AP - Coon Rapids, MN
Wednesday June 18, 2008 3:11 am
The Crows fired manager Jason Herzog early this morning, two and a half months into the Anoka Hennepin Mens League softball season, and named bench coach William Nolan III as interim manager.
The firing came in a press release at 3:11 a.m. Eastern Time, not long after the Crows split a doubleheader with the lowly 2020 Virtual Tours, 3-0, 4-6.
The Crows have lost 7 of their last 11, after starting the season 7-0, dropping their record to 11-7, and in 3rd place.
Herzog was given the manager role, after the Crows released Coach Carney after the 2007 season, after a Carney led Crows team was upset in the quarterfinals of the playoffs to the Whiskey Sausages. But as the team started to falter, after almost losing for the first time EVER on FAN, and despite the addition of the top free agent in 2007, DJ "Brocko" Brockman, rumors about his job security began to emerge.
Nolan takes over a Crows team that had the 2nd best start in franchise history, starting 7-0 and averaging over 15 runs per game. Since then though, the Crows have gone 4-7, and barely scored 10 runs per game, including a horrendous 6 runs in 13 innings last night.
Nolan brings fire and emotion to a team that has seemed to lost any sort of fire they once had. He wears his emotion on his sleeve, unlike the quiet Herzog, who just could not turn the team around. Nolan has a long track record, coaching the Crows to a 14-2 record in 2006, before resigning, wanting to focus more on playing rather than coaching.
The Crow Executive Committee sees Nolan as a perfect fit, to get this team rolling, and to peak by the time playoffs roll around, to make a legitmate run at another playoff championship.
The Executive Committee had this to say:
"It is not the team, the team is solid from top to bottom, when a team is struggling like this, we look where all other Major sport franchises look....at the coach. Herzog is not cutting it, and not getting the best out of his players, and he needs to go and start concentrating on his play, before he is outright released. William has a track record, and is a veteran of this league, and we expect nothing less than a run of victories heading into the playoffs."
4 comments:
The media spotlight is hot when it comes to the Crows, and WCAW tv has some vicious reporters that ask the tough questions. Managing each game from inning to inning had to take it's toll on Zog. With a high price and highly talented roster, the players seemed to get complacent. I'm guessing the EC demanded more bang for it's buck.
Although I am sad to see Zog go, I am energized to be lead by a player who took it upon himself to kick some sense into YC last night...
Sorry to see you go Coach Zog. We let you down as players. We will do everything to make the transition an easy one for our new coach, William J Nolan III. Congrats Coach Ballgame!!!!!!!
Thank you Crow Nation, it is an absolute honor to retake the reigns of this fine organization and I look forward to bringing the Crow name back to the prominence it once had. My resume is pretty simple, on top of managing this squad in 2006, I played several years under the greatest manager in Crow history, Dave Podvin. I am also a coaching disciple of Ray Jaworsak, so I will get in your face. As a bench coach, I was able to form relationships with the players that Zog could not. So I know each player. I know what makes them tick and what makes them click. I feel the players on this squad HAVE become complacent and lack the enthusiasm that the Crows once showed, the players on this team need to be refreshed. Playing hard is not about hitting hard or running with speed. Its about when the game is on the line and you play with everything you go. You play your very best. I will not have a set lineup. Its good to have, but it never works out that way. I will design our lineup based on how our hitters are swinging the bat. This is smart. In closing, I am a straight shooter and I already have a game plan set and ready to be implemented next week. The collapse of last season and the slide of this one will continue to be with the team until we win a championship and WE WILL bring another championship back to the Crow nation. CAWWW CAWWW CAWWW!
Put me in COACH, I'm ready to play - TODAY!!!!!!
Put me in COACH, I'm ready to play, look at me, I can be - ANY-Field.....
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