It seems a long time ago that Charleston was the dominant force in the Imperial League. At the end of this season it will be 4 years since they won their division, and the 2014 championship is a distant memory for Statesmen fans. The departure of Mark Kierstead further added to Charleston’s woes, with a disappointing season still ongoing a new General Manager would need to be found.

Charles Pinckney the Statesmen owner shocked the baseball world today by 23 year-old David Clark to the position of Charleston Statesmen GM. Born and raised in Scotland, Clark was not deemed to be the obvious choice by the media and bookmakers. But Pinckney believes he’s the man to lead the team back to glory again.

“We wouldn’t be hiring anyone who we didn’t feel could move the organisation forward again. David shone in his interview, and despite his unconventional background is the man we wanted”

At a press conference to announce his arrival Clark was presented to the local and national media for the first time. Looking jetlagged but still well dressed and smiling, he spoke about his appointment and what he hopes to achieve.

“Obviously I’m ecstatic to be here, I’ve been a follower of baseball for years to actually be in charge of a team is just incredible. Growing up in a town on the River Clyde that had seen better days, it’s fair to say baseball wasn’t exactly in my blood. Visiting my uncle in Boston started my baseball interest and it’s been growing ever since. I didn’t really believe any team would give me a shot in front office, so it’s really a dream come true. Just getting out of the cab and seeing this beautiful ballpark was enough to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.”

“I can’t promise overnight success, we’ll have to look through every piece we have and see what we can do that will be in the best interest of the organisation. Short term moves are out of the question right now, but moving forward we aim to return this team to success again. Obviously I’ve been looking over the team since the application stage, but it’s one thing to manage a team from a computer; it’s entirely different in real life.”

Charleston is regarded as the most polite and friendly city in America, but even the mild mannered Statesmen fans won’t hold back if the team continues with a lack of direction. Only time will tell if Pinckney has played a masterstroke or taken a wild stab in the dark with this appointment. Clark has the drive and the vision to succeed, whether or not he can pull it off will be seen over the next few months and years.