NEW ORLEANS -
January 21, 2038
After ten seasons at the helm of the New Orleans Trendsetters, longtime manager Kevin Wood was let go today in a move that many saw coming but was stiil a surprise to Trendsetter Town.
"Kevin has been a valuable part of this organization for a decade now and we just felt that it was time for a change. We thank Kevin for his hard work and dedication and wish him well in future endeavors."
The move came as a surprise to some as former GM Reg LeBlanc had signed Wood to a five-year extension after the 2037 season, but new GM Chuck Valenches was given the okay by ownership to eat the salary of Wood and make his own hire.
Wood, 60, Joined the club prior to the 2028 season. Unfortunately Wood was unable to produce a title for the Trendsetters and failed to finish above third place and only managed two winning seasons during his tenure. Wood was considered on the hottest of hot seats after his teams lost at least 98 games in each of the last three seasons, including over 100 games in three of those years. Wood finishes his career in New Orleans with a 707-913 record.
Taking the reigns in New Orleans will be Alexander Vega. Vega's name may be familiar as he is fresh off a seven year stint as the manager of the Bakersfield Bears. Vega was let go in Bakersfield 50 games into the 2037 season after getting off to a 16-34 start. In his seven years in Bakersfield, Vega finished above .500 five times and managed two trips to the playoffs, but never advancing past the divisional series.
"Alfredo brings a good development mindset to the Trendsetters. We plan on investing heavily in the draft and we need a manager who has experience handling young players and helping them reach their full potential." said Nawlins' GM Chuck Valenches. "Vega has a history of developing maximum effort players as well as guiding a team to the playoffs, We hope Alf is here to guide this team for many years, but this is the PEBA where there are two rules for a manager. Don't send your dry cleaning out when the team is on the road and RENT, don't BUY."
Vega entered coaching after a ten year career with the Bakersfield Bears, Yuma Bulldozers and Canton Longshoreman. He had a respectable career as a shortstop and was named to the PEBA All-Star Game twice.
Other coaching changes taking effect in the Crescent City will Keiji Hagi take over the role of Pitching Coach for the Trendsetters. The 62 year old has four years of coaching experience in the PEBA with Rio Grande / San Juan, compiling an impressive resume as his pitching staffs compiled sub 4.00 ERAS in all four seasons under Hagi's guidance.
Valentin Delgado will take over as the Hitting Coach for the Trendsetters. Delgado served as the Hitting coach for the 2024 and part of the 2035 season. Delgado also served four seasons as the bench coach for the West Virginia Allegheniesin the early 2020's.
The final major league coaching move involves the hiring of Ben Johnson as the Bench Coach for the club. Johnson, the longtime closer for the Duluth Warriors, last served as a Bench Coach for the London Underground in 2034 and should help Vega with managing the bullpen and making adjustments to opposing hitters.
The New Orleans Trendsetters will begin Spring Training games March 6th at their spring training facility in Litchfield Park, AZ. Opening Day for the Trendsetters will be Monday, April 5th. Tickets are on sale now by going online to neworleanstrendsettersbaseballclubonlineseatingandticketsforthewholefamilywithdiscounts.com or calling (504) WHIFF69.
