New Manager, Same Goals for SteepleCats
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The first-place North Adams SteepleCats are entering the final stretch of the regular season with a new skipper.
General Manager Sean McGrath cited "inappropriate and unacceptable behavior" as the reasons behind the firing of first-year manager Chris Moore on Saturday, July 17. McGrath confirmed that the dismissal was a result of an incident that occurred Friday, July 16, and the organization has chosen not to release the specific details of Moore's actions.
Former bench coach Bobby Segal has taken over managerial duties, while Tom McGrath, Sean's father, has been added to the coaching staff as an assistant. Steven Goldburg, who served as one of Moore’s assistants, has been appointed to be the club's pitching coach.
"The firing was a result of conduct that was unbecoming of the SteepleCats organization," McGrath said on Thursday. "We've built a reputation over the last nine years of being a team that is respected throughout the community – on and off the field. We don't put wins and losses in front of the integrity of our organization."
Players have also remained tight-lipped about the firing.
The SteepleCats collected plenty of wins this summer under Moore, an assistant baseball coach at Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio. In 32 games with Moore as its manager, North Adams went 20-12 and owned the best record in the New England Collegiate Baseball League.
As a result, Moore had been selected to coach the NECBL All-Star Game in Newport, R.I., last Sunday. Following Moore's release, Segal managed the Western Division All-Stars.
On Wednesday, Moore expressed disappointment about being dumped by the 'Cats and not being able to finish what he started.
"It came as a surprise to me," he said of his firing. "To me, my actions were well within the norms of running a team day to day. Obviously there are ups and downs throughout a season, but I felt like it wasn't something that warranted that type of action [from the SteepleCats' front office]."
Moore declined to comment on the specific events that led to his termination.
He said he felt "remorse" about not being able to guide the team into the postseason, but he is confident the 'Cats will thrive under their new management.
"We were very comfortable with each other," Moore said about his relationship with his players. "Our results speak for itself, and I don't think things will change under Bobby and Steven.
"They have an opportunity to make a run, and I look forward to following their run in the playoffs. I wish them the best of luck."
Since Moore's release, the SteepleCats have played three games, going 2-1, including a 4-2 victory over the Keene Swamp Bats on Tuesday and a 3-0 triumph over the Vermont Mountaineers on Thursday.
Holding onto a comfortable 2 1/2-game lead in the Western Division over the Danbury Westerners, the SteepleCats have seven games left in the regular season; they host Keene tonight at Joe Wolfe Field.
McGrath said this year's club may be the tightest group he's seen in his seven years with the organization. He said an example of the team's chemistry was on display Saturday during Breast Cancer Awareness Night, when the 'Cats sported pink jerseys and were in good spirits despite a 3-2 loss to the North Shore Navigators.
That game was played mere hours after the 'Cats received word that Moore had been fired.
"They had a blast wearing those pink jerseys, they were very loose," McGrath said. As for Moore's firing: "We've moved on."
When McGrath hired Moore in April, the two had yet to meet in person; interviews were conducted over the phone. McGrath said last weekend's incident "reaffirmed" that all future hirings should be made following a face-to-face meeting with a candidate.
Segal is the eighth manager since the team's inception in 2002. North Adams has advanced to the NECBL playoffs every summer since its inaugural season, but only once did the 'Cats advance past the first round of the NECBL playoffs, and never into the championship game.
"The players are off and running," McGrath said. "We have expectations to stay atop the Western Division and secure our first division championship, and hopefully we can capture our first Fay Vincent Cup."
The SteepleCats play the Keene Swamp Bats tonight, weather permitting. The Fan Appreciation Night includes a silent auction for an ice cream "date" with the winner's favorite 'Cat. (No, not Roberto.)
