BY MARK ANDREWS
DULUTH NEWS TRIBUNE SPORTS WRITER

DULUTH, Minnesota (November 26, 2011) – When Larry Roof was named General Manager of the Duluth Warriors people expected things to change.  After all, in his 20-plus years with the Detroit Tigers organization, Roof was known for his aggressive management tactics.

It did not take long to see that the new Warriors GM was going to use the same approach that brought the Tigers so much success.  On Friday, Roof’s first decision as the Warriors GM was to let three players go rather than offering them arbitration.

“We are not fielding a competitive team within our budget constraints,” Roof stated.  “Some drastic changes have to be made.”  He continued, “The Warriors fans deserve a quality team at a reasonable price.”

“I lived through the death of one baseball league,” explained Roof.  The Warriors new GM, who saw Major League Baseball come crashing down firsthand, leaves no doubt about his passion for the game.  “Money can ruin this game.  If the financial aspect of the game is left unchecked, at some point it is no longer about baseball.”

Roof elaborated on his plans for the Warriors.  “We don’t have to spend the most money in the league to be competitive.  We certainly don’t want the highest ticket prices.”  He went on to say, “Families need to be able to afford to take in a game.”  Roof added, “I want people to come out to the ballpark to have a great time.  To have people that are proud to be Warriors fans.”

The Warrior Watch

Three Warriors – Gabriel García, Raúl Quiñones and Mitsukuni Sato – were granted free agency after they were not offered arbitration.  Of the three, García was the most popular with the Warriors fans.  He also had the highest salary of the three at $6,500,000, which was undoubtedly the reason he was not offered arbitration.