RENO, NV – A little more than a decade ago, Antonio ‘Trashmaster’ Morales was winding down his career as a player in the Planetary Extreme Baseball Association.  He was drafted in the first round (6′^th overall) of the 2011 Amateur Draft by the Reno Tenpinners. He was a college standout for the Memphis Belles posting a 1.013 OPS in his senior year.  The speedy Centerfielder was a highly touted prospect who made his PEBA debut in 2014 where he posted a respectable .756 OPS in 285 at bats.  Morales was never what you would call a superstar but he managed to become a steady contributor for the better part of ten seasons, six with Reno. On January 1^st 2025 Antonio announced his retirement.  And as they say, when one door closes another one opens.  In 2028 Antonio was hired as the Hitting Coach for Reno’s minor league affiliate Angoon Avalanche (SS-A).  He excelled as a  minor league coach earning a promotion to Reno in 2030 where he has received high praise from the players and management as the Zephyrs hitting coach.

Morales will make his debut as a PEBA manager in 2035.  The Reno Zephyrs have announced Morales will succeed Tony Carmona who left the team when his contract was concluded at the end of the 2034 season.  Carmona’s tenure with the team lasted 19 seasons, 9 as a player, 5 as a bench coach, 4 as the manager and 1 as the assistant GM.  Carmona was a successful manager, making the playoffs in 2 of his 4 seasons at the helm.  However, he always struggled connecting with the players.  “Carmona was a great manager for our organization and we have nothing but praise for him and his abilities,” Assistant GM Daisuke Yamashita said during the press conference announcing the hiring of Morales.  “However, we have decided to part ways and go in a different direction.  Our organization is very excited about the direction Antonio Morales will take this team.  Morales played the game with intensity and was a terrific teammate.  When you talk to the guys who played with him, they all swear by him.  He was always a team first and self second kind of guy.  He was a consummate team player.”

The 44 year old Morales is known as a personable and approachable guy who considers himself a baseball tactician.  It has been his lifelong dream to become a PEBA manager someday.  That day has arrived.

“My dad was a high school basketball coach and when he died, so many of his former players showed up at the funeral.  It really hit me hard.  Just how many lives he was able to touch in a positive way.  Playing team sports, at any level can be unbelievably rewarding for so many people, Morales said at his press conference.  Shortly after I retired, I sat down with my wife and we both decided to try and walk a little bit in my dad’s footsteps. Reno was my first choice to coach and I asked to become a minor league hitting coach for them.  They agreed on the spot and I will be eternally grateful for the opportunities this organization has provided me as both a player and a coach.”

Morales announced there will be no changes to the staff other than the hiring of Andres Quinones to fill the hitting coach vacancy after his promotion to manager. “Carmona was a great manager for this team and we are going to keep some consistency in the staff.  We have some obvious holes to fill on the 25 man roster due to a few players filling for free agency and we will get to work immediately on improving the team.  I am excited to get to work and bring home a championship for this great organization.”