkward position and didn’t know what to say when I asked him about his new job. The Fisher Cats will be announcing this a week from today at Merchantsauto.com Stadium. Cathcart, former NH hitting coach, now lives in Bedford and should be a good fit for the club.
SO I’M COVERING the Division II football championship between Bishop Guertin and Exeter and find myself in a dilemma. BG coach Tony Johnson rips the officials after his team’s 14-13 loss, beginning a postgame session with a yelling rant: “You tell me! You tell me! How many (penalties) was that? How many legitimate?”
(BG lost after a controversial pass interference that seemed a little ticky tack to me. BG was penalized nine times for 90 yards while Exeter was whistled once for five yards.)
The dilemma? If I publish the comments, Johnson is sure to get suspended one game by the NHIAA for criticizing the officials. However, the pass interference penalty was THE PLAY that had EVERYONE talking after the game. I noticed Tom King of the Nashua Telegraph didn’t use the quotes (and there were more). I used the quotes because they helped capture the painful ending for BG, the controversy, the story of the 2007 final.
Thirty years from now, Exeter alums will be saying, “We won that game fair and square. Good call by the official.”
BG alums will be saying, “We got hosed.”
I think Johnson took a bullet for his team. He stood up and told the media what he really believed, that the Cardinals played well enough to win the game — and should’ve won in his mind. Quite a hot topic on Sunday. The story in our newspaper generated about 30 on-line responses, including some really long entries from passionate fans.
“It’s better to die on your feet than live on your knees.”
Just thought I’d re-publish that quote, which Beckett said following Game 5 of the ALCS in Cleveland.
If you remember, that was the Danielle Peck game in which Beckett’s ex-girlfriend sang the national anthem.
Was Beckett bothered at all Peck would be singing the national anthem?
BECKETT: I don’t get paid to make those (expletive) decisions. She’s a friend of mine. That doesn’t bother me at all. Thanks for flying one of my friends to the game so she could watch it for free (laughter).
Another great quote from Beckett following the game.
FISHER CATS diva Danielle Matteau once vowed she’d rather work in Kentucky if colleague Mike Murphy stayed in New Hampshire — her comment was right here on a blog — but now the Double-A duo has patched up the relationship.
Matteau and Murphy of the Fishers’ front office have teamed up to create “Full Count with the Fisher Cats,” a TV show airing Monday nights at 7:30 on Manchester Community Access Media (Channel 23).
If you’re flipping through the channels and see Murphy’s bald head floating through darkness, you’ve found it. I’m not going to explain. Just watch the clips on YouTube.
Here is part two of the first show, which takes the audience onto the streets of Manchester and into chef’s kitchen for some turkey talk.
I’m going to have my agent call the Fisher Cats because this is my type of show. If only the camera was rolling for some interviews with Lee Gronkiewicz over the years …
Good to see Mariano Rivera sticking it to the Steinbrenners. He deserves the money, and Rivera seems like a good dude. The Yankees have offered Rivera a three-year, $45 million offer in attempt to re-sign their closer.
“He has an offer,” Hank Steinbrenner told the New York Post. “By 4 million a year, he’s the highest-paid reliever at age 38. At this point, I’m inclined to see what he does with it. A 38-year-old relief pitcher making 4 million more than anyone. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see it’s a good offer.”
Question: Would a rocket scientist really know if that’s a good offer? I’m guessing the astrophysicist on “Beauty & the Geek” wouldn’t.
That contract offer is great news for the Red Sox. If Rivera had a difficult time with Kevin Millar in 2004, just think of what Youk & Co. will do against the old-timer in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
